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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/30988
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

My 26-chapter story alternates POV between the main woman and the main man. Early on, the characters are geographically separated and the 2 POV timelines are both progressing, roughly in sync. If I drew a single timeline and mapped the two POVs/chapters to it, they would overlap here and there throughout. But this doesn't seem like a problem, because they are each living their own lives.

In the last few chapters, both characters are in the same space, working together. I still alternate POV, but keep the timing sequential and there is no overlap in the timeline between chapters. This also seems logical and good.

The one place I have an issue with the POV/timeline, is where these two characters meet, about 2/3 of the way through the book. As it currently stands, I show the female POV during a sequence of events, and in the next chapter I repeat those events from the male POV. The reason I am doing this is to set up the confusion (tension) between them, that they need to work through before teaming up.

Is it jarring to the reader to repeat events like this? Is there a way to say to the reader 'we're just going to repeat a few things here' - ??

Thank you.

Original score: 3