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Changing POV in Sequel?

H. Malcom Walker ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

Note: I should have titled this post "Changing Narrator in Sequel?" Sorry about that.

So my most successful story on SOL has two main characters, and is narrated by the male character in 1st person, past tense. I'm starting to outline the sequel and I'm thinking about switching the narration to the female MC.

Do you think that would be too jarring? Any examples you can think of where other authors have tried it?

My thinking is that it would let me provide a different perspective that would better show the FMC moving forward and reacting to events that took place in the first book. It would also allow her to have conversations with others without the MMC being present.

Malcom

REP ๐Ÿšซ

@H. Malcom Walker

I don't see a problem with that

Big Ed Magusson ๐Ÿšซ

@H. Malcom Walker

If it's a separate book *and* the first book had a real ending, there's nothing wrong with switching POV characters. It's done all the time in Romance. Book 2 is the POV of Book 1's sister.

Where you could get in trouble is that a lot of SOL stories don't really have end points at the end of "Book 1". The story is just a huge serial told over multiple "books."

So if you wrap Book 1 at a satisfying point for that MC, then picking up Book 2 with a different MC is fine.

Replies:   H. Malcom Walker
H. Malcom Walker ๐Ÿšซ

@Big Ed Magusson

That's a good point. Book 1 had an "ending" but it did not resolve everything and I stated at the end that the 2 MCs would return in the next one. I think for my intentions it was enough of an ending to justify transitioning into a new narrator.

awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ

@H. Malcom Walker

Obviously it will be a bit of a surprise to readers expecting a straight sequel, but if you've made the FMC someone the readers can engage with, it should work out as you hope. However most male authors aren't good at portraying female characters so that could be a risk.

What are your overall plans for the series? Are you going to continue it after the sequel? If you're going to keep swapping narrators, it's better to do it early so the readers become acclimatised.

AJ

Dominions Son ๐Ÿšซ

@awnlee jawking

Obviously it will be a bit of a surprise to readers expecting a straight sequel, but if you've made the FMC someone the readers can engage with, it should work out as you hope.

I can think of a couple of traditionally published series that have an over-arching story to the entire series, and a principle lead character for the entire series that none the less have one or two books in the middle told from the POV of a different character.

It can work if it's done well and for the right reasons.

H. Malcom Walker ๐Ÿšซ

@awnlee jawking

I'm a new author so I hesitate to claim I'm "good" at something, but I've been told by a few female beta readers that I write female POV well.

The sequel will likely be a hard ending to this storyline. At least so far I have nothing in my brain that would extend past it.

Replies:   awnlee jawking
awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ

@H. Malcom Walker

I've been told by a few female beta readers that I write female POV well.

That's an encouraging sign. Go for it!

AJ

Bondi Beach ๐Ÿšซ

@H. Malcom Walker

George RR Martin did it in his moderately successful "song of ice and fire". No problem. In fact, he changed narrator in every chapter and made it clear who was narrating by saying so at the beginning of each chapter.

~ JBB

Eric Ross ๐Ÿšซ

@Bondi Beach

Agreed. I've also experimented with this in my own stories. The Vale of Shadows frequently changes POV between the two protagonists. I don't see a problem with it.

Big Ed Magusson ๐Ÿšซ

@Bondi Beach

Note this works a *lot* better if it's all third person or if only one POV is first person.

H. Malcom Walker ๐Ÿšซ

@Bondi Beach

As others mentioned, George did it with third person, which makes it easy to switch narrators. Mine is first person, which I would be hesitant to switch narrators within the same book, but I think for the sequel I'll probably switch the narrator and maybe state that I did at the beginning.

Malcom

Dicrostonyx ๐Ÿšซ

@H. Malcom Walker

I would say that the choice is perfectly fine, but you should consider whether you are truly writing a sequel or if you're writing a series. Both options are fine with a POV switch, but it's more common in the latter. Note that I'm using these words in the academic or critical sense, which doesn't always match mainstream or amateur usage.

For clarity, properly speaking:

A Sequel directly follows the preceding work, continuing the story and building on the same characters. While a POV switch is doable, it can be difficult to do while also maintaining the sense of continuance necessary to make it a true sequel.

A Series is a group of related works that share some but not all elements, such as setting, characters, or themes.

In casual speech, terms like sequel, trilogy, and series are used to distinguish between different lengths of a series, but in academia there are actual important differences. For example, a three-book series might be a trilogy, but it doesn't have to be. A trilogy doesn't just need to have three books, but they should be connected in such a way as to tell one overarching story while still telling complete stories individually. Consider the three original Mad Max or Alien films as a three work series vs the original Star Wars or Lord of the Rings films as trilogies. There is a connectivity and continuance in the latter that doesn't exist in the former.

For your purposes, consider not just what you're gaining by changing the POV, but also what you're losing. Will you be able to tell the same story and focus the character development on the same character(s)? Will you need to back up to explain things from a different angle or skip over events you would otherwise cover? Sure, you can show a different perspective, but does that perspective further the same story or create a new story?

Again, I'm not saying that you shouldn't do this, just that you need to think about why you are doing it and if this new book should be considered a sequel or a parallel story. That decision will affect not just how you tell the story, but what story you're actually going to tell.

Military SF author John Ringo does this a lot. His books tend to have multiple POV characters throughout any given novel with minor characters in one book becoming major or key characters in later books, but with the series telling one long contiguous story with the multiple points of view informing the reader of what is going on in different places.

Replies:   H. Malcom Walker
H. Malcom Walker ๐Ÿšซ

@Dicrostonyx

Those are great points you make, and I thank you for making them. I love John Ringo for the most part. I was ecstatic to find out he just finished writing Book #4 of Troy Rising, since I just re-read the first three for like the third time.

This is almost guaranteed to only be two books. The first book was a tiered seduction book where the son seduces his mom over a series of encounters.

The second book will cover the trials and tribulations of settling down as an incestuous couple. They've been through the hot and heavy phase, and now they must navigate the complexities of their unique relationship.

Book Two will have a slightly different tone, so I'm more and more convinced that the shift to the FMC as narrator will work. There was only one potential scene that I was having an issue with, but I figured out a simple solution.

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