Dual narrative

[fannyrat]

Hi all

I want to write a story that considers the situation from both angles i.e. blackmailer/victim.

What is the best way to approach this in your opinion ?

It seems to me that if I change character constantly it will be confusing or boring and how do I do it anyway, put a heading that it is now John Doe speaking - now Jane Doe speaking every time the viewpoint changes ?

I imagine that would look a bit like a report than a story.

There may be times I want to switch to a third person narrative which would make it all even more of a mess.

All advice would be appreciated.

 

[lovecraft68]

Either add a chapter every time the POV switches, so ch 1 is John, ch 2 is Lisa so on.

Or if you want to switch within chapters use scene breaks like ***** to tell the reader something is changing

Or you can write in third person which allows you to show each person's thoughts and reactions, although if you're going to stay with one for a long time a break might still work better.

 

[NaokoSmith]

People quite often do switch PoV and can write it even in the same chapters so it becomes seamless for the reader.

Best advice is to get an editor/beta-reader who can tell you if the switch between the PoV is not working well.

Good luck! Make sure you come back and tell us how you're getting on with it.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

Hi all

I want to write a story that considers the situation from both angles i.e. blackmailer/victim.

What is the best way to approach this in your opinion ?

Probably the "best" way is to stick to one POV, but graphically describe the reactions of the other character. It gives the reader less to do. But your characters probably aren't often in the same room, so...

I just use a section break with no header, and simply start describing things from the other POV with no preamble. If I'm switching to a completely different place and time, I'll have someone speak the name of the person they are talking to in the first few sentences, to establish context. You could look at my _Chosen_, where some of the chapters switch POV once or twice. Given that the genders of your characters are probably different and their attitudes and emotions are going to be very different, it shouldn't be hard to establish who's active, especially if you're just switching back and forth between two characters:

Smiling, I hit send, and then leaned back and put my feet up. In just a few minutes, the stupid bitch was going to feel that unique kind of cold terror that settles in for a long, long stay. Her thinking would become frantic, disjoint and clouded; she's start sweating, frantically trying to think of everything she'd ever said to anyone, anywhere...

Yeah.Let her simmer in that sickening fear for a full day. Let her jump every time her phone buzzed, wondering what I'd demand....

+++

I opened the email with shaking hands. I already knew what my anonymous tormentor was going to say. He knew everything now.

It was a short email, and ended with a list of dates and places. I closed the email, trembling. He'd been watching, somehow, since December. A single word of this would ruin my husband's run for the Senate.

I felt hopelessness settle in. Would he want money? Sex? Or was he only sadistically interested in my humiliation? He had me. I'd do anything now and he knew it... but there were no demands.

No demands yet. I stared at the doNotReply in the address, and now I was shaking hard. I wasn't going to be able to stop imagining all the things he could make me do. Could I ask Lucy for help? But she'd judge me. They'd all judge me.

No trouble following that switch. Of course that's an easy example, the scene switch marked by sending and receiving a message. But if the blackmailer is uniformly cruel and ruthless in attitude, and the victim goes from carefree to terrified and thence to broken or suddenly victorious, it shouldn't be hard to follow.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

read Gone Girl for how it's done.

and Jodi Piccoult has a few out there done the same way. i can't remember which, though.

 

[Handley_Page]

One story which does this has a paragraph heading of whoever the narrator is.

 

[ColetteJulie]

Either add a chapter every time the POV switches, so ch 1 is John, ch 2 is Lisa so on.

Or if you want to switch within chapters use scene breaks like ***** to tell the reader something is changing

Or you can write in third person which allows you to show each person's thoughts and reactions, although if you're going to stay with one for a long time a break might still work better.

Third person omnipresent. You are God then, you can hide stuff from the reader or make the reader aware of exactly what each character is thinking. Changing POV in a story only works with clear gaps - like the end of a chapter.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

Third person omnipresent. You are God then, you can hide stuff from the reader or make the reader aware of exactly what each character is thinking. Changing POV in a story only works with clear gaps - like the end of a chapter.

which is what LC wrote ... innit?

 

[ColetteJulie]

which is what LC wrote ... innit?

Yes. I'm agreeing, just adding the omnipresent angle.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

Yes. I'm agreeing, just adding the omnipresent angle.

ah. right. *nods* must be my 'dim day' today.

(and before you crack wise, LC - shut up. )