What is POV (point of view)?
POV (point of view) determines whose eyes a scene or chapter is told through, and in what narrative person (first or third person, for example). A novel can have a single POV character, or multiple POV characters that alternate chapter by chapter.
What's the difference between single and multiple POV?
In single POV, the entire story is told through one character's eyes - the reader only knows what that character knows. In multiple POV, different chapters are told through different characters, giving the reader a fuller picture than any single character could know.
How does choosing a POV character shape the story?
Whose eyes a scene is told through directly determines what the reader does and doesn't know - in genres like mystery, that choice is the main tool for controlling exactly when a clue gets revealed.
Can POV switch within a single scene or chapter?
It's generally discouraged (known as 'head-hopping,' it can confuse readers) - keeping POV fixed for the length of a scene or chapter is a common rule of thumb.
How many POV characters is ideal?
There's no fixed number - it depends on the story's scope. Every additional POV character adds another set of relationships and consistency details to track.
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