Double the Fun

Writing a manuscript with dual points of view can be a challenge, but it can also be rewarding for both you and readers if it serves the story. Here's how.

- BRIAN D. KENNEDY

We've all heard it said before: There are two sides to every story. Sometimes writers take this s adage quite literally when they decide the novel they're dreaming up would best be told through two different perspectives. Writing from the vantage point of two narrators, or dual points of view (POVS), can add a richness and complexity to your story that a single point of view may not. Imagine if we only had Nick's side of the story in Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. Or only Amy's. Without dual POVS in Alison Cochrun's The Charm Offensive, we might have only experienced half the humor, half the heat.

Of course, writing from two perspectives can also feel like twice the amount of work. In order to successfully pull off this kind of narrative, you'll need to have two separate character arcs, two plot-lines that intertwine or converge, and two distinct voices and personalities. So, before putting in all that effort, it's probably helpful to ask yourself one very important question: Why?

Why would this story benefit from being told in two points of view? Would a second perspective add a layer of something that couldn't be achieved with just one? More dramatic suspense? More romantic tension? A better exploration or depiction of the novel's overarching theme? When writing his queer post-apocalyptic romance, All That's Left in the World, Erik J. Brown knew dual POVS would make for a more gripping story: 

"When there are two characters in a scene, who maybe don't trust each other or are hiding things from one another, it heightens that tension." He went on to add, "It's easy for one character to assume what the other is thinking, but it's a special kind of connection readers get when they know the truth." 

Once you have your "why," it's time to figure out your "hows."

How do I decide who my two narrators are?