Changing POV

I ws reading a writing book (specifically The Breakout Novel by Don Maas) and a section on point of view got me thinking. I was concerned about giving the protagoinist's younger brother an important job/place in the story as well as balancing a little of his perspective with the protagonists.

I've started considering making the younger brother the narrator. I would have to make adjustments to the plot and story to suit it but the other option (having them share the spotlight) seemed clumsy and wasn't working for me. This just feels right to me.

Some of the problems I was at first worried about (like the older brother's emotional growth) are partially helped by the younger brother's empathy and observant nature.

Part of me is unsure but I just feel like this is a good idea and gives both brothers purpose(older brother=protagonist younger brother=narrator). Any suggestions?

edited 25th Mar '11 12:21:18 PM by JewelyJ

There is a trope for this — try reading some of the examples listed there to see how that sort of thing can be done well (or badly, for that matter)? Or don't, if you prefer.

Typically, thinking something's a good idea is a good start, but the real test is in the actual writing. Try actually doing it; if it works, you'll know.

Yeah It was sort of a gut feeling and last nigth I thought about it and then decided to make it more of a switching between the two boys. But instead using first person (one chapter with the olde and the enxt with the younger).

I figure going on a gut feeling might not be a good diea and that"s why I posted this. I was just wondering if there was anything I might be overlooking

edited 26th Mar '11 7:32:56 AM by JewelyJ

I'd be careful with that. Some people (such as myself) can't STAND POV changes, especially when the plot goes with them.

I know but I need both to tell the story. It's still one plot just two narrators.

What do you mean when the plot goes with them? I have one plot with maybe some subplots.

edited 1st Apr '11 8:16:24 PM by JewelyJ

Probably just that you don't want one narrator to get a huge chunk of the plot and the other to have a minisclue part of it. Or at least that's what I got out of it.

What I would recommend is to make sure your two PO Vs are distinct enough to be differentiated. You'll probably just state which person's POV it is at the beginning of the chapter, but some readers are dumb and won't be able to tell the difference.

EDIT: I am not a particularly huge fan of shifting PO Vs myself, but it can be done. Some of the Animorphs books (the Megamorphs, I believe) have multiple PO Vs; you could always look at them to get some sort of idea how to do it.

edited 28th Mar '11 2:07:56 PM by Arctimon

AHR: POV changes are not a bad thing. Some works depend heavily on them and those POV shifts may indeed make the signature style of the work in question. Do you mean to tell me you exclude a lot of good stuff merely for shifting POV more than once?