What are your thoughts? 1st and 3rd perspective? or stick to 1st and lose some detail/plot?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:21 pm

I am seeking feedback/opinions on perspective shifts. I have read books that shift from 3rd to 1st or 2nd and have enjoyed the shifts. I felt they worked well with the author's storytelling. But I have found those shifts to be rarely used (in the books I've read).

I am working on a story with some interesting shifts in perspective between a woman and a "celestial being" (not a "god," just a race of beings that exist on a different plane).

I shifted to writing the woman's perspective in the 1st person and I like how it is going! But that leaves a shift from 1st person to 3rd for the celestial. I could potentially do a second narrative in 1st but that seems too confusing. To only have the celestial from the MC perspective is very possible but would remove a lot of context, shifting the story into a realm that includes more mystery and assumption, which could add good tension. That option is somewhat attractive to me but the tradeoff is eliminating a section of the story along with the loss of the second perspective.

What are your thoughts? 1st and 3rd perspective? or stick to 1st and lose some detail/plot but add mystery and maintain a single perspective throughout? Just looking for other opinions prior to making a decision.

Elizabeth · Post by **Elizabeth** » Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:21 pm

Shifts are always confusing for readers. If you can break them up into chapters so the shifts don’t happen mid-story, then that could work. Or you could use third person omniscient and write from all character perspectives.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:22 pm

You can go third person limited and not lose anything.

Carmen · Post by **Carmen** » Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:22 pm

I use third person omniscient because it allows me to use 1st person when specific characters needs their stories or perspectives told.

Georgios · Post by **Georgios** » Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:22 pm

Stick with 3rd person limited. The shifts in perspective can jar the reader.

Dylan · Post by **Dylan** » Tue Nov 29, 2022 12:44 pm

I think the perspective shift for the celestial beings sections can work for sure, as long as it is crystal clear when the shift occurs, through chapter breaks, or by writing those sections in italics. Perspective shifts that occur suddenly can be jarring and confusing for the reader, taking them out of the narrative and causing them to lose interest, so approach the idea very carefully.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » Thu Dec 22, 2022 1:58 pm