Writing two POV in one chapter

by Alice Magno
(Philippines)

Question: How can I change the third person POV to the first person POV? to let the readers feel the scene? in one chapter?


Answer:

The short answer is I wouldn't recommend you change your narrative mode within a chapter.

Third person should not be a barrier to a reader's emotional involvement in a scene, especially if you are using third person limited narration, where you are narrating the main characters feelings, perceptions, thoughts, actions, etc.

Don't believe me? Check out some novels written in third person. See how other writers have achieved emotional involvement in a scene using this style of narration.

Of course, it could be that first person is a better fit for your story. But if that is the case, then the entire novel should be written from that perspective.

Don't be afraid of experimenting with different narrative modes in order to find the one that makes your story come alive. But once you have settled on the right mode, it's usually better to stick with it unless you have a strong reason not to.

At any rate, it's best not to change modes within a chapter, and definitely not within a scene. It just confuses the reader and breaks the illusion.

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