1. rhsexton

    rhsexton New Member

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    1st person and 3rd person

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by rhsexton, Jun 23, 2010.

    I'm curious what others think. The project I'm working on is written completely in 1st person. As an exercise, I wrote what happened to the first victim found my the MC in 3rd person. It's short and I kind of like it as a possible prologue, but I'm not sure about how others would like it due to the mix of perspective.
     
  2. w176

    w176 Contributor Contributor

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    Analyse and think trough how this single perspective shift could add to the clarity and style of the story. You might like in its own right but a single shift without reason is seldom good.

    Why do you want the first chapter in 3rd person?
     
  3. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    In general, if you choose first person for a POV, you should stick tight to it.

    There are exceptions. I have seen short prologues done successfully in third person in such instances. On the other hand, most stories with prologues would be better without them.

    Once you begin the book proper, you should probably stick with first person throughout. Some novelists, such as Sue Grafton, have broken this principle successfully, but many others have failed miserably due to an inability to maintain a compatible flow over the transitions.
     

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