All stories are written (mainly) from the perspective of one main character. This is called the Point of View, or POV of that character.

Different parts of the story may be written from the POVs of different characters. For example, Gone with the Wind (Margret Mitchell) was written from the POV of Scarlett O’Hara, the heroine of the story.

The Harry Potter series (JK Rowling) was mostly written from the POV of Harry though other POVs were used too. Each part of The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) was written with the POVs of Roark, Dominique and Wynand respectively.

Head hopping is when you jump from one POV to the other within the same scene. If you do that, the reader is disoriented and doesn’t know who is telling the story at that time.

You can change the POV of a story, but not abruptly. In RL Stevenson’s Treasure Island, the story is told from Jimmy Hawkin’s perspective but when he goes ashore with the pirates, we needed to know what his friends were doing on the ship—and later at the barricade. That’s when the ship’s doctor takes over that part of the narrative and the story is told from his POV.

Why is it called head hopping?

Because when you are reading/experiencing the story from the perspective of one character, you are inside their head. You see what they see, you feel what they feel and know what they are thinking.

When another character usurps the the narrative, you have to get (hop) into their head.

Head hopping happens when a scene shifts abruptly between the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of multiple characters without clear transitions. Rather than anchoring the reader in one character’s experience, it makes them flit around like a lost fly.

It is exhausting and confusing to head-hop. It demands that you let go of your vantage point and unceremoniously trudge along to another. Then to a third, fourth or fifth.

Not amusing, as you can imagine.

Why It’s a Problem

When you don’t commit to one character’s POV, you lose emotional intimacy. The reader doesn’t get to experience the story deeply through any one perspective. Instead, they’re left with surface-level impressions and confusion about whose head they’re in.

Four Practical Ways to Stop Head Hopping

Choose a Point-of-View Anchor

Stick to one character per scene. Decide whose eyes the reader sees through, and stay there. Even if multiple characters are present, focus only on your POV character’s perceptions and emotions.

Use Scene Breaks Strategically

If you want to switch POV, create a scene or chapter break. This signals a fresh start, so the reader isn’t jolted unexpectedly.

Internalize Thought and Sensation

Instead of narrating every character’s feelings, focus on what the POV character senses. Show their internal conflict through actions, dialogue, and subtle description rather than switching heads.

Be Ruthless in Editing

On your second draft, read carefully for POV shifts. Highlight every time the perspective slips. Then, either re-anchor to your chosen POV or cut unnecessary shifts.

Example: Confrontation

Before:
“Why did you do it?” Priya thought. Raj rubbed his forehead, irritated. Their neighbor watched from the porch, amused by the drama unfolding.

After:

The neighbor, half-hidden behind the porch railing, smirked as the tension thickened. Priya stood rigid in the living room, her voice barely steady.

“Why did you do it?”

Raj’s hand trembled as he pressed it to his forehead. His gaze remained fixed on the floor.

Her eyes, sharp as glass, searched his face for an answer that wouldn’t come.

The air hung heavy with unspoken guilt.

Somewhere in the distance, a clock ticked louder, counting the seconds of silence that neither dared to break.

—

See how the after version stays rooted in one person’s perspective?

Head hopping is tempting—it feels like giving your reader the full picture. But clarity trumps coverage. Commit to one character’s experience per scene, and your story’s tension, intimacy, and coherence will skyrocket.

If you want to run your story by me, comment below or contact me.

Mother of three adult humans. An idealistic, outspoken woman of scrupulous integrity, in love with words. A storyteller who enjoys crocheting tales. And a passionate bibliophile, of course.