Third Person in a First Person Story

[Justin4Fun]

Do you have any suggestions on how to add some information in a first-person narrative that the narrator couldn't know?

I can only come up with someone relating the events to the narrator, but that can become tedious. Other options?

[LJCC]

5 hours ago, Justin4Fun said:

...how to add some information in a first-person narrative that the narrator couldn't know?

 

 

 

Can you cite examples?

I'm confused by this statement.

First person POV is already limited, so the expectation is the narrator wouldn't know every detail unless he/she experiences or gets informed about such knowledge of the situation. 

[Justin4Fun]

27 minutes ago, LJCC said:

First person POV is already limited, so the expectation is the narrator wouldn't know every detail unless he/she experiences or gets informed about such knowledge of the situation. 

The main character/narrator has a vehicle accident. I want to relate, in great detail, the efforts of rescue workers, doctors, etc...

I know I can have another character relate these events, simply using a bedside conversation

"What happened?"

"After we wrecked, you were unconscious, they had to cut the car apart to get to us dude. I don't know what happened in the ambulance but I heard your heart stopped once. You've been in here for a week. They kept you asleep cause your brain was swelling... blah blah..."

This method is fine, if I have to. I'm just wondering if anyone has other options?

 

Did that make it clear enough? Or was I too brief?

 

[LJCC]

2 minutes ago, Justin4Fun said:

The main character/narrator has a vehicle accident. I want to relate, in great detail, the efforts of rescue workers, doctors, etc...

I know I can have another character relate these events, simply using a bedside conversation

"What happened?"

"After we wrecked, you were unconscious, they had to cut the car apart to get to us dude. I don't know what happened in the ambulance but I heard your heart stopped once. You've been in here for a week. They kept you asleep cause your brain was swelling... blah blah..."

This method is fine, if I have to. I'm just wondering if anyone has other options?

 

Did that make it clear enough? Or was I too brief?

 

 

 

"The shambles of the wreck left me disjointed. When the (proceeds to enumerate the events)...

That's what they told me—the doctors and the medic who found me."

There are so many ways you could weave a narrative into a scenario without sounding like the characters were forced at gunpoint to retell the events. You could even combine telling and showing briefly in a single paragraph. It just takes skill to do it seamlessly.

[Justin4Fun]

6 minutes ago, LJCC said:

It just takes skill to do it seamlessly.

Leaves me out.   LOL

If it were easy, everyone would do it, huh?

THANKS so much for your suggestions!