Need Help with writing techniques

[rmisyuk]

What are the best techniques to have a character in a book tell a story? Can I switch from author to character and then back or should it be character speaking only? I would appreciate some short examples.

Thank you.

[Alice Glitterhorn]

Generally speaking, unless it's a memoir or a biography, the author isn't going to be "speaking". Even if the book is written in third person, it's the author's persona or voice that is telling the story. Perhaps that's what you mean by switching from author to character? Third person to first? I've seen plenty of books written that way, and it's perfectly fine.

Techniques for having a character tell a story are entirely up to you. You could have the character speaking to the audience (second person), the narrator (this can also be the author's voice) telling the story, or the character just going about his/her story without telling the reader why they do things. Basically, first, second, or third person.

The narrator itself can also change by being reliable and unreliable. Reliable is usually what happens in third person - there are no secrets left out, events are being presented just as they happen. But sometimes, the narrator can choose to leave certain events out, or fail to explain why something happened.

Gosh, I'm terrible at explaining things, but I hope I helped a little bit at least.

[rmisyuk]

The book I am working on (my first obviously) is told from 3rd person. It has a main character and secondary characters. I am trying to have the second person tell his story to the main character. It is kind of a monologue, but I am trying to insert some character development to the main character by having the 3rd person (Author) interveine with Main character's thoughts or actions.

[Alice Glitterhorn]

So by saying author, do you mean you yourself are showing his character, or the character is explaining himself? Or, while the character is telling his story, there are interrupting bits where he thinks back on what he did?