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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/23867
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Allow me to explain what prompted the question before you immediately say that it's not okay and it would confuse the readers.

**The protagonist of the novel - also the narrator - has the ability to see the memories of others, sometimes as they are being made, through flashbacks.** (Please don't get into how realistic a person having an ability like this is, this is a work of science-fiction and to explain the ability I'd have to explain a lot more and I don't want to get off track with this question.)

At one crucial plot point in the novel, t **he narrator is rendered unconscious and I intend to continue on from that point, but assume the perspective of one of the narrators close friends to relate the following events.** For the previous flashbacks, I've just italicized all the text. I was planning to do this when I start with the other character's POV and somehow explain how she was able to see things from his eyes when she wakes up, but there is a problem with that plan.

In her other flashbacks when she was seeing something from the eyes of someone else, she wasn't in the flashback, so I was able to keep a more distant tone of just relaying what the characters are saying, how they're saying it, and what their doing and not having many of her interpretations or thoughts until after she's awakened from the flashback. This way, I was able to keep it in the first person, yet have the reader understand that while she's still narrating, she's narrating for a different character. But, if I am to do this, she will be in the flashback, actually in the arms of the person who's mind she's supposed to see things from. Additionally, **instead of taking the voice of a outside narrating with no elaboration, explanation or inner thoughts, I wanted to really have this other character's thoughts and emotions prevalent, as if he's just taken over narration entirely. The only thing I plan to do so the readers can tell that it's not the main character speaking is italicize the text and make it immediately clear that the passage is from his perspective and not the main characters.** I would resume normal narration when the main character awakes and un italicize the text. **This would only be for one chapter** , a chapter in which a lot of significant events occur. If I don't relay that information to the readers while the events are happening, when the protagonist rejoins the story, I'll have to resort to the cliche'd, as soon as the character wakes up, a close friend tells her everything's she's missed in a weepy voice and then gives her a moment to herself to get her head around it. I would like to avoid this, if possible.

So my question is, **is this plausible, or would it be way too confusing for the readers? If it's not, is there any way I could make it plausible,** perhaps by using single quotes to represent the new narrators thoughts or leaving it in the first person perspective of the unconscious character, just have her be narrating the thoughts of the other character?

I tried to research this, but any time I typed in some variation of my question all I got were tips on how to switch POVs, which I am already reasonably familiar with, and even if I wasn't there are many different posts on this very website that I can consult. So, if anyone can help me out with this, it would be greatly appreciated.

_(I apologize sincerely for the post being so awfully long. It's a rather abstract background and I felt like the question would be confusing and not nearly specific enough if I did not provide some context)_

Original score: 3