Londongrey

This seems to be getting confused.

You can tell as many peoples story as you like in one book so long as you maintain the third person, is that what you mean?

You can also change characters in first person so long as it adds to the themes of the book itself. That is really the golden rule when it comes to perspective. Just like a Director asesses the best view on each scene so a writer must do the same. Whose story do you want to tell? How intimate do you want to get with that character?

If the theme of your book is looking at one character in the third person, it can often be a great writing excercise to write in the first person from many peoples perspective on this one character/person. It can be a truly interesting style.

Like it is said above, you can change voice, but you must make sure you have done the proper amount of work beforehand otherwise it will fall apart. But that is the same with any story.

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You are only as dull as the light in the room you occupy, everything else is just hearsay - Me, about five minutes ago.

ChristineX

I've read several works where the perspective switched from first person to third throughout the novel (Dickens' Bleak House comes to mind); however, the switch in p.o.v. never happened within a scene. It didn't bother me -- and actually I wrote a novel last year that was structured the same way. Not one person who read it (and there were hundreds, because I posted it at ff.n) said they had a problem with the alternating p.o.v.

Maybe it's not your cup of tea -- but it can work, if it's planned out adequately.

Londongrey

I am sure someone will be able to say, but if you have BBC America they may be showing the Bleak House drama which is coming on to UK tv screens shortly.

It looks stunning, as most of the period dramas are. Does anyone know? It is all over the BBC here in the UK.

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You are only as dull as the light in the room you occupy, everything else is just hearsay - Me, about five minutes ago.

WordBeast

But not necessarily interesting for the reader. For a book i.e a novel to be written well, and consequently readable, it should be consistent in its POV. If it begins in the third person, and hopes to develop a story line, it helps to continue in the same voice. This rule generally applies to narrative, but dialogue has a greater freedem to express itself in different voices.

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Londongrey

That's why I said writing 'excercise' numbnut, love you!! Hehehe.

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You are only as dull as the light in the room you occupy, everything else is just hearsay - Me, about five minutes ago.

GhostingReality101

Alright, now does anyone know of a story told from the present, past and future at the same time?

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Yoda

Hodge

"All Good Things..."

The last episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.