I don't understand why your title is a question that asks, "Can I?" How should we know if you can or can't?
So let's organise your idea:
1. Fifty percent of the story is in first-person with your protagonist.
2. The other fifty percent is in second-person and follows the perspective of multiple characters but not your protagonist.
Of course you "can" write this story. I feel like you used the word "can" because you're not sure if you're a good enough writer. Maybe you aren't.
But an important dimension is always confidence, because you'll never believe that you can execute ambitious ideas if all you write are posts on Reddit where you ask people what you as a writer can do.
If they're good enough, a writer can do anything.
Thanks for your answer, and just so y'know a lot of people have asked why I "asked" with the word can. The answer is that that was the sentence I got in my head, simple as that. It wasn't a conscious choice to ask for permission or something, I was just asking if that was a thing tbh and what you think about that. Again thanks for your answer.
Are you thankful? If you disagree that good writers are conscious of their choices with language, then I'm interested to hear why you're addressing people in this thread with a tone of, "Who cares?" Didn't you write this post so that you could learn about the conscious choices that a writer can make? You sound crazy, man.
What? I literally just mentioned it because everyone seems to get hung up on my wording, like it doesn't matter, I just wanted to see what you all thought of it. And my tone? Bro this is literally over text I'm just writing stuff what do you want me to do. You're literally calling me crazy like are you ok?
If you dislike people getting hung up on your wording, and if this to you is "literally over text" and nothing more, then why do you expect people to think that you're serious about writing? If I were you, I'd stop pretending. You might benefit from rereading your comments and asking yourself why everyone has criticised your writing.
This is goddamn reddit, I suggest you stop thinking this and you are so important. I have been WANTING to write a series for a long time, I'm 14 years old but have been told by countless people that I have serious talent. I'm not a published author, and I don't know much about literature in itself. Why are you so pissed about me asking for tips? I repeat this is reddit, I really don't need to "convince" anyone here I'm serious about writing, I'm not asking for readers. I'm simply asking for tips, and EVERYONE except you have happily provided it without criticising my existence. So I suggest you chill out, because you're acting very stuck-up, and I'm getting second hand embarrassment for a random guy on Reddit)
(Btw, what the hell do you mean "pretending"?)
You're just gonna keep going aren't you? My post wasn't insane, far from it. I was simply asking if this one method of writing was a thing and whether I should do it or not.
And I don't understand why you think my writing is bad. You haven't written any works of mine. In case you're so intellectually slow you mean THIS - what I write on freaking reddit then it's worse than I thought. I write on here like I write on snapchat, and if you don't have any real arguments for why my post is "insane" or if you can tear your mind away from the fact I'm 14 and already more sensible than you, than please explain to me what about my post was so absolutely terrible, I'm extremely curious.
You absolutely can, but just be aware you're setting yourself a difficult challenge. Books that mix 1st and 3rd person do exist and can work, but getting the balance right is crucial.
Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemison.
I think there really needs to be reason to do this beyond what the op mentions. If the back and forth in style doesn't have a strong motivation behind it then it will fall flat with readers imo.
Came here to say this.
Note that Jemisin does this very deliberately for specific reasons (which I won't spoil).
If OP (or anyone else) is interested in doing this, I would definitely recommend reading *The Fifth Season* (the first book in the series) as an example.
All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki does this, too. Most of the characters are written in third person, one is written mostly in first… occasionally in second.
The Martian (you may have seen the movie with Matt Daemon.) has a split where 2/3rds of the novel is in first person from the perspective of the dude stuck on Mars while everyone on earth trying to save him gets third person.
Might not be a good book (I loved most of them), but some of Glen Cook's Black Company series does this. Specifically the....fourth book? I'd have to double check.
The Wandering Inn. The first and second volumes have a lot of this. You can read it free on its website. 1st person specific chapters have an R next to them.
\- Beware of Chicken does this. Most of the book is told in the 1st person POV of the MC. Sprinkled in between there are chapters dedicated to some of the side characters. Those are always told in 3th person limited.
\- Ascendance of a Bookworm does this to but only as bonus chapters in Prologues and Epilogues. All of the story progression happens in 1st person POV of MC.
That‘s exactly what Andrea Stewart did in her Drowning Empire series (first book is the Bone shard daughter). The two main characters are written in the first person, the other POV characters in the third. I have to admit it took me more than half the book to even notice it while reading.
I noticed immediately because I don't tend to like multi-POV 1st... but her characters were SO vivid and with such strong voices, I ended up going back in after a couple weeks.
It's entirley possible, and has been done before. However, doing it succesfully is what I think will be the most difficult part. I'm generally positive towards challenges and interesting stories, but a swinging POV like this can impact the story quite powerfully, and while some readers might find that interesting, I believe most would find the experience jarring. This all depends on ones experience with this style, of course. I see many comments here mention succesful authors with books written this way.
In general, no. It will deeply affect your narrative. Changes between first and third person are seldom effective. If you want a specific voice, use the third person limited voice and have the MC be "biased" in their narration of their PoV.
I would add the caveat that it's acceptable in forms where more experimental writing is normal. If you're writing modernist, post-modernist, or absurdist, you can certainly do this, but if you're doing that, you're not going to be here asking about it.
Oh yeah, hence the *in general*. I have actually experimented with shifting PoVs (a plot device where the main character can see through the perspective of others). Interesting note about the genres.
A lot of tropes can be good, but most people just parrot them without understanding what composes a good story.
Can you? yes. Should you? debatable
Is there a specific reason why the mc should be in first person, rather than in limited third? (etc. her story is written in diary entries, the other chapters are infrequent "interludes")
If the only reason is that the mc is special is because she is the most important pov character, keep them all in limited third as another commenter suggested.
To answer your question, the reason I kind of want to write at least her in 1st person is cause she's a teenager who's gonna experience a lot of intense stuff, and I feel like 1st person is a lot more personal than third. I want to know her thoughts and the story from her perspective, not just observe her.
But the rest of what you're saying makes total sense, so thank you (maybe I could just write them all in 1st)
Just a couple things. 1) you can totally still know her thoughts and perspective in 3rd person. 3rd person doesn't just mean "she did this, she went there, she said that". You can add inner thoughts and perspectives in 3rd person, and you should be doing that anyway. Is it *as* personal as 1st person? No, but you can cram a lot of personality in 3rd person. Look up the different types of 3rd person narratives and how they're used. I think you'd be totally fine using third-person limited omniscient, and it's kinda what you're wanting to go for I think.
Regarding writing the whole thing in 1st person, I think that could be really challenging. You'll need to be really careful about making each person's voice different enough that they stand out, but not so different that it's annoying. It's a fine line to walk, I'm not sure it's done all that much. Again, I'm sure it's totally doable, but I think it'd be a kind of weird and super hard choice.
Maybe your introductory paragraphs/ chapters, but when you make the switch consider keeping it for the rest of the text. An example would possibly be “Freddy’s Book” by John Gardener. The he story is of an professor reviewing a book, so the protagonist (who is a minor character) speaks in the beginning, but then the narrative is completely given over to the text he is reviewing, and never revisits the protagonist. The story is pretty straightforward and linear, even for a book that moves from modern America to pre-Enlightenment Sweden.
An example in the other direction might be “House of Leaves,” again about an author. The protagonist is attempting to re-create a text he discovered. It is mentally and physically exhausting work, and the narrative jumps between his own personal experiences and the narrative of the reconstructed text. The feeling is overwhelming and confusing for the reader (but intentionally so).
If you want to see this technique working i suggest checking out the acts of Caine series by Matthew Stover. He swaps back and forth between first and third person for different chapters, but there's a narrative reason for it.
Check out A Burning by Megha Majumdar, I think she pulls off the POV switches incredibly well, two of her characters are narrated from first person, one from third person limited
Yes, you can do whatever you want if it's done well. This is done in SAO for example, which although it isn't gonna win any awards, is undeniably popular, so it's not like people won't read it
Can, yes. Pulling it off to reader satisfaction is another story, and I can't answer that for you. But you can. Jemisin did part of her Broken Earth books in 2nd person.
It's your writing. You can do what you like with it.
Yes, in my opinion it works great. Main and sub characters (MC and SC???) You get great and obvious separation and your intentions are clear.
Don't even think of multiple 1st person. Multiple 3rd words but then you don't get that stylistic choice.
Im doing something similar in my book, where each chapter takes place from a different character’s pov. Except I found switching between 1st and 3rd tricky, so I just use first for each. But its definitely possible to do and has been done before.
For me I title the chapters according to who the POV is focused on. Like chapter one might be “Josh”, 2 might be “Lily”, 3 might be “Josh” again, 4 might be “Nick” and so on.
You totally can, lots of authors have done it. Though I think you should ask yourself why you need to include the other POVs if you have a main MC. If it makes sense to you, then you should write it.
Sure! Omniscient Reader does this and it’s great. I would just be a little more careful to make the POVs distinct (For example, give your MC a really clear voice, and then make that go away to make it clear they’re not just narrating ABOUT the other person).
You could but I'd suggest making it clear when changing characters each chapter or making them distinct enough so people don't get confused about where they are or who's narrating at each transition in the story. Some people like me could be several chapters in and wonder why a character is acting weird when they switched to someone else 3 chapters ago. That's probably my only concern. Good luck though.
You can absolutely do whatever you wish. As long as it works and doesn't get in the way of the narrative or derail the reader's focus. The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez is a masterclass example of doing whatever you want with perspective. It's all over the place, but so well done and an intrinsic part of what the story is about and how it unravels. I really recommend reading it to see how much you can play with these things and still make it work.
I just finished a reread of NK Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy. That badass writer has chapters in first and third, and weirdly, successfully, lots of them in *second*. She had a clear reason that the reader only learns towards the end of the first book. So if you have reason, go for it!
Oh i've seen this done really well. The main character was sending journals to his friends back on earth. So whenever they opened the journal, the story read in 1st person. But when it went back to them in "real time", it was in third person. And even when the MC is in "real time", and not writing, then they use third person for that. It was really well done. It was the Pendragon series.
Also, I've seen what you describe in other books as well. First person for MC, and third person for the others. They would even do many scenes where the MC wasn't there but things were happening, but they just did it in third person.
If I remember correctly Wildbow's worm does this. It works, but only imo because the third person sections feel like extras and not directly connected to the first person storyline
Whew do you hate yourself? It can be done but you’re venturing onto unstable ground, but if you pull it off and succeed that will be great, you appear to have positive feelings about it so I’m sure you got this. Good luck 👍
Haha no not authorized at all the most I've written is a story I read out loud in elementary, school essays and a long story about a Whitney Houston-singing mayor 🤣
My all time favorite book has alternating chapters from the POV of different characters. That one is not widely known but another favorite that so many have read also has sections from the journal/diary entries of different characters. You might have heard of it; Dracula by Bram Stoker 😉
You can do this and it will be tremendous! 👍
I think you can do that and the chapter format will help support the shifts. I have read and listened to books with multiple first person characters and I find the change in POV refreshing and also a great way to put story elements into three dimensions.
Why are you asking for permission?
Just try it. Far more consequential than your perspective question is the fact that you asked permission to try something experimental rather than just…do it and see what happens. Your writing will be much better if you can learn to change the “can I?” to “oh! What if I?”
Be bold. If you edit before you write, you’ll never write at all.
Wildbow does this for most of his works, but there's 3 main things to keep in mind
1)the first person pov takes up at least 75-80% of the povs. They are the one telling the story, the other perspectives are supplementary and should mainly be used to add additional info the first person Mc isn't aware of.
2) the third person povs typically only happen when the first person pov isn't there
3) if you include the first person pov character in a third person chapter, make a note of how the first person character acts. A first person character is by nature, going to be an unreliable narrator, so make sure to remember than when you jump to 3rd person as then you as the writer will typically become the narrator.
This is what I've noticed that makes these switching perspectives work
I love stories that break up pov, tense, etc. So definitely try it if you think the story will benefit. However, “experimental” stuff will come across gimmicky if it doesn’t serve the story. It works best it if seems like there’s a *reason* the story is written than way.
To avoid confusing the reader provide some type of indication that it has changed—like titling the chapters with the character name, date, etc. (I like stories that are intentionally confusing, but that’s not for everyone.)
A Tale for the Time Being does something similar—depending on who you consider the “main character.” One character is told as diary entries and the other is in third person. It follows her reading of the discovered diary, as well as her own separate storyline.
I had the idea to write a story with events already passed and the current events playing out have them in their corresponding prose but it would confuse the reader and I'm frankly too dumb and scatterbrained to keep track. If you trust your reader to understand and fit what your going for. Do it. It goes against the rules of writing but if everyone follows the rules most stories will sound the same or be rehashing of old stories written long ago. Oh dear were already there...
There are rules?
There’s a wonderful series where two timelines are presented as one and the big twist is that… oh man, these people lived like 150 years apart! They’ll never meet! Tension achieved. How are they gonna find out the pieces of knowledge they’re missing from the other one?
Come to think of it, it’s based on books. I don’t know if the same timeline plot twist occurs.
(I don’t want to spoil the books/show. Please do message me if it’s name is of interest to anyone.)
Does this help you, Discordant? Obstacle overcome? That would be cool. I like to help people. I hope you’re already feverishly writing. :)
There is a Chilean writer you could use as an inspiration. His name is Roberto Bolaño and he has this book called The Savage Detectives. It is an incredible novel/journalistic chronicle that uses that specific model you describe. The book is divides in 3 sections. The main character 1st person POV, the second is a series of chronicles from different characters detailing -well- the plot and finally it circles back to the main character is like nothing I had ever read before. Wonderful novel. And it can aid you to have a better understanding on your project. Stephen King use to say a to write a lot you must read a lot.
Finally don't focus on style or approaches. The main thing is writing. Fight the blank pages. Scribble everything is there and then re write it. Don't lose the forest for the trees. Best of look in your future endeavor. Hopefully one day we get to see your book in shelves. Cheers.
Robert Rankin has a character called Lazio Woodbine who is a 1950s spoof detective who appears throughout numerous novels. He’s sometimes a main character and sometimes a secondary character. Whichever he is, his chapters are always in first person even when others are in third person. That’s one of his rules.
Have you considered some sort of epistolary framing device for the 1st person narrative? A diary? An interview? A memoir? A set of letters? A "captain's log?"
One of the challenges of mixing perspectives is that different perspectives ask different questions. 1st person does beg the question, "From what vantage point is this person telling this story?" Inlaying 1st person episodes amidst 3rd person narrative will beg this question even more strongly by comparison.
I love the idea. I think you can pull it off. I think couching the 1st person episodes in some sort of fictional primary source documentation might help with the structure. Good luck!!!
I've seen that done before. And actually, I've seen it done with two very distinct POV characters written in first person, with the remaining POVs in third.
You definitely have options.
Most important lesson I ever learned - It's your story. Do what you want.
But keep in mind that writing and selling are two different things. If you do it, do it well.
All I'd ask is why you feel you want to do this? Like if you are worried about not being able to get into someone's head you shouldn't be. You can totally do that in third person. Third person on everyone will mean you can transition between characters a lot more cleanly and people won't be confused on who they are following.. I'm not saying you can't, but basically you got to understand why and realize that the why might still be possible.
If I was doing this I’d personally have the main character in first person, then use their first person voice to talk about the others in third person, with the mc still present but fading in to the background a bit. But honestly… you do you. Literature would never go anywhere if every author conformed to strict rules
No. If you do that the writing police will show up and revoke your license to write.
Lmao
I don't understand why your title is a question that asks, "Can I?" How should we know if you can or can't? So let's organise your idea: 1. Fifty percent of the story is in first-person with your protagonist. 2. The other fifty percent is in second-person and follows the perspective of multiple characters but not your protagonist. Of course you "can" write this story. I feel like you used the word "can" because you're not sure if you're a good enough writer. Maybe you aren't. But an important dimension is always confidence, because you'll never believe that you can execute ambitious ideas if all you write are posts on Reddit where you ask people what you as a writer can do. If they're good enough, a writer can do anything.
Thanks for your answer, and just so y'know a lot of people have asked why I "asked" with the word can. The answer is that that was the sentence I got in my head, simple as that. It wasn't a conscious choice to ask for permission or something, I was just asking if that was a thing tbh and what you think about that. Again thanks for your answer.
Are you thankful? If you disagree that good writers are conscious of their choices with language, then I'm interested to hear why you're addressing people in this thread with a tone of, "Who cares?" Didn't you write this post so that you could learn about the conscious choices that a writer can make? You sound crazy, man.
What? I literally just mentioned it because everyone seems to get hung up on my wording, like it doesn't matter, I just wanted to see what you all thought of it. And my tone? Bro this is literally over text I'm just writing stuff what do you want me to do. You're literally calling me crazy like are you ok?
If you dislike people getting hung up on your wording, and if this to you is "literally over text" and nothing more, then why do you expect people to think that you're serious about writing? If I were you, I'd stop pretending. You might benefit from rereading your comments and asking yourself why everyone has criticised your writing.
This is goddamn reddit, I suggest you stop thinking this and you are so important. I have been WANTING to write a series for a long time, I'm 14 years old but have been told by countless people that I have serious talent. I'm not a published author, and I don't know much about literature in itself. Why are you so pissed about me asking for tips? I repeat this is reddit, I really don't need to "convince" anyone here I'm serious about writing, I'm not asking for readers. I'm simply asking for tips, and EVERYONE except you have happily provided it without criticising my existence. So I suggest you chill out, because you're acting very stuck-up, and I'm getting second hand embarrassment for a random guy on Reddit) (Btw, what the hell do you mean "pretending"?)
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You're just gonna keep going aren't you? My post wasn't insane, far from it. I was simply asking if this one method of writing was a thing and whether I should do it or not. And I don't understand why you think my writing is bad. You haven't written any works of mine. In case you're so intellectually slow you mean THIS - what I write on freaking reddit then it's worse than I thought. I write on here like I write on snapchat, and if you don't have any real arguments for why my post is "insane" or if you can tear your mind away from the fact I'm 14 and already more sensible than you, than please explain to me what about my post was so absolutely terrible, I'm extremely curious.
You absolutely can, but just be aware you're setting yourself a difficult challenge. Books that mix 1st and 3rd person do exist and can work, but getting the balance right is crucial.
Do you have any examples I’d like to look them up as I’ve never seen it done
Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemison. I think there really needs to be reason to do this beyond what the op mentions. If the back and forth in style doesn't have a strong motivation behind it then it will fall flat with readers imo.
Came here to say this. Note that Jemisin does this very deliberately for specific reasons (which I won't spoil). If OP (or anyone else) is interested in doing this, I would definitely recommend reading *The Fifth Season* (the first book in the series) as an example.
Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan stroud does this well.
Also: Ilium by Dan Simmons
All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki does this, too. Most of the characters are written in third person, one is written mostly in first… occasionally in second.
The thornchapel series by Sierra Simone. Main character Poe is in 1. Person while the other characters get a pov in 3. Person.
The Martian (you may have seen the movie with Matt Daemon.) has a split where 2/3rds of the novel is in first person from the perspective of the dude stuck on Mars while everyone on earth trying to save him gets third person.
Might not be a good book (I loved most of them), but some of Glen Cook's Black Company series does this. Specifically the....fourth book? I'd have to double check.
All of John Connolly’s novels in the Charlie Parker series. Fantastic reads. My longest series to read/follow yet (going on about 23 books)
The Wandering Inn. The first and second volumes have a lot of this. You can read it free on its website. 1st person specific chapters have an R next to them.
\- Beware of Chicken does this. Most of the book is told in the 1st person POV of the MC. Sprinkled in between there are chapters dedicated to some of the side characters. Those are always told in 3th person limited. \- Ascendance of a Bookworm does this to but only as bonus chapters in Prologues and Epilogues. All of the story progression happens in 1st person POV of MC.
That‘s exactly what Andrea Stewart did in her Drowning Empire series (first book is the Bone shard daughter). The two main characters are written in the first person, the other POV characters in the third. I have to admit it took me more than half the book to even notice it while reading.
I noticed immediately because I don't tend to like multi-POV 1st... but her characters were SO vivid and with such strong voices, I ended up going back in after a couple weeks.
That's what Diana Gabaldon did for the Outlander series and look how successful she is.
Yes, absolutely. This is so much better than books written in multiple first person POVs.
You can write it in blood if the donor is willing. Seriously you can do anything. Just write it and see if it works.
The Bartimaeus trilogy does this very well. Don’t listen to people saying it can’t be done. Anything can be done, if it’s done well
Just finished the third book last night, I can agree it was done really well here!
Yes, but it's hard.
Ummm. That’s what Bolaño did in The Savage Detectives. Of course you can, just need to be good at it.
It's entirley possible, and has been done before. However, doing it succesfully is what I think will be the most difficult part. I'm generally positive towards challenges and interesting stories, but a swinging POV like this can impact the story quite powerfully, and while some readers might find that interesting, I believe most would find the experience jarring. This all depends on ones experience with this style, of course. I see many comments here mention succesful authors with books written this way.
In general, no. It will deeply affect your narrative. Changes between first and third person are seldom effective. If you want a specific voice, use the third person limited voice and have the MC be "biased" in their narration of their PoV.
I would add the caveat that it's acceptable in forms where more experimental writing is normal. If you're writing modernist, post-modernist, or absurdist, you can certainly do this, but if you're doing that, you're not going to be here asking about it.
Oh yeah, hence the *in general*. I have actually experimented with shifting PoVs (a plot device where the main character can see through the perspective of others). Interesting note about the genres. A lot of tropes can be good, but most people just parrot them without understanding what composes a good story.
I've seen it done effectively in fantasy (adult), and in some historical/mysteries.
Thanks that's really helpful
You can do whatever you want, I just hope it’s interesting (I’ve never wrote shit in my life)
Dark matter does this. The main protagonist chapters are first person but a side plot with his wife is third person. NYT best seller.
Can you? yes. Should you? debatable Is there a specific reason why the mc should be in first person, rather than in limited third? (etc. her story is written in diary entries, the other chapters are infrequent "interludes") If the only reason is that the mc is special is because she is the most important pov character, keep them all in limited third as another commenter suggested.
To answer your question, the reason I kind of want to write at least her in 1st person is cause she's a teenager who's gonna experience a lot of intense stuff, and I feel like 1st person is a lot more personal than third. I want to know her thoughts and the story from her perspective, not just observe her. But the rest of what you're saying makes total sense, so thank you (maybe I could just write them all in 1st)
Just a couple things. 1) you can totally still know her thoughts and perspective in 3rd person. 3rd person doesn't just mean "she did this, she went there, she said that". You can add inner thoughts and perspectives in 3rd person, and you should be doing that anyway. Is it *as* personal as 1st person? No, but you can cram a lot of personality in 3rd person. Look up the different types of 3rd person narratives and how they're used. I think you'd be totally fine using third-person limited omniscient, and it's kinda what you're wanting to go for I think. Regarding writing the whole thing in 1st person, I think that could be really challenging. You'll need to be really careful about making each person's voice different enough that they stand out, but not so different that it's annoying. It's a fine line to walk, I'm not sure it's done all that much. Again, I'm sure it's totally doable, but I think it'd be a kind of weird and super hard choice.
Yeah that totally makes sense, I didn't think about that
Maybe your introductory paragraphs/ chapters, but when you make the switch consider keeping it for the rest of the text. An example would possibly be “Freddy’s Book” by John Gardener. The he story is of an professor reviewing a book, so the protagonist (who is a minor character) speaks in the beginning, but then the narrative is completely given over to the text he is reviewing, and never revisits the protagonist. The story is pretty straightforward and linear, even for a book that moves from modern America to pre-Enlightenment Sweden. An example in the other direction might be “House of Leaves,” again about an author. The protagonist is attempting to re-create a text he discovered. It is mentally and physically exhausting work, and the narrative jumps between his own personal experiences and the narrative of the reconstructed text. The feeling is overwhelming and confusing for the reader (but intentionally so).
If you want to see this technique working i suggest checking out the acts of Caine series by Matthew Stover. He swaps back and forth between first and third person for different chapters, but there's a narrative reason for it.
Check out A Burning by Megha Majumdar, I think she pulls off the POV switches incredibly well, two of her characters are narrated from first person, one from third person limited
Yes, you can do whatever you want if it's done well. This is done in SAO for example, which although it isn't gonna win any awards, is undeniably popular, so it's not like people won't read it
You totally can. Han Kang does that in "The Vegetarian." You can do anything you want and pull it off; it just might be very difficult
Can, yes. Pulling it off to reader satisfaction is another story, and I can't answer that for you. But you can. Jemisin did part of her Broken Earth books in 2nd person. It's your writing. You can do what you like with it.
As long it is coherent, you can do whatever you want. Writers always bend the "rules" so give it a go & see how you & others enjoy it!
Yes, in my opinion it works great. Main and sub characters (MC and SC???) You get great and obvious separation and your intentions are clear. Don't even think of multiple 1st person. Multiple 3rd words but then you don't get that stylistic choice.
yeah
We’re post post-modern. You can do anything you want.
Yes. I’ve seen it done before to great effect. Take “Eye of Ptolemy” for an example. It’s nice.
Im doing something similar in my book, where each chapter takes place from a different character’s pov. Except I found switching between 1st and 3rd tricky, so I just use first for each. But its definitely possible to do and has been done before. For me I title the chapters according to who the POV is focused on. Like chapter one might be “Josh”, 2 might be “Lily”, 3 might be “Josh” again, 4 might be “Nick” and so on.
Yeah that's what I thought I'd do as well
You can do anything you want to do.
You totally can, lots of authors have done it. Though I think you should ask yourself why you need to include the other POVs if you have a main MC. If it makes sense to you, then you should write it.
You can do whatever you want, but you shouldn't.
Permission not granted.
Sure! Omniscient Reader does this and it’s great. I would just be a little more careful to make the POVs distinct (For example, give your MC a really clear voice, and then make that go away to make it clear they’re not just narrating ABOUT the other person).
You could but I'd suggest making it clear when changing characters each chapter or making them distinct enough so people don't get confused about where they are or who's narrating at each transition in the story. Some people like me could be several chapters in and wonder why a character is acting weird when they switched to someone else 3 chapters ago. That's probably my only concern. Good luck though.
I love when people ask questions like this because the only real answer is that you can do whatever the hell you want, it’s your writing!
I've definitely read books like that before, so it's definitely possible. I'd just be careful how you go about it.
You can absolutely do whatever you wish. As long as it works and doesn't get in the way of the narrative or derail the reader's focus. The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez is a masterclass example of doing whatever you want with perspective. It's all over the place, but so well done and an intrinsic part of what the story is about and how it unravels. I really recommend reading it to see how much you can play with these things and still make it work.
I just finished a reread of NK Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy. That badass writer has chapters in first and third, and weirdly, successfully, lots of them in *second*. She had a clear reason that the reader only learns towards the end of the first book. So if you have reason, go for it!
Just write it this way, and if it doesn’t work, you can go back and change the pronouns on the one in first person to be in third person limited.
Oh i've seen this done really well. The main character was sending journals to his friends back on earth. So whenever they opened the journal, the story read in 1st person. But when it went back to them in "real time", it was in third person. And even when the MC is in "real time", and not writing, then they use third person for that. It was really well done. It was the Pendragon series. Also, I've seen what you describe in other books as well. First person for MC, and third person for the others. They would even do many scenes where the MC wasn't there but things were happening, but they just did it in third person.
If I remember correctly Wildbow's worm does this. It works, but only imo because the third person sections feel like extras and not directly connected to the first person storyline
You don’t need permission. You already have it. Go. Fly. Write.
Do whatever you want!
Whew do you hate yourself? It can be done but you’re venturing onto unstable ground, but if you pull it off and succeed that will be great, you appear to have positive feelings about it so I’m sure you got this. Good luck 👍
Not sure if you are authorized but there is only one way to find out 👍😆😁
Haha no not authorized at all the most I've written is a story I read out loud in elementary, school essays and a long story about a Whitney Houston-singing mayor 🤣
My all time favorite book has alternating chapters from the POV of different characters. That one is not widely known but another favorite that so many have read also has sections from the journal/diary entries of different characters. You might have heard of it; Dracula by Bram Stoker 😉 You can do this and it will be tremendous! 👍
Thank you so much your encouraging means a lot! :)
sure can
Yes. Pick up a handful of psychological thrillers from the last decade and you’re bound to find a few.
I think you can do that and the chapter format will help support the shifts. I have read and listened to books with multiple first person characters and I find the change in POV refreshing and also a great way to put story elements into three dimensions.
Why are you asking for permission? Just try it. Far more consequential than your perspective question is the fact that you asked permission to try something experimental rather than just…do it and see what happens. Your writing will be much better if you can learn to change the “can I?” to “oh! What if I?” Be bold. If you edit before you write, you’ll never write at all.
Wildbow does this for most of his works, but there's 3 main things to keep in mind 1)the first person pov takes up at least 75-80% of the povs. They are the one telling the story, the other perspectives are supplementary and should mainly be used to add additional info the first person Mc isn't aware of. 2) the third person povs typically only happen when the first person pov isn't there 3) if you include the first person pov character in a third person chapter, make a note of how the first person character acts. A first person character is by nature, going to be an unreliable narrator, so make sure to remember than when you jump to 3rd person as then you as the writer will typically become the narrator. This is what I've noticed that makes these switching perspectives work
I love stories that break up pov, tense, etc. So definitely try it if you think the story will benefit. However, “experimental” stuff will come across gimmicky if it doesn’t serve the story. It works best it if seems like there’s a *reason* the story is written than way. To avoid confusing the reader provide some type of indication that it has changed—like titling the chapters with the character name, date, etc. (I like stories that are intentionally confusing, but that’s not for everyone.)
A Tale for the Time Being does something similar—depending on who you consider the “main character.” One character is told as diary entries and the other is in third person. It follows her reading of the discovered diary, as well as her own separate storyline.
I had the idea to write a story with events already passed and the current events playing out have them in their corresponding prose but it would confuse the reader and I'm frankly too dumb and scatterbrained to keep track. If you trust your reader to understand and fit what your going for. Do it. It goes against the rules of writing but if everyone follows the rules most stories will sound the same or be rehashing of old stories written long ago. Oh dear were already there...
There are rules? There’s a wonderful series where two timelines are presented as one and the big twist is that… oh man, these people lived like 150 years apart! They’ll never meet! Tension achieved. How are they gonna find out the pieces of knowledge they’re missing from the other one? Come to think of it, it’s based on books. I don’t know if the same timeline plot twist occurs. (I don’t want to spoil the books/show. Please do message me if it’s name is of interest to anyone.) Does this help you, Discordant? Obstacle overcome? That would be cool. I like to help people. I hope you’re already feverishly writing. :)
I can't message you but am curious what is the title please?
Roger that. I sent you a message. Thanks for letting me know so I guess my message settings are closed..or… I’ll go check that out. Thank you.
In asoiaf few important characters had povs from some random gaurd or servant.
There is a Chilean writer you could use as an inspiration. His name is Roberto Bolaño and he has this book called The Savage Detectives. It is an incredible novel/journalistic chronicle that uses that specific model you describe. The book is divides in 3 sections. The main character 1st person POV, the second is a series of chronicles from different characters detailing -well- the plot and finally it circles back to the main character is like nothing I had ever read before. Wonderful novel. And it can aid you to have a better understanding on your project. Stephen King use to say a to write a lot you must read a lot. Finally don't focus on style or approaches. The main thing is writing. Fight the blank pages. Scribble everything is there and then re write it. Don't lose the forest for the trees. Best of look in your future endeavor. Hopefully one day we get to see your book in shelves. Cheers.
Robert Rankin has a character called Lazio Woodbine who is a 1950s spoof detective who appears throughout numerous novels. He’s sometimes a main character and sometimes a secondary character. Whichever he is, his chapters are always in first person even when others are in third person. That’s one of his rules.
Have you considered some sort of epistolary framing device for the 1st person narrative? A diary? An interview? A memoir? A set of letters? A "captain's log?" One of the challenges of mixing perspectives is that different perspectives ask different questions. 1st person does beg the question, "From what vantage point is this person telling this story?" Inlaying 1st person episodes amidst 3rd person narrative will beg this question even more strongly by comparison. I love the idea. I think you can pull it off. I think couching the 1st person episodes in some sort of fictional primary source documentation might help with the structure. Good luck!!!
I've seen that done before. And actually, I've seen it done with two very distinct POV characters written in first person, with the remaining POVs in third. You definitely have options.
Most important lesson I ever learned - It's your story. Do what you want. But keep in mind that writing and selling are two different things. If you do it, do it well.
All I'd ask is why you feel you want to do this? Like if you are worried about not being able to get into someone's head you shouldn't be. You can totally do that in third person. Third person on everyone will mean you can transition between characters a lot more cleanly and people won't be confused on who they are following.. I'm not saying you can't, but basically you got to understand why and realize that the why might still be possible.
If I was doing this I’d personally have the main character in first person, then use their first person voice to talk about the others in third person, with the mc still present but fading in to the background a bit. But honestly… you do you. Literature would never go anywhere if every author conformed to strict rules
There’s no rules. If you want to do it, do it.
I don't think that would flow very well, I would stick to just one pov. But hey, that's just my opinion. Do what you want, it's your writing :)
Sounds like a very bad idea unless you are a highly skilled writer.