Contractions - Yea or Nay?

[X Equestris]

Depends how close of a narrative you're going for, among other stylistic choices. I usually write in close third person or first person POV, so contractions outside dialogue are almost a necessity. Things feel too stiff without them.

For your situation, I'd say change it up with every POV, since you've already thought about how often they employ contractions. One uses them frequently. One is more moderate. The last rarely uses them. You can always edit as needed if that method doesn't work out.

 

[caters]

I use contractions in my writing and I am fine with it, even in the narration.

 

[Joshua Jones]

Oh! They ne'er do!

And, actually, this brings up the exception to the "contractiico make the character less formal in dialogue" truism. If one is using contractions which are not in the common usage, but are frequently used in classical poetry ('Twas, ne'er, and so forth), this increase the formality, or at least the pretentiousness, of the character.