Writing With Multiple Main Characters

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Neeka
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Writing With Multiple Main Characters

#1 Post by Neeka »

Hello everyone. I'm writing a visual novel in third person omniscient. It's a cop drama/thriller that is also kinetic. I was wondering what you all thought of stories, particularly visual novels, in this medium. You still get to see thoughts, backstory, etc of all the characters and the "switching" is fluid and coherent.

Would you read a story in this POV? Do you find it lacking compared to other more popular point of views?

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Re: Writing With Multiple Main Characters

#2 Post by Imperf3kt »

3rd person is where the story is told from the viewpoint of an unrelated narrator or similar. I see no issue here, but it may be better to opt for multiple first person routes instead as they tend to be more personal and easier to read.

How I see this handled is generally a big, obvious pause with the character you're about to assume showing on screen.
Steins;Gate 0 is the first example that comes to mind.


Of course, 3rd person can work too, but I think you'll lose that feeling of connection with the player.

Have you considered the second person perspective?
The concept of the second-person perspective can take two meanings depending on where it is used. In literature, second-person perspective is characterized by the use of second-person pronouns, such as "you". This perspective is used when the main character is the person reading the book (or playing the game).
I think it'd be interesting to play a detective style game where both the criminal and detective speak to you, the player.

You can always add some humor by breaking the fourth wall periodically.
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Re: Writing With Multiple Main Characters

#3 Post by TheUsernameIsTaken »

Just like the above post, yeah routes that are personalized for that one character are pretty good. Here are some examples that may interest you.

Suikoden 3 had three main characters, Hugo, Chris, Geddoe with a bonus Thomas and even the main antagonist for a total of five different perspectives that gave the whole picture. Light spoilers, two main characters develop conflict with each other due to a misunderstanding set by the antagonist, the third ended up being an explanation of all the convenient accidents that worked in favor of the heroes and the antagonist route given at the very end explains their motives behind their actions.

Zero Escape 3 had three main perspectives as well and the series loves leaving holes that can only be filled by viewing other perspectives.

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Re: Writing With Multiple Main Characters

#4 Post by Neeka »

I do like second person but I'm not sure if it would work with this particular story/the way it's set up. It's similar to first person multiple other than the "he/she". You experience/see the story from several (about five) characters.

In a different story I have it set up where you see the cast with basic profiles and choose which one to view the story from. Each point of view shows the relationship between all the characters. If you choose Character A, you see their interactions with the others, their thoughts, etc. Each character route will have different choices and endings.

I could adapt this existing cop drama/thriller in the same way as I like the rounded-out way the story is told by each character.

So far breaks show the switching of the POV (perhaps similar to third person limited)

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Re: Writing With Multiple Main Characters

#5 Post by arisan »

Depends on what you're hoping to achieve with it. Why is it necessary that your readers have access to the kind of unlimited surveillance an omniscient POV affords them? (It would help to know how many characters you're working with, whether they're in conflict with each other or not, and how closely (or not) they act relative to each other.)

Given that you're working with the crime/thriller genre, for instance, are you trying to establish dramatic irony (i.e. the readers know something about the crimes or counter-criminal activities that the characters don't know)? If, on the other hand, you willfully conceal lots of that information to keep the readers in suspense, they might question why you chose an omniscient POV rather than a first person or limited one.

A third person omniscient view allows you to switch focalization even in the middle of scenes, for instance; and I might ask why you'd give players the option of seeing a scene from different perspectives instead of applying the switch in focalization as necessary within a single playthrough of the scene. Going through it multiple times would be tedious unless, of course, you are trying to establish dramatic irony.
Neeka wrote:It's similar to first person multiple other than the "he/she". You experience/see the story from several (about five) characters.

In a different story I have it set up where you see the cast with basic profiles and choose which one to view the story from. Each point of view shows the relationship between all the characters. If you choose Character A, you see their interactions with the others, their thoughts, etc. Each character route will have different choices and endings.
If you're intending to have different choices/endings per character, then I can see why the multiple first person POV style would make sense. It's essentially a different story for each.

If, however, the multiple POVs don't change the outcome or create suspense/irony, then I'd say using first person POV loses part of its charm--that in a first person POV story, the narrator's motives for telling the story and their limits (i.e. degree of unreliability) contribute to the narrative experience. Having multiple points of access to the same story would require that each have a compelling reason for being the one to tell it, and would have to maximize the way each one's unreliability plays off the others'.

Simply put, I don't think any POV is by default incompatible with VNs (though some might be jarring simply because we're used to first person). What's important is that the VN in question is able to maximize the options afforded by the POV it chooses. Third person omniscient, as mentioned, allows you much more freedom with focalization even within a single scene, and doesn't limit you to "inhabiting" any particular character's mind. If those techniques are what you're aiming for, then by all means, roll with it; tread (relatively?) untrod ground.

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Re: Writing With Multiple Main Characters

#6 Post by Mammon »

I'm with arisan on this one, it depends on what you want to do. A omniscient 3th person PoV means that the narrator will know who the culprit is and might drop hints to their identity or even just spoil it entirely, so at the very least the detective you're following knows less than the reader. I can see that work with some stories, and with others I don't. A non-omniscient 3th person PoV that doesn't know anything in advance might work better for other cases, but can't really foreshadow anything.

Personally I'd go with first person, a detective story without the inner voice of the detective giving (false narrative) observations and comments will allow you to have semi-omniscience without this being absolute. The detective can introduce you to the characters upon meeting them, make note of their reactions/expressions and give the hints to clues based upon information/knowledge that not every reader will know.

But you, being the one who knows the story and its details, will have to decide what works best for you and the tale.
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Re: Writing With Multiple Main Characters

#7 Post by Neeka »

Thanks for all of the advice! The story is told where the characters don't know who the culprit is, showing the relationships of everyone through flashbacks/narration. Sometimes certain characters arent in every scene so I will take time to consider the POV. Honestly the main reason for the current point of view is to show the relationships of everyone.(which have known each other for years before the start of the story/present) Choosing one sole character would leave out how they're all connected and view the problem at hand. There's much to think about!

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