Two questions

[thealtruismsociety]

My current novel is being written in first person, but there are some events I want to talk about that happen outside her POV and what would be the acceptable way to write it.

 

One is if my characters are in a vehicle, but I want to describe the vehicle itself flying about, how is it acceptable to break away from the first person to describing the vehicle she is riding in?

 

Also antagonists. How do I work them in, do they have their own first person situations, it would be weird to only describe them as they are viewed by my main character.

 

Thanks.

[Steve E]

If NaNo has taught me anything. TAS, it's not to worry too much, especially in the first draft.

 

But, if you feel really strongly about keeping the first-person narrative, consider that some authors (particularly writers of detective genre) use first-person narrative but reserve the top of the chapter, or in some cases separate chapters, for third-person narratives. Sometimes it's styled in italics to set it apart. Sometimes a different margin setting is used.

 

You could also go in the opposite direction, using a third-person narrative throughout and setting aside the character's thoughts.

Roscoe pulls his piece and fires.

"Uh oh," thinks Little Jimmy, "I'm in trouble now."

or

Uh oh, thinks Little Jimmy, I'm in trouble now.

Either way is good.

 

Back to the salt mines, thinks Thoth.

[Steakpirate]

My current novel is being written in first person, but there are some events I want to talk about that happen outside her POV and what would be the acceptable way to write it.

 

One is if my characters are in a vehicle, but I want to describe the vehicle itself flying about, how is it acceptable to break away from the first person to describing the vehicle she is riding in?

 

Also antagonists. How do I work them in, do they have their own first person situations, it would be weird to only describe them as they are viewed by my main character.

 

Thanks.

 

One option Re: the vehicle is to have the character imagine it. "He could picture the Superbyke 3000™ as it wheelied over speedbumps, its exquisite pink handle-streamers dancing it the sun."

 

Re: All other dilemmas, refer to Thoth. My current novel in progress is narrated in the third person, but has chapters of first-person introspection.

[Steve E]

One option Re: the vehicle is to have the character imagine it. "He could picture the Superbyke 3000™ as it wheelied over speedbumps, its exquisite pink handle-streamers dancing it the sun."

 

Re: All other dilemmas, refer to Thoth. My current novel in progress is narrated in the third person, but has chapters of first-person introspection.

See? Still another good option: daydreaming, introspection, deliberate mental construction. All good.

 

My exquisite pink handle-streamers dancing it the sun.

- Thoth.