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Q&A Transfer from first person to third person

By "transfer" I presume you mean transition, leaving the beginning of the story in first person, and just start writing in 3rd. That's going to seem weird, I wouldn't do it. Rewrite from third per...

posted 4y ago by Amadeus‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-19T22:13:05Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/48490
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T05:48:19Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/48490
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T05:48:19Z (over 4 years ago)
By "transfer" I presume you mean transition, leaving the beginning of the story in first person, and just start writing in 3rd.

That's going to seem weird, I wouldn't do it. Rewrite from third person in the first place.

You also need to decide **which** form of 3rd person you want to use, and stick to it.

- 3P Omniscient: The narrator knows the inner thoughts and feelings of every character. The narrator _might_ know the future and past as well, things even the characters do not know. Either way, this can be a difficult story to tell; because once you establish the narrator as omniscient, the reader will feel cheated if the author keeps something a secret. If Jim knows Bob killed Diane, and the author lets Jim deny this without telling the reader the truth, the author is cheating. Once the author proves access to all thoughts and feelings, anything that would be important to the reader is expected to be told.

- 3P Limited: The narrator knows the inner thoughts and feelings of ONE character, the MC. This is easier. If our MC is Mary, then Jill can keep a secret from Mary, Jill can secretly betray Mary without Mary knowing about it, and thus the narrator doesn't know about it. But again: If Mary knows something important and the narrator doesn't tell us what she is thinking, the narrator is cheating.

- 3P Objective: The narrator does not know the inner thoughts and feelings of ANY character, they are an astute observer, as if they were beside the characters, but all the narrator does is describe what can be seen, heard, sensed in terms of cold or humidity or heat. The narrator reports communications (and can be presumed to understand the signs or signals the characters use), can translate writing, perhaps all languages spoken, etc. In a way this is easier, even the MC can have secrets the reader doesn't know. But it can also feel standoffish. Obviously this is the closest to what is done in film or TV, We may be following one character but we only see and hear what is actually done and said. Of course, even if a character is alone, we can see if they are crying, or joyful, or angry, by their acts and expressions and what they voice. But you can't say "Angela felt X" because you don't know that. You have to describe what Angela **_did_** that makes the reader conclude she is feeling "X".

You shouldn't try to mix these, pick a lane and drive in it. I believe the most popular is 3P Limited, both for authors and readers. Authors like describing inner thoughts and feelings, and readers like them, it helps their immersion in the story.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-10-09T20:49:16Z (over 4 years ago)
Original score: 2