[Steven Lake]

For some reason tonight I popped in the dvd of "How to Train your Dragon" and for the first time really paid attention to some of the way the story was told. I guess that's because I'm actually in the middle of some heavy writing right now so my brain's probably switched onto this stuff.

Anyhow, in the beginning of the movie you see the lead character providing both first and 3rd person perspective. The 1st person viewpoint comes in a narrative form which lives side by side with the primary 3rd person viewpoint which soon takes over for the remainder of the movie, save for the end where the main character again does his opening narrative, but in a slightly revised form.

So I guess my questions are this:

1. Is there an advantage to doing a mixed viewpoint story?
2. When are the best times to do something like that?
3. Is it actually better to do the first person stuff via a narrator instead?
4. Or Should 1st person be avoided as much as possible?

I say that because above said movie, combined with a recent dream I had, spawned an idea for a fun little story I want to do as a bit of an experiment (I like doing writing experiments, as they're fun and they help me get better as a writer) into fantasy writing (not a strong area for me yet), but I'm divided on the format I should do it in. The style seen in HTTYD is one I think would be good, and so would a mixed 1st and 3rd person perspective where the main hero narrates some of the events you see him involved in. Sorta like he's doing a slideshow of past memories, and then narrating parts for you to help you understand what's happening.

Anyhow, that's my thoughts. Your 2c welcome.