NARRATION SHIFTING -- IS IT OKAY TO DO THAT?

Sydewinder · Mar 16, 2010

Here's the situation. I'm in the planning stages of a MG/YA book that has the first chapter written in 3rd person, and then a father-type character tells a story to some kids about something that happened in his life. The story he tells will be in 1st person and continue for the rest of the book...or at least until the second to last chapter when I would switch back into 3rd person.

I know switching narration isn't bright, but I'm not sure how else to do it. Have any of you seen books that follow this method of story-telling? is it considered a bad way to tell a story?

Torrance · Mar 16, 2010

If the transition is fluid, there should be no issue with it. Let somebody read it and tell you whether or not they followed along. If you have to explain or coach them in any way... YOU HAVE AN ISSUE. If they say, "Oh I get it now," BAIL OUT!

From wiki... just to show you that it has been done, by some of the greats...

Epistolary novels, which were very common in the early years of the novel, generally consist of a series of letters written by different characters, and necessarily switching when the writer changes; the classic books Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dracula by Abraham "Bram" Stoker and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde take this approach. Sometimes, though, they may all be letters from one character, such as C. S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters and Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary. Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island switches between third and first person, as do Charles Dickens's Bleak House and Vladimir Nabokov's The Gift. Many of William Faulkner's take a series of first-person points of view. E.L. Konigsburg's novella The View from Saturday uses flashbacks to alternate between third person and first person throughout the book; as does Edith Wharton's novel Ethan Frome. After the First Death, by Robert Cormier, a novel about a fictional school bus hijacking in the late seventies, also switches from first to third person narrative using different characters. The novel The Death of Artemio Cruz, by Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, switches between the three persons from one chapter to the next, even though all refer to the same protagonist."

Given that you aren't going to be switching back and forth incessantly, I think you have a pretty good shot of pulling it off without taking the reader out of the story. When people discuss these "dos" and donts" of writing, I find myself pulling my hair out. If what you do works for your story and keeps the reader in it, DO IT. The dos and donts discussed here (and seemingly everywhere) on the net are generic and do not take into account the talent/skill of the writer. If your transition is not abrupt and distracting to the reader... you're golden.

Good luck.

Bufty · Mar 16, 2010

Sorry, but I have to ask.

Re your opening chapter in third person - is it delivering something that is essential for the reader to know in order to follow whatever the story is or is it really just a gimmick or background that you need to know in order to write the story?

Any reason why the reader couldn't follow the story from where it starts in first person?

Prior knowledge of background isn't essential to understanding an unfolding tale.

Think about it.

Sydewinder said:
Here's the situation. I'm in the planning stages of a MG/YA book that has the first chapter written in 3rd person, and then a father-type character tells a story to some kids about something that happened in his life. The story he tells will be in 1st person and continue for the rest of the book...or at least until the second to last chapter when I would switch back into 3rd person.

I know switching narration isn't bright, but I'm not sure how else to do it. Have any of you seen books that follow this method of story-telling? is it considered a bad way to tell a story?

Torrance · Mar 16, 2010

I want to second what Bufty said here because my point assumes that you need to use the third person in order to tell your story. If it isn't necessary, you should probably consider not doing it.

kaitie · Mar 16, 2010

I thought it sounded like a framing situation. Sorta like the Princess Bride (movie, I doubt the book is done this way lol). Personally, I sorta like frames, but I do think Bufty brings up a good point.

bonitakale · Mar 16, 2010

kaitie said:
I thought it sounded like a framing situation. Sorta like the Princess Bride (movie, I doubt the book is done this way lol).

Been a while, but I think the book is done that way, too.

aadams73 · Mar 16, 2010

It can work just fine if you're writing it to achieve a certain kind of effect. If you're just doing it that way because you don't yet have the skills to take a different approach...not so much. Framing, shifting person and/or POV are all tools, and they're best used when you've learned how to wield them with precision.

Diana Gabaldon did this in Dragonfly in Amber, and, although she's a master at her craft, it still grated.

Sydewinder · Mar 16, 2010

kaitie said:
I thought it sounded like a framing situation. Sorta like the Princess Bride (movie, I doubt the book is done this way lol). Personally, I sorta like frames, but I do think Bufty brings up a good point.

funny you mention Princess Bride - the movie came to mind when I was considering this type of storytelling. I was going to get the book and see if that's how it was done.

I completely agree with you guys - I went back and forth trying to figure out if I could just write it without the initial chapter. I was afraid it would all come across very "Flashback-like" and I know those are supposed to be avoided. it's the events in the first chapter that set the stage for why the actual story is told - It might not feel right without the frame.

I think what I'm going to do is write it with the framing chapter, and then when I'm done I'm going to seriously consider if it's necessary. if it's not, it gets the chop.

Everyone, thank you so much for your thoughts. if you can think of other books where the story is Framed (if that's the right term) I would appreciate the suggestions so I can see how successful writers have done it.

I'm heading to the library right now to pick up the books that were referenced above that had the narration shifts.

Cheers

Lady Ice · Mar 16, 2010

Use the first and last chapters to open and close the frame and make it obvious that the third-person is only for the framing.

NARRATION SHIFTING -- IS IT OKAY TO DO THAT?

Sydewinder

Torrance

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Torrance

kaitie

With great power comes

bonitakale

aadams73

A Work in Progress

Sydewinder

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions