Should I use multiple perspectives in my writing?

By Tierre-Lee Curtis

There’s a fine line when deciding whether you will employ multiple perspectives in your story. On the one hand, it’s an opportunity to reveal more to the reader than what the protagonist is privy to, enhancing the intrigue of your text. On the other, it can convolute an otherwise clear and effective piece of writing. Deciding whether multiple perspectives would benefit you and your story is a difficult decision to make, but don’t worry, I’m here to help.

Start by asking yourself why? Why multiple perspectives instead of one? Why is it integral to the story that the reader have more than one point of view? If you’re struggling to answer either of these questions, maybe focus on writing one voice for now. However, if it serves the story and benefits the reader’s immersion, then gung-ho! Just try to remember quality over quantity; too many hands (or perspectives, in this case) in the jar make things messy.

For those who are experimenting with multiple points of view in their writing, here are some helpful tips to help guide you.

The rule of thumb with multiple perspectives is: one scene, one voice. You can’t jump between perspectives mid-scene without disrupting the reader’s engagement, so you must have clear intentions with each point of view.

Though you may have several ‘speakers’ in your story, establishing one or two main character voices to convey the bulk of your story is incredibly important. Having those point-of-view anchors relieves some of the reader's mental load. Consistent character perspectives, broken up by secondary perspectives, help the reader immerse themselves within your story.

If you’re not careful, writing in multiple voices can easily become blurred. Creating clear and distinct character styles is important in any writing style, but no more than writing from multiple points of view. An easy trick to enhance this distinction is by having characters with juxtaposing traits and values. This also provides an opportunity to read about the same event from completely different understandings.