Hi, hello! First of all, your blog is amazing and so helpful and inspiring!
I would like some advice, if it is possible. (no pressure!!) I'm 10k or 20k words into my fantasy novel, in first person POV (dual POV). And... I'm starting to want to write in third person POV now. That scares me tbh, because I'd have to rewrite all of what I've written so far. But it's complicated. Because I like both POVs, so idk what is the right choice. Both of them are "calling" me. What would you recommend? I have to make a drastic decision and it's honestly stressing me so badly. (ā ą¹ā ā¢ā ļ¹ā ā¢ā )(ā ą¹ā ā¢ā ļ¹ā ā¢ā )(ā ą¹ā ā¢ā ļ¹ā ā¢ā )
first person vs third person POV: the eternal struggle (and why it's OKAY to switch mid-draft)
hey anon!! first of all, thank you so much for the kind words about my blog!! your message made my whole day.
okay so. the POV dilemma. the ETERNAL STRUGGLE. i feel this in my BONES.
okay, so the thing about being 10-20k words into a draft and then suddenly wanting to switch POVs... it happens to literally everyone at some point. it's like the writing gods are testing you.
why you're feeling this way (and why it's actually a good sign)
first off, this feeling of being pulled in two directions isn't a problem. it's actually a sign that you're deeply engaged with your story. your brain is actively processing different ways to tell it, which means you CARE about getting it right. that's the mark of a writer who's going to keep improving.
when both POVs are 'calling you,' what's actually happening is your creative brain recognizing different storytelling possibilities. first person gives you that immediate intimacy, that raw emotional connection. (first pov is actually my favorite, and default pov). for third person, it gives you flexibility, narrative distance when needed, and also the ability to show things your protagonist can't see.
the practical reality (let's be real........)
yes, switching means rewriting those 10-20k words. i'm not gonna sugarcoat it... that's a chunk of work. but let me drop some perspective.
20k words is approximately 80 standard manuscript pages
in the context of a full fantasy novel (which is like 80-120k words), that's about 16-25% of your first draft
you're going to rewrite significant portions anyway during revision (sorry not sorry, it's just how writing works.)
the actually useful advice part
instead of making this an either/or decision that's paralyzing you. here's some ideas i came up with on how you can possibly approach this problem:
do a test chapter conversion. literally take ONE chapter of your choice (doesn't need to be chapter one) that you've already written and convert it from first to third person. don't just change pronouns though, REALLY think about how the narrative distance shifts, what new opportunities open up, what intimacy you might lose/gain. this gives you ACTUAL information instead of just anxiety spirals. this is such a good idea, it's literally just like testing a patch of furniture before using a cleaning chemical on the entire furniture. all you're doing is testing it out (and of course do this test chapter in a SEPARATE document, depending on whatever software you use to write your manuscripts.)
identify your WHY. what specifically is making third person call to you? you need to ask yourself this because it can actually give you clarity and also help you determine the pros and cons of using third person in your book. is it: needing to show scenes your POV character isn't present for? (common use for third person) or is it wanting more narrative flexibility or feeling constrained by your character's voice? or is it wanting to show multiple perspectives more seamlessly? another thing to note is dual POV in first person is a bit difficult because you need to create a voice for each character (that's being used in the dual POVs) let's say character A sounds like character B, if character A's dual POV is in chapter 4 and character B's dual POV is in chapter 5, it might be hard for readers to identify the voice if it sounds super similar. so keep that in mind!!
the hybrid draft approach. (this is my personal favorite), so keep writing in third person from where you are now. don't go back and fix the first 20k yet. finish the draft with this weird hybrid POV situation (note: make sure you add some sort of indication separating the two POVs, like add a small note or maybe asterisks on your manuscript letting you know when this hybrid mix happens so when you go back and revise you can easily find it. ex: a note that says "chapter 4, after scene 40 is where i switch from first person to third person") then, when revision time comes, you'll have a much clearer picture of which POV serves the ENTIRE story better.
consider limited third instead of first. third person limited can give you almost the same intimacy as first person while offering more flexibility. it's like the perfect middle ground for many fantasy novels.
the secret that published authors will NOT tell you
you know how many published books started in a completely different POV than they ended up in? SO MANY. like, an embarrassing number. this is normal writer stuff. so please don't feel bad.
my friend's fantasy novel that got a six-figure deal? (she later dropped it tho) it started as first person, finished as third person omniscient, then got revised to third person limited. another writer i know switched POVs 40k words into their first draft and said it was the best decision they ever made.
what i'd do in your shoes
honestly? i'd keep going forward in the third person without rewriting what you have. get to the end of the draft. i mean it's a DRAFT for god sake, it's aloud to be messy and not ready for publishing (obviously). just see how it feels. the worst case scenario is you have a weird frankendraft that needs POV consistency in revision (which you'd literally be doing anyway).
the POV that's right for your story will become clearer as you keep writing. and if it doesn't? that's what beta readers are for. let them read both versions of a chapter and tell you which one pulls them in more.
NO WRITING IS EVER WASTED. even if you end up scrapping those 20k words (which you probably won't.) they taught you about your characters, world, and story. they got you 20k words closer to being the writer who can finish this book, YOUR book.
anyway i really hope this helps, this response was a lot longer than i planned it to be lol. your dual POV fantasy novel sounds amazing and i'm seriously rooting for you! don't let the POV paralysis stop you from moving forward! don't get stuck like how i did. literally i got stuck on a draft with 50k words just because of some writers block and haven't visited it in a year lol. so just know your story deserves to be told. even if it's in first person, third person, or whatever.
āØ keep writing āØ
rin t.
