A new paragraph is usually sufficient. In some cases you may want to explicitly mark a section break with a single centered # between paragraphs. The single centered # is the standard for manuscript. When the novel or story is typeset, it may be rendered by extra spacing between paragraphs, a horizontal rule, or a dingbat (decorative horizontal graphic).
It depends, some people like to break their chapters if the location changes, others start a new one if they want time to pass, some base chapters around cliff-hangers and yet more work their chapters around themes which could cover many scenes. Some authors (Sam Selvon, for instance) do not use chapters at all in some books. I'd avoid the use of scene breaks (using horizontal lines or glyphs, or if you wanna kick it real old school, an asterism (⁂)) unless you absolutely have to. In your cited example, I personally would use the same chapter if the first chapter is related to Jim sleeping (also, if it's a dream chapter, I would erase that chapter ). Or perhaps if the events of the morning are linked strongly to the events of the chapter before, otherwise, just use text to bridge them if you can. You can use a new chapter too, but avoid having too many short chapters (especially in a row).
Chapters are extremely flexible, and I use them to pace the reader. Normally, a line break is enough to indicate a logical transition, but you might choose to start a new chapter there as well, depending on the needs of your story.
I'd say a simple line break. You know, like: ----------------------------------------------- Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blarg blah blah blah. Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh. ----------------------------------------------- The ughs are in the new location. You really don't need anything more.
Also, you don't not require to start a new chapter when you switch POV, you can do that with a line break as well. Blahblah, Jim was looking out the window at the dark street. Just beyond the streetlights, someone seemed to lurk. * Standing in the rain, Peter stamped his feet to warm his cold toes and looked up at the window. Jim seemed to look straight at him. He shrunk back into the shadows.
I'm finally getting around to writing that sci-fi I always talked about, and what I have now is a POV from the perspective of one of the two pilots of the Santarnica (the ship) as he's preparing the ship to descend to a Scotia Galactic Naval Base. My idea as of now is to use William (the pilot) as a way to introduce to the reader the world they're entering. We learn what he's doing, what year this story is set, and, in general, what the Earth is like (ie, they're in the Scottish Empire, etc.) The problem is, while he does show up again and is one of the central figures of the story, he's not the main POV. That belongs to my main protagonist, Captain Helen Chert of the Santarnica. Plus, readers may expect that HE is the protagonist, since at least half a chapter centers around him, not Helen, so when we finally get into her shoes, they might not like it and end up missing William as they would know more about him than her. A solution could be that I just have him talk about her a bit, or maybe she actually shows up and talks to them. Thoughts?
Why don't you use Helen to work with William and reveal all that background info by dialogue? It'd make it more interesting besides. Like Helen could make a comment, I dunno, "It's not like this back home!" and William replies, "Yeh I much prefer the pink sofas we have in the Scottish Empire rather than these!" Not pink sofas but I couldn't be bothered to think of a better example. It'd be better exposition either way. Make Helen very likeable - make her do something significant or intriguing. What you need is to develop immediate interest in her. In my novel, my protag comes in only after several important scenes and I basically link my previous important scenes to him. Also, the way I introduced him - the protag - was by having him save the girl whose POV I was starting with lol. First time I tried and still in first draft so can't say if it works, but it's an option!
I think the readers will understand why his POV was used, unless he is saving one or two girls during his voyage But I agree with Mckk, Helen and William working together exchanging dialogues will be far more interesting. In the second option, you can do away with William's POV and start right away with Helen's.
Enter your new POV at the beginning of a scene, or better yet, at the beginning of a chapter. Make sure the reader knows it's a changed POV through context before you bring the old POV character into the scene. Don't try to pass the POV like a baton in a relay race. Unless you are a master or the art, you will probably fumble it.
Start the story from the main POV, the one you will use most. If once in a while you switch that's fine but I think your right that the reader would grow fond of which ever charcters POV you start with so start with with the POV that you will use most.
Ok, so recently I have started writing this story. It is a horror story, in a sense. The idea behind it is this: One day, an unexpected traveler stumbles upon a mansion. The owner takes him in, and attempts to get this stranger back on his feet. The owner soon discovers there is something strange about this man. The fellow, is a werewolf, kind of, and since the owner of the mansion has an interest in the study of behavior, he decides to monitor this guy. He fashions a room for him to contain him during his episodes, and through a peephole, starts to record and research. Now, my question, and about how I am trying to tell the story. Originally, I had it set up in the first person, from the POV of the main character/owner of the house. Detailing the story about how he met him, how he discovered the man's secret, and the research. This is where it gets tricky. At first, I had him writing all this down in hopes to 'get this story out and to show the world what he has done' (He is writing it, locked up inside his study, because the transformation of the stranger has become permanent and he is now hunting the owner of the mansion.) So he is writing the story, while this beast is hunting for him. So throughout the narrative, I wanted to include and describe instances where the beast finds him, and he has to flee or even fight him a time. The trouble is, the narrative and the story being told about how he met the man, and the small part about research are in the past tense, while the events or interaction with the beast would be happening right then in there while he is writing. I know all this seems like a lot of information, and I am actually having trouble describing it. I hope you can see my dilema though. How can he describe the interaction with the beast, if he is running/fighting this thing in the first place? He can't run and fight at the same time as writing. A solution I had come up with was writing it from the angle of a neutral, arial POV, having what the MC is presently writing in a consecutive quotation (kind of like Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness) and then when it comes time for action, stepping out of the dialogue, and describing it from the neutral POV. an excerpt to give you more of an example is this: A man sat at a desk, appearing tense, head down, and was writing something. A muffled scream could be heard, sounding like it came from another part of the mansion. Expensive looking furniture decorated the room, and an elaborately woven rug, covered some of the floor. There was a small fire place burning and there were multiple bookshelves. The man stopped writing and, reading the paper, said, “If these pages find their way into your hands, then my job is done. The words contained herein may seem like a cry for help, or rather, maybe, the rants of a madman. God only knows what I have released and may he be the judge of my sanity. My only wish is to record a part of my life and leave the rest to you. I do not have much time. He smells me. Any thoughts or suggestions? I had originally wrote: The words on the paper read, "If these pages find their way into your hands...." Is it possible for a neutral POV/observer to zoom in on the page and read the words the man is writing? in fiction?
Just have the narrator write about the encounter at some later point. For example, "Earlier this morning, as I was settling down to write, blah blah blah happened. It was terrible, I had to run and narrowly lost him in the woods ..." I don't understand your question about a neutral POV because you said the story was in First Person POV. So are you saying you want two POVs in the story, perhaps even in the same scene? Doesn't sound like a good idea.
No, I did away with the first person perspective because it cannot happen. It is unrealistic. And the reason there is a problem is because as the story unfolds, the beast is closing in on the encounter. They eventually fight but the MC manages to slip away, but unfortunately, traps himself in a cellar, where inevitably the beast finds him and kills him. The way I wanted it written was so the reader could form their own conclusion. The last few lines being described would be cut off mid sentence, as if he never finished what he was writing, and got attacked.
Maybe simplified it looks like this. There are two things going on at once. The MC is attempting to write the history the led up to this moment, while THAT moment, is actually happening AS he is writing down the events that prefaced it. Does that make sense?
Not sure what you mean here. Are you saying this has already been done? If it has I am completely unaware of the story, and if it is the case I will trash the story. Though this is no interview. It is merely a person attempting to record an account of all events leading up to the moment he is currently experiecing (being chased by this creature inside his house, ultimately leading to his demise and an unfished account mid sentence)
Don't trash the story at all man. Interview with a Vampire is similar to what you're talking about, though while there are core similarities, there are several differences. If you've never seen Interview with a Vampire, I would suggest reading it or watching it, but it is similar to what you're talking about and might give you some good perspective on how to write your story.
Is it possible, for a character to be penning a story and to have a neutral observer, or an arial POV zoom in and read the words on the page as they are being written? If that is possible or rather, can fly in fiction, then I have figured out how to tell the tale and think it could possibly come out alright. I guess the only clear cut way to get an answer is to find someone who would be willing to read it once it is done, strictly for direction on POV. It is a short story.
It sounds like you're talking about first person omniscient - which is extremely hard to do well. "I knew these streets well and walked them often. In the middle of the night, when the soundless air seems to press against your thoughts, you almost wish someone would scream out, just to break the monotony of midnight. Not far off a woman walked home from work; a late night shift at a local Irish themed pub. Her hair bounced and swung from its pony tail knot as she hurried home. Her eyes darted left and right, a hand gripping her purse tighter to her shoulder with ever step. It was her scream I heard this night, and as with every other night, I was always too late."
That's actually, exactly how I had it written first. Inbetween the narration, or the first person, I would enter a new paragraph that included the action in the past tense, which sometimes included the character, whether it was him running, or defending himself. I wonder if I should have left it as it were, isntead of how I just re-wrote it?
Give an example of both methods for the same scene or paragraph so I can see what you were doing and what you're doing now.
This is the new way, and I have it set up as if the neutral POV is reading the words on the page. The paragraph below, being the last paragraph in a succession of dialogue told in first person and ended because of the incoming action. “I became invested in the life of this stranger, beyond his mere survival. I monitored his sleep and his daily life. Always keeping a journal to record any data. That data is attached to this story. One thing was certain, as I dove into my research, his hunger was constant. I could not seem to satisfy him and I tried with zeal.” The door to the study shook. Behind it, a snarl exploded. Frederick stood and picked up a candle. He turned to face a bookshelf and pulled on a specific volume. A secret passage unlocked and he stepped inside. As soon as the door closed, something could be heard inside the study. Furniture being destroyed and growling sounded from the room. The passage vibrated with each movement. Frederick hesitated at first, appearing to listen, but then hurried away. He went through a maze of corridors that led to the east wing of his mansion. The way it was originally done was (without dialogue obviously): I became invested in the life of this stranger, beyond his mere survival. I monitored his sleep and his daily life. Always keeping a journal to record any data. That data is attached to this story. One thing was certain, as I dove into my research, his hunger was constant. I could not seem to satisfy him and I tried with zeal. The door to the study shook. Behind it, a loud snarl exploded. He found me, I thought. I stood and picked up the candle. I turned to face a bookshelf and pulled down a specific volume. A secret passage opened and I slipped inside. After the door closed, I could hear the entrance to the study splinter. i did not stay to listen and hurried away, passing through a maze of corridors that led to the east wing. I entered my library and went about locking every door. I was running out of places to hide and routes to escape. Once I finished, I sat down at a desk and continued my story.
Do a present day/past story. A group of kids venture into his abandoned mansion and find his story. They walk around the mansion as they read the story, jumping from the arial POV to the author's first person view. You can zoom out again and have the kids say, "This was the werewolves room. The noise he probably heard was this lock breaking open. Look at the claw marks on the back of the door." Don't want to completely restructure your story, but if the only character's are the mansion owner and the werewolf it would best be written as a first person story. "I dont have a lot of time, I'm in the library now. I think I lost him....the werewolf would have chased him from this balcony to the library on the other side of the mansion. I wonder how he got away?" "Only one way to find out, lets head to the library and keep reading!" blah blah blah
Say what? He's writing the narrative down whilst he's fighting the monster? Wow, the monster would have to be really easy to deal with if the guy put his pen and paper down and used both hands to fight! I don't think you've quite worked this through. As far as I can see from your description the encounters are all in the past tense whilst he is locked in the study writing this down, with maybe some bits in the present if the monster is beating at the study door or some such.
This is why I was asking questions about which POV would be better suited to tell the story, as I stated first person would not work because he could not run/fight while penning a story. So I was asking if anyone had any suggestions as to how to how to give the reader information from his point of view, while also being able to describe action. Such as the first example/excerpt I gave which has his POV in quotations/dialogue while the narrative is told through a neutral/arial POV describing the rooms, the actions, and reading the words the MC is writing. I am at a loss for how I want to tell this story because of how I want it to end. I wanted it to end unfinished, as if the beast finally got to him. But I cannot figure this POV out. I guess my question is this: Is it possible for a third person/neutral POV to describe action, setting, scene but also read the words the character is writing and show that through dialogue?
