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I think multiple POV’s in First can be fun, @gideon-sowdon . If you use them, just make sure that it’s the best way to tell your story, that all of these rather intimate perspectives are both interesting and necessary to advance the story.
For instance, if all of the POV’s are in the same place at the same time most of the time, then there isn’t a whole lot of point to having more than one. (And there is little more irritating to a reader than a POV without real purpose or personality.) Also, make sure it’s clear whose head the reader is supposed to be in at any given time.
I don’t think I would recommend this method to a fledgling writer because of all the challenges associated with it. I’m having a hard enough time with multiple POV’s in Third Person-Limited. :/ Not that I’m complaining or anything. 😉 🙂 First Person, or Third Person Omniscient, is usually simpler and most natural.
I have another question concerning POVs. It sort of like Gideon’s question concerning multiple POV’s from first person. But would it be too confusing if I did multiple POVs from different characters, such as one person would be first person in a chapter, then the next chapter would be third person? Then after that another first person, and after that a different first person, then a third person again?
If you’re wondering why, its because I have a lot of Major Characters, and they have several scenes that need to be written from their POV, but they aren’t the type of characters for a first person. The protagonists, on the other, I think and see everything from a first person POV for them. But would it be too confusing?☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀
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@dragon-snapper I think multiple POVs work best if they are contained in their own chapter, as you said. It also reads better when there’s a clear transition at the beginning of each chapter or some similar indication of the switch between characters. Dialogue tags or plain ol’ transitional phrases work well. One concern with switching person, no matter how you do it, is flow. I would suggest writing it the way you’re thinking, and then making sure it doesn’t sound jumpy.
I’d love to hear how you decide to do it, and how it works out! 🙂
@dragon-snapper I agree. It could work. It might be confusing, but I think as long as you clearly establish the POV transition at the beginning of each chapter, I think it should be fine.
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@dragon-snapper Most editors & literary agents I’ve read discourage this, but I’ve seen it done successfully a couple of times. Just as long as only one character has a 1st person POV, I think you could pull that kind of thing off.
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus. Guiding authors at Story Embers.
@dragon-snapper I prefer 3rd person. Probably because in 1st person I have to remember that I’m not writing in a diary. I don’t want to accidentally make my character an exact replica of me (because, to be honest, I would make a terrible character).
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