: Re: First person from the point of view of a child Is it ok to use first person when the one speaking in the narration is a child? I guess it doesn't matter too much when the narration is

@Kristi637

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This can be done effectively, but you'll be setting yourself a difficult challenge. Any first-person narrative requires the author to provide that person a believable, consistent voice and perspective, while still meeting the novel's larger aims. The more distant the person is from yourself, the harder it is likely to be to convincingly animate their viewpoint.

However, great art is all about overcoming challenges. There's no shortage of books that have won great acclaim for a convincingly limited first-person narrator. Just be aware that perspective, and its limits, is likely to become one of the main things your book is "about."

A good compromise might be a limited third-person narration, with the child being the point of view, but not the narrator. That gives you the general feel of the child's POV, but a little extra freedom to include details and interpretation that might be beyond the child's comprehension. It also emancipates both you and the reader from the child's voice, which could become difficult to maintain without becoming annoying.

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