writing help?

Question

so I'm starting to write a fiction novel and I'm having trouble with the story-tellling technique, like for example could I tell it through 2 different points-of-view and if so how can I pull this? Like for example the story's happening through the main character/narrator yet there's another important character that's involved in underground knife fights and there's like parts where like the knife fights are going on and you (the reader) gets to know what's going on but the main character doesn't. If I can't do two different points of view, then how could I pull this off, to have the reader know in detail something that the narrator doesn't?

Answer 1

I once read a book called "Pictures of Hollis Woods" The story was being told by the main character (I think) But they did 2 of each chapter. Like after they did chapter two they would do chapter two part two. And the second part would be what the main character did in the past (Or in your case what the main character doesn't know) and that was told by a narrarator's point of view, but you can also make it a different characters point of view. Like when you do part two's then you introduce a completely different character. So it's two stories in one. But eventually the merge. Do you understand what I'm saying?
You can also do it like after you do chapter one. You have a chapter that's in all italics, so it's being told by a different character. Introcduce it like yopu did for the original man character.
Ex.
Chapter 1:
MY name is Rose and today I went to go hang with my friends so........... blah blah blah
Chapter 1 Part two:
I'm jack. I live in a world that.... blah blah
Or instead of Part two just do italics...
I hope that made sense...

Happy Writing!

Answer 2

Some other posters have cited novels that do this. It's probably a good idea for you to read novels written in this manner before you try to write one.

I'll add another. I enjoyed the original novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. It is written from several characters' points of view. Each chapter is an entry in somebody's journal.

I thought it was very effective.

Answer 3

Are you writning in the first person perspective? That may be your major obstacle. First person is EXTREMELY difficult to write, even for seasoned authors.

Writing from the omniscient POV doesn't mean you can't get in a character's head and know what he/she's thinking. A lot of times, if an author has two or more storylines going, when they switch back and forth they separate the paragraphs with a line of asterisks * * *

Answer 4

You can tell it through two different points of view. two narrators i'd assume.
if the reader know something that a character doesn't yet know, this is called dramatic irony.

Answer 5

My favorite novel employing two points of view is The Mandarins by Simone deBeauvoir. Alternate chapters are told (A) in 3rd person limited to the wife's point of view; (B) first person from the husband's POV.