Mar
13th
2014
Chapter 46 · 3:44am Mar 13th, 2014
Alright, I have got a new chapter and I need opinions.
I'm considering a perspective switch for just one chapter. It would pretty much be dropping into third person for this chapter while Hardy describes a certain event in his distant past. It might also take up the entire chapter.
How would you guys feel about such a thing?
I know we've done first person up to this point, but it couldn't hurt to at least see if I can do third person. It might be a long-ish chapter, but it needs to be. There may also be a delay in its release, again, due to length. I'd prefer not to break this one up too much.
-Chessie
is there ar eason why it has to be third person?
If you think you can, go right ahead! It honestly can't be too bad, and it might be interesting.
What 1921640 said. If it's in Hardy's past, then why isn't he the one describing the event? (Or Taxi, I suppose, but the point still stands.) There's nothing wrong with third person, obviously, but it would stand out after the rest of the story.
If you don't think you can do the story-within-a-story part well, then I would suggest looking at The Last Sentinel starting around chapter 20 (Interlude: Ghosts of the Past) and the start of the Reflections. That whole part is the main character describing his past, and it's done superbly.
As a total aside, how much editing went into getting the story to be exactly 444,000 words?
1921670 was asking if there was a singificant narrative reason to it.
you ever thought of having thes tory shift to the point of view of another carhacter?
I think temporarily shifting to third-person should be fine. One of the other (highly recommended) first-person fics I'm editing for, The Dresden Fillies, occasionally switches to third person to describe events outside the experience of the main character, and it works out decently there.
I agree with everyone else, I wouldn't mind in the least.
But I do agree with 1921640 on his question of why does it have to be third person?
I wouldn't care much. It would be refreshing, at least.
I have conflicted feelings about dropping in a different perspective so late in the story.
On the one hand it would offer a refreshing new view on events
On the other it might also stand out a little.
I suppose it's okay for it to stand out if the section in third person is important enough, it might help emphasise how critical it is.
Given how you've been writing so far I don't think you'll have any problems with making this new perspective work really well.
Plus it's your fic so if you want to experiment I don't see why not.
If you really want to do it, then do it
I would say 'to do that, you need to be representing a point of view so distinct that it's important for the reader to look on who is doing the telling'. If it's no longer 'I', what does that say and why?
If it's 'watching Hardy realize something that is withheld from the reader' it had better be one hell of a satisfying twist to reveal, otherwise it's 'all that trouble overtly teasing the reader, for nothing' and just a pain in the ass
I'm real skeptical it's NECESSARY, but you may be able to pull it off. I myself keep dropping into blank verse and stuff like that, so I know the impulse to throw a stylistic swerve in there.
I think it worked alright in Nightmare Night, but I also think that consistency is important. If it can be done first person (even if it has to be first person past perfect), it probably should be.
1922521
1922420
1921846
1921640
Hokay, so...consistency is important. I'll give a SHOT to doing it first person, then if it doesn't work, fiddle it for third person. May cause a delay, but...well, you guys have been patient so far!
-Chessie
1922530
Perfect. This will give me more time to go back, re-read everything, and accurately guess the ending.
>_>
You think I'm crazy, don't you? But you'll see! You'll all see!
*Mad laughter*
I'mma say no. Abruptly switching perspectives now, after hundreds of thousands of words, would be jarring at best.
1922530 was not ayin don't do it. I was wondering if ther ewas a particuaolr reason in the narrative why you are doing it.
1922538 i think that if they were switching character prespectives it might be itneresting. i really want ot know what goes through taxi's mind. but changing the entire structure of the storytelling........ prety confused.
if he wants to experiment with it he can always write a short story with that method.
1922530
+1 keeping consistency.
Also I personally like 1-st person POV much more than 3-rd
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1922538
Do...you guys promise you won't leave if I give it a one chapter try? Pwetty please?
It would just be for telling back story.
-Chessie
1923407
You are not seriously thinking that we might leave because of perspective change, aren't you ?
I love 1-st person more and I answered since you asked, but I will love Starlight anyway, be it 3-rd person or first
I know that it will be magnificent.
I suppose you are going to make something like sidestory-inside-of-story, am I right ?
1923407 we are not gonna leave because of it. go ahead if you must. curiuos of why you feel the need to do it though. guess i have to wai.t
1923407
You'll have to try harder than that to get rid of me.
Although I might wag my finger disapprovingly at you before reading the chapter.
I'm okay with third person, honestly. Although I will say that doing it this late in the story and for one chapter will likely feel a bit unusual, I don't necesarily think it's a bad thing.
I actually like 3rd person more than 1st, but I wouldn't care either way.