I agree.

The reader needs to identify with the character who has the POV in any particular scene. The author can use this to get the reader on the side of the character he wants them on.

Keeping true to the POV helps to keep the pace upped and creates tension.

But I also think, change of POV often gets confused with, head hopping.

Head hopping is confusing in itself and doesn't allow character/reader involvement. Pace is slowed as the author feels they need to give every feeling and thought each character of a scene is feeling and so jumping in and out of the players heads.

Here is an example of head hopping and then the same scene from one point of view:

Nick looked furiously at Jim, 'How could you? You betrayed everything this company stands for.'

'That is your opinion and your opinion only,' Jim answered. He is not going to brow beat me into following his, so called rules, he thought, scraping back his chair and standing so as not to be at a disadvantage.

'My opinion counts for a great deal around here.' My God This man is a loose canon, Nick thought. And I am losing ground.

Jim decided he wouldn't answer that. He turned and walked out of the room.

A re-write:

'How could you? You have betrayed everything this company stands for!'

'That is your opinion and your opinion only, Nick. I have the backing of others, so don't think you can impose your petty rules on me where this is concerned.'

'You're a bloody loose canon...'

There is no point to this, Jim thought as he left the room.


Reader is with Jim. Reader knows Nick is angry without being told. They also know he imposes rules he feels everyone should conform to. They feel him losing ground, and know he has met his match and they know Jim has stood up, or is standing up, even though none of this has been explained by the author.

The pace is upped. The reader isn't bogged down with being told everything, they have used their own imagination. They have engaged.

The scene would work just as well from Nicks point of view if the author wanted the sympathy to be with him:

Nick looked with disbelief at the proposal in front of him. He'd have to nip this in the bud and Jim with it. If he didn't he would lose all control to that bloody upstart.

A few steps took him to Jim's office.

'How could you, Jim? You have betrayed all this company stands for!'

'That is your opinion and your opinion only, Nick. I have the backing of others, so don't think you can impose your petty rules on me where this is concerned.'

'You're a bloody loose canon...'

The door slammed as Jim left the room. Sweat stood out on Nick's forehead. This is one battle he couldn't lose, but what could he do?

Reader sympathy is with Nick. Jim is arrogant and uncaring of the position Nick has held till now. Again, the author didn't have to tell all this. The choice of POV did that as did the words spoken.

If the POV needs to go to Jim after this scene, then inserting *** and leaving a line will indicate to the reader that a change is about to happen. They will have time to adjust.

Remember, writing isn't about indulging ourselves, it is about giving the best we can to our customers, our readers, we owe them that.





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