I'm a newbie writer, but an experienced teacher, so take the following for what it is worth. All the published authors out there have already made this mistake and moved on.
I'm talking about head hopping - switching point of view (POV). Don't know what I am talking about? Let me help you. Find a 2-4 page part of your novel between your hero and heroine (or two main characters). Now, get out your highlighters!
With your pink highlighter go through and mark anything your heroine is thinking (what is on her mind). When you are finished, get out your blue highlighter...you got it...mark anything that the hero is thinking.
Put your markers away. Stand back and look at the pretty colors. If you are like me you have a generous helping of both colors. This is head hopping! (And this is bad :-)
Try going through a favorite novel (NOT a library book) marking a scene with two main characters interacting. How is your work different from your favorite work?
Master writers can get away with switching POV...that is why they are the masters. But to those of us just getting started, it is best to keep it simple and focused.
What have I learned from my experience? Figure out who you want telling the story...the hero or the heroine. Just write the scene from their head (POV). If a scene changes, then you can change POV...just don't hop around too much. If you are not sure, try writing the scene from one POV then write from the other POV. See which you like best...you might be surprised...I was.
I thought it was important for the reader to know everything that was going on in my story (both "heads" or POV). After entering a contest all three judges commented how head hopping was confusing them. I decided to listen. I found out the reader doesn't necessarily want to know everything at once...they want to discover what is going on through your characters.
Don't be stubborn. I reluctantly changed my ways and immediately could tell a difference. Give it a shot...what have you got to lose?
