How many viewpoint characters is it reasonable to put into a novel? I imagine it depends on the genre, and various other things. And whether you make it work.

However, as a rule of thumb..?

I was going to have 3 vp characters and now I want a 4th. Not sure if that's too many.

Deb

Terry Pratchettt and Dan Brown have loads of VP characters. Stef Penney in The Tenderness of Wolves had about 5. But it largely depends on whether these characters are sharing scenes or not. There's usually no point having more than one VP character in a scene.

<Added>

Just to add that VP characters are usually protagonists (partly because readers dislike being asked to empathise with unsympathetic characters, and partly because if you are giving a reader a peek into the mind of the chief antagonist it risks spiking some of the suspense and mystery about what's going to happen next), which then begs the question who is the main character?

Good point about whether they share scenes. In these cases, for most of the book, none of them will share scenes. Some of them will towards the climax of the book.

Thanks. I think I'll carry on with my plan for 4 and hope it feels right when it's written.

Any other comments gratefully received.

Deb

I don't see any greater problem with muliple viewpoint characters than with any other aspect of a story. What matter is (a) that the reader doesn't get confused, and (b) the result is a good, readable story. Those are the only rules that really matter.

Alex

Just to add, Nick Hornby had 4 vp characters in his novel A Long Way Down, and 2 in About A Boy. He switched between them, giving each a turn, even though they shared scenes. It worked very well in About A Boy because the 'voices' of the boy and the man were so distinctive, but was less successful in A Long Way Down because there wasn't enough distinction between the 2 male and 2 female adult characters.

Deb, I have the same quandry as you - my wip had four viewpoint characters - I'm now thinking of ditching one of them. As Naomi points out, viewpoint characters sharing lots of scenes could make one redundant - although sometimes I think it adds something to see the character through another pair of familiar eyes. I intend to carry on and see what happens in the first draft and then see how it works as a whole.
Susiex

Thanks everyone - very useful.

Deb

Hi Deb
The latest Marian Keyes has (I think) at least five VP characters, most of whom share some scenes with each other. In a lot of her books (e.g. Last Chance Saloon, Sushi for Beginners) she does this, but not usually with so many - for me that was one of the reasons her latest one didn't seem to work so well. I would say probably four is OK, any more than four becomes too repetitive/ confusing - plus, they can't all be the main characters. Do we really care that much about what a character 5th or 6th in line of 'importance' is thinking?

Hi Deb,

My novel has multiple viewpoint characters who share scenes at times because it's about the members of a reading group, so they have to share scenes when they're holding their meetings.

It does work as long as it's made obvious who is doing the talking at what point, and if the characters are strong enough to make the reader care about them and want to know them, it's fine in my opinion.

Kat x

Very good points, Claire - thank you. And thank you also Katerina.

I think I'll go with four, then. It's kind of necessary for the plot. I have chosen to do something complicated and am kind of regretting it... but if I pull it off it might be good.

Deb

There is also a technique called "multiple authorship" where the author quite deliberately has a number of charcters telling the tale, usually in the form of diaries, reports and letters edited together, reporting on the same incident from different VPs.

I'm thinking of The Moonstone and Dracula as examples of this - can't think of any modern day examples though so it might be quite an old fashioned (19th century) literary device. Can anyone confirm or deny this? It would allow for quite an number of viewpoint characters though.

My novel has ten viewpoint characters. Not sure this falls under the "multiple authorship" template, as none of them use diaries or letters etc.

Hi, all, and I hope it's okay for a relative newbie to bust in.

The 'multiple authorship' structure is very much alive and well at present. Multiple first-person POV seems to have become increasingly popular since 'The Time Traveller's Wife', and some writers use it almost exclusively, eg Michelle Lovric.

My own first novel is exactly what stonerayven is talking about - multiple first person POV, comprising letters, a memoir, a diary, and transcriptions of interviews. There are (terrifyingly) EIGHT POV characters in the book, but I think it's easier to do this in first than in third because you can give each a totally unique voice. Without that, a reader might be in danger of forgetting whose head they're in at the time, which can jolt them right out of the story. I only hope I've pulled it off...

I think multiple viewpoint in close third person can also be very effective - as with Stephen King's 'It', which has seven viewpoint characters. It worked for me because it was very close third, and King frequently quoted their thoughts in italics to help the 'inside the head' feel. Where I struggle as a reader with multiple viewpoint is where I'm distanced from the character in some way. In the absence of a single, dominant viewpoint to bond with, I need some other reason to care about each viewpoint character in his/her own right.

This is totally subjective, of course, but I would think you'll be fine with four, as long as you go close enough with all of them for the reader to feel a bond - even if it's hate. You don't want one of them to be the character that makes the reader groan when he sees the baton switch. I had one of those in my second book - and I've cut him.

I think it depends hugely on how it's structured: is it alternating chapters each of which is in third limited? Or are you handling full omniscience and so a moving PoV?

Marge Piercy's Gone to Soldiers has ten VP characters, all in 3rdP, and limited as I remember, and you care passionately about all of them. A masterpiece of intricate plotting.

I think it's easier to do this in first than in third because you can give each a totally unique voice.

I think there's a lot in this - which is one reason that so far mine have been 1st person (though that's all about to change with the next in the TBW pile...). Though if you really use free indirect style to the utmost third person can come close.

Emma

free indirect style

One of these days, I'm going to find time to get my head around terminology of that nature.

Alex