: How to switch between characters in a first person story? I know you can switch between the 3rd and 1st and vice versa but how from one character to another both using the 1st person. I

@Jamie945

Posted in: #Characters #Plot #ShortStory #Viewpoint

I know you can switch between the 3rd and 1st and vice versa but how from one character to another both using the 1st person. I know chapter breaks would help but I only want to make a small story (1.5-2 pages). Wouldn't it get confusing using 'I' to mean 2 possible characters? I don't want this either:
Character A: My name is John
---Plot---
Character B: My name is Pete
---More Plot---
Because it seems like they know that the PoV has changed.

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@Kristi637

@Kristi637

This is a common technique, but one that I --speaking as a reader --personally hate. Multiple first person is very tricky to pull off well, because you need to maintain two distinct voices, and because switching viewpoints tends to endanger the reader's immersion and suspension of disbelief.
As @The -Huntress mentioned in the comments, switching to 3rd person POV would be the easiest way to resolve this. Another way would be to have one character relate their experiences out loud to the other one.
If you are going to just hop from head to head, there will be readers who are not bothered by that at all, but I am not one of them.

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@Kristi637

@Kristi637

Just make sure that the reader knows who 'I' is. The Kane Chronicles does this well, but they use chapters which you say you don't want to use, but that's fine. I think the best way would be to do a break of some sort, probably with the characters name in the middle. This way the character doesn't say 'I'm (insert name here)' every time you switch and the reader will know who it is right away. In most cases, you will be able to just pick up the new POV from the old one, IF the two characters were together. If they split up for some reason(I'll get his source of infinite power, you grab the source of infinite power destroyer) then pick up at the part where they split up or when they last ended their POV.

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