Do you write from more than first person P. O. V's? How do split the characters. Obviously I'll be starting each new narrative as a new chapter. But do you put a sub heading with the characters name or just go for it and hope people realise its a new person talking.. Thoughts please
Have you considered close third person limited? But if you definitely want first person, yes, I'd put the character's name in there.
I do occasionally write in the third person, but prefer writing in the first person so would like to write it like that, but need more P. O. V's so hence the multiple narratives and apparently its quite a thing at the minute... So thought I'd try it...
I think a novel written in first person jumping around with the POV from one character to the next is going to be a hard sell. I wouldn't do it. Maybe think about this a little more. Think about how often or how infrequently you see this approach. That should tell you something.
Kinda agree with the others. Tight third might be easier/better. You can still get into your character's head pretty well, and for multiple POV it's far easier to establish distinct voices. Also, from a reader's POV, multiple first sounds like an effort. I think first works best when you get a real feel for the voice. Your initial question was a telling one. You could use a line-break or something, but if you have to rely on inserting character names to differentiate... sounds like you're writing a screenplay.
I don't think that shifting POV with multiple first person POV is "quite a thing"--though it's always possible I've missed it. Game of Thrones, for example, is shifting POV with multiple third person POV.
I think he just meant that multiple narrative POVs was currently a thing, which is it. He just wants to write them in first person as a preference. Personally I'd just echo the advice you gave and highly recommend third person limited. I'm writing a book series in that manner right now as it happens, and I could never imagine doing it all in first person, it would be highly confusing.
As a reader, earlier in the week, I read a book that constantly shifted from one character to another in 1st person. I ended up feeling like a judge listening to several different points of view, and congratulated myself for sticking with it for 33 pages. It made it very difficult to empathise with any one character. But that was just one chapter, with each character saying one paragraph or so each. It might be more workable if you write each chapter with a different character's POV.
Thanks for all the comments. Its currently still in the planning stage, the idea has come from a short story I wrote in the third person, I think it would be better in the first person, but would need 3 P. O. V's Its a Dystopian sci fi novel, which is having a bit of revivial, so I'll start writing it and see if its any good!
So I'm going to simulate a conversation I've had a few times, just in case my continuing the conversation would end in this conversation. Me: Why first person? Them: Because I want to get into my character's had and describe their thoughts and feelings. You can't do that in first person. Me: In close third person limited, you totally can. There's almost nothing you can do in first person that you can't do in third person. It's pretty much just a rote grammar change.
T Might look into close third person. When I started this thread I obviously knew what third person was but had not heard the term close third person so googled it and read a few example... Its certainly an idea. Thanks for the idea.
Probably try them all 'on the way.' You could even mix & match with your chapter headings. Don't forget the second person 'you' for total irritation art value. Drafting hell, tho...[gruff gruff] so fellas, I jumped in my truck and headed for gasoline. [Ch2] That next morning platting my hair I sensed the morning breeze on my breasts. You might make yourself a little poorly in the household, y'know.. 'How are you?' 'I just really I don't know...'
Write the whole book in the second person! (No, don't do that. Seriously. There's a saying about writing in the second person: Only two writers ever got away with it.)
Hi Simon, I'm no expert, so take what I say with a pinch of salt. Personally I think it's a fine idea, maybe not for publication, but if it's something you want to try then you should give it a go. What's the worst that could happen? For your narrative and viewing the other comments, I would run the multiple PoV's far apart from each other to save confusion. (Or rather, losing the reader) Chapter 1 - PoV A Chapter 2 - PoV B Maybe something like this could work.
