preface in third person, rest of the book in first person.

thegirlwhowrites · Dec 25, 2009

I'm currently writing a middle grade novel. the preface is in third person and the rest of the book will be in first person. Is this OK?

The preface doesn't tell anything about the main character/protagonist. It shows two future characters that will meet the protagonist later.

kaitie · Dec 25, 2009

Go for it. I think that's a prologue however, not a preface. There's no real reason why it can't be done in third. The more important question is whether or not it's necessary and adds anything to the story.

blacbird · Dec 26, 2009

I can think of a number of adult novels in which the technicle of a 3rd-person POV prologue has been followed by a story narrated in 1st-person (the horror classic House on the Borderland, by W.H. Hodgson, is such a case, as I recall). So the technique is not unknown or unworkable. However, resist the temptation to get too complicated, especially in a work intended for middle-grade readers.

caw

seun · Dec 27, 2009

thegirlwhowrites said:
I'm currently writing a middle grade novel. the preface is in third person and the rest of the book will be in first person. Is this OK?

The preface doesn't tell anything about the main character/protagonist. It shows two future characters that will meet the protagonist later.

Can't see anything wrong with that at all. Go for it.

fadeaccompli · Dec 27, 2009

I certainly hope it's all right, since I'm doing the same thing. That I'm also reading a novel right now that's done in that format (though strictly speaking it's a prologue in the third person and then the rest is a series of letters, written in first person as letters usually are), it seems not so remarkable as to be worrisome.

thegirlwhowrites · Dec 27, 2009

Thanks everyone, for your input. i was really confused about this.

blacbird: I was thinking the same thing....since it's middle grade I'll make sure it's understandable for the young ones.

thanks again for all your responses. it cleared things up in my head.

preface in third person, rest of the book in first person.

thegirlwhowrites

kaitie

With great power comes

blacbird

seun

Horror Man

fadeaccompli

here and there again

thegirlwhowrites