: Re: How to switch pov characters mid-scene without jarring the reader? I am writing a novel wherein there are many characters whose thoughts are key to telling it properly. In an earlier draft,

@Gonzalez219

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I would highly recommend section breaks, even if it is happening mid-scene. This isn't an alien technique - many authors have used it. All you really need is a double character return. The reader barely notices it, but it's at least an indicator that we're changing character viewpoints. If you don't use the double return for anything else in your story, then the reader will quickly become accustomed to seeing it and knowing what's happening.

However, if you go for long stretches in one character's head, and then you decide to jump around a bit, and then you go for long stretches again without doing this, it will probably seem somewhat sloppy. You'll probably want to try and dedicate a fairly even amount of time (as much as possible) to each character - or at least divide up the scenes into even chunks, even if you revisit certain characters on a more regular basis.

I highly recommend checking out Orson Scott Card's Characters and Viewpoints - he addresses this very topic, and he does an absolutely magnificent job describing the strengths and weaknesses of various viewpoint options, as well as how to use them most effectively.

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