Two At A Time

I've decided to try something a bit different for my latest novel.  Most books follow around the main character and remain consistent in how that character sees the world.  Even the novels that use multiple points of view tend to use the same narrative(and in multiple POVs, it tends to be third person limited).  But I thought, what if the audience heard the story from a third person narrative in one instance but experienced another's through that character's eyes?

My latest work - still untitled - uses two main characters.  One of them is seen through the "usual" storytelling technique of third person limited.  The other lets us see the world through the use of first person present tense.  And in something I thought would be completely different, the first person experience is done through the eyes of the villain - Satan himself!  I felt it would be really cool if we got to see the underpinnings behind the bad guy, but I wanted to see if I could do it in a way that would make the audience still root for the good guy.

This could, of course, be a disaster.  I've never done anything remotely close to this, so there's a bit of hit or miss with regards to getting the characterization right.  There's also the very real possibility that the audience will identify more with the villain than with the hero since we get to understand the villain's motivations a lot better.  It's a subtle balance, and although I know the story I want to tell, the specifics of doing it are what I spend most of my time on.

I also know that while the potential for disaster is high, so is the potential for reward.  This could prove to be something so out of the ordinary that it might draw people in.  To be honest, I have no idea, but I know I'll at least learn from the experience.  Whatever happens, it's going to be fun.