First and Third Person?

Question

Is it okay to start of the story (from the present time) and use third person, then as I am explaing the past in the next few paragraphs to use first person?

Answer 1

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but there are two ways to switch from third person to first person and back again.

The first is to have a storyteller: For instance, someone enters the bar, tells the bartender long first-person mysterious story, then leaves and is immediately murdered, leaving the bartender with the responsibility to uncover the truth. It establishes that the story isn't being told for its own sake, but rather in a context and for a purpose.

The next way is to have the narrator as a character. Tell the story from the point of view of an unimportant character. He narrates in third-person limited, telling what he experiences fom the sidelines, and occasionally talks about himself as well in the first-person.
"Jon and Wilbur drew their Twin Swords of Electric Justice and burst into the battle, maiming and sundering one fire zombie rat after another. Their cries of rage and years of pent-up test anxiety rose into the night like dark angels, threatening to tear apart the sky like a brittle cheese.
As I watched them from my store window, I wondered if I should join them; alas, no, I still had three flower arrangements to finish before I could clock out.
Wilbur threw Jon like a human missile at Malevolice, the rat leader..."
Consider, for a more realistic example, S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders: Ponyboy is a weak character who's mostly along for the ride, and he functions more as an observer than an actor.

Of course, if what you're describing is something like:
"Tom was an evil man who kicked puppies.
I wonder what puppy I should kick today. My mother never loved me.
Nobody likes Tom much."
...then you can't do that. It's interesting in an abstract way, but nobody will read that.

Answer 2

It is possible and many professional writers employ the flash back technique, but believe me it is not as easy as it would seem. Its also a good idea not to exhaust the technique as it is effective when used properly but in excess will confuse the reader. There is no 'should' in writing, it is a creative process and your work is your creation and art.

It is possible to switch between the two but if not done well is interpreted as inconsistency, confusing the reader, making them lose the plot, so you should stay consistent throughout the story. Its also a psychological thing as the story is happening inside the readers mind as they see your thoughts you've put down on paper.

This is way narrative and first person stories are often discouraged and seldom really written because they portray an air of self centerdness. The reader finds it much easier to relate to a 'He' or 'She' as opposed to an 'I'/Me.

Answer 3

Don't listen to anybody who says "No," as they are not the author--you are. I've had the same problem before. In a book I planned on writing (haven't yet), the entire book minus the last chapter was going to be first person. Then the last chapter was going to switch to third person. I'd say it's okay for you to do this but put some kind of stopping point between the two. Do this:

*****

And then resume in the other voice.

Answer 4

The technique used is to present those "flashback" paragraphs in quotes, as if the first person narrator is thinking the words.

Example:
________________________

Sally was a mature little girl. Much more mature than the adults around her gave her credit. She walked, thoughtfully past the graveyard, musing.

"I knew Grams was sick! I tried to talk to Mama about it, but she always shushed me. If only she'd listened, Mama could have taken Grams to the doctor!

"The same thing happened to my gerbil. She was so sick, but Mama wouldn't let me take her to the vet. Why don't grown-ups ever listen to me?"
_______________________

You can carry this for a long time, but it tends to confuse the reader if overused.

Answer 5

No, not unless you introduce the first person section with something like "here is what he thought/said, etc."

Answer 6

No. You should stay in the same person throughout the story.

Answer 7

it's much easier just to keep everything in third person, especially when you're not as sure as to when to use either.