Head-hopping can be a jarring experience for readers and can quickly turn an interesting novel into an unintelligible mess. Head-hopping refers to the act of quickly jumping from one character’s point of view to another, essentially occupying another headspace. This is usually intended to give another perspective on an event but more often than not only serves to confuse the reader as to who was thinking, feeling, and saying what.

Readers see the novel from the perspective of the current point of view. They essentially inhabit that perspective and see and feel the fictional world from that specific lens. This requires sufficient investment in imagination and emotion, as the reader has to essentially be the character. A sudden hop to another perspective can be a disorienting experience and can leave readers confused and frustrated, especially if this happens suddenly and re[eatedlywithin a single scene. A back and forth between two characters, with the author stating what each is thinking, can easily turn off most readers from an otherwise promising novel.

This is not to say that all instances of head-hopping are taboo. If done right, head-hopping can significantly heighten the emotional impact of a scene. One of the best ways to use head-hopping without alienating readers is to subtly cue the shift in perception. A line break or two, a change in font, or any other typographical means can be used to cue readers that the perspective is about to shift. This makes it less confusing for readers and helps them transition from one character’s headspace into another. A simple literary way that may help shift the perspective is to use the first part of the sentence to identify who is thinking or saying what, essentially stating early on which character the succeeding thoughts or perspective belong to.

One of the most elegant ways to employ head-hopping is in death and battle scenes. A character’s death is an emotional event and to see how a character dies from their personal viewpoint can significantly heighten the impact. For example, the main character delivers a fatal blow, say a spear throw, to an opponent. This can be written as a scene involving three perspectives: The main character’s viewpoint as he throws the spear, a shift in perspective as the spear flies over the battlefield, and then a shift to the hapless victim’s point of view as he sees the inevitable agent of his death hurtling towards him. This provides three different perspectives of a single event which can significantly heighten the impact of the scene instead of merely confusing the reader.

Head-hopping is a common literary tool that authors often misuse, leading to reader frustration instead of heightened emotional investment. With proper planning and careful execution, the use of head-hopping in scenes need not be a frustrating affair. Authors would do well to be mindful of shifts in perspective and to always consider how readers would react when a scene jumps from one headspace to another.