if you are beginning, you shouldn't write in 1st person. It's harder than most believe becoming a list or flashcard flipping story of points viewed while walking through the scenes. learn to write through a characters mind, use names with a mixture of pronouns but not overly abundant. sometimes joining a series of actions into a longer sentence can rid the use of many and steady the flow, keep the reader's eyes attached. good luck on your writing, should you still wish to try 1st person. do something short at first, learn from that first, listen to the advice given. smooth that out before you try a book or novel in it.
Writing first person requires better planning, as the limited perspective to tell the story to the reader means that to relay what is needed has to be worked in via a logical and smooth fashion. I don't believe it is that simple just to switch from third person limited to first person, especially if multiple view points are used. Even if they are not, third person offers a slightly more distant perspective that is not available in first person. Yes it can be done but it is much more complex than replacing pronouns. It is better to simply look at the story being told, and decide which is the most appropriate or best perspective to tell it from, and then proceed with the planning and writing. I started out writing in first person. Both of my novels currently receiving full reads are in first person. I've had short stories published both in first and third person. It really depends on the story that is to be told that best determines what point of view to use. Writer preference and skill in selected POVs is an important consideration as well. Some writers just tell a better story (and even enjoy writing) with one POV over the others available. Terry
Its only useful if theres interaction involved....this is absolutely ideal for video games, but in literature, its a little silly and patronising. Flicking pages isnt really fun. Its used sparingly in literature for a reason... That being said, there are some marvellous video games that make magnificent use of the second person narrative, like Galatea for example.
Thanks for all of the great feedback guys! Like I said, I have written some short stories and random chapters here and there in the 1st person, so I'm not completely new to the style. And 2nd person might be fun to mess around with sometime (since we're on the topic).
2nd person is just ugh. I *never* see published books in 2nd person (except choose your own adventure). Obviously that's a sign that publishers don't like it. I think it is, at least. ~Lynn
Check out some of Octavia Butler's novels. I think she only writes in first person, and she does it well. I also think Dean Koontz pulls off first person nicely. Fear Nothing, Seize the Night, and the Odd Thomas series.
It's a shame that this intelligent, reasonable post has been readily discarded by other posters. He names a story, suggests keeping an open mind on the style, and says that he has read stories (or at least one) which uses the second-person perspective, and uses it well.
I agree. I think Pickman's Model by H.P. Lovecraft is in second person too, and that did it really well too.
I'll have to check those books out when I get a chance. I'd love to see a book that's done in 2nd person p.o.v. and done well.
Don 't assume. I went ahead and looked at a couple excerpts. Frankly, I was not impressed. I stand by my opinion that the second person POV is truly horrible. But I wasn't going to press it, because it really isn;t the topic of the thread. Even if one or two writers have managed to write well in second person, I haven;t seen any evidence of it, and it still would not be wise foir a novice writer to attempt it. Any writer who is asking about first vs third person would have to be considered a novice in that regard (no offense intended to anyone asking that question). I believe in taking a rule as a challenge, but only when you have enough experience within the rules. Most such esperiments will fail, so you must be prepared for that.
No one is saying *never* try it...rather, we (or at least I) are suggesting that the person master 3rd person p.o.v. before attempting first person. If you can't write well in 3rd (if you're a beginner) then there's a good chance you'll write horribly in first. There are some exceptions to this rule..some people write better naturally in first person. If 3rd feels too awkward, then go ahead and try first but if you get comments that are telling you that it's weak, you should probably switch back to third. Just my thoughts. ~Lynn
Beth: A wise man learns from his mistakes. A wiser man learns from the mistakes of others. Put another way, trails are marked for hikers in wilderness parks. Most hikers should stay on those trails, and those who don't will invariably get themselves in serious trouble. Expert hikers may decide to strike out cross-country, but will only do so properly equipped, and they will ensure that they can find their way safely back to the marked trail. They will not do so if the weather forecasts will put them at risk, or if they are not properly supplied for a longer than anticipated journey. and they won't try to cross a marshland that no one has safely navigated.
Cog, love the imagery. Ugh.. someone at work made my sick.. and I have an Easter dinner to cook tomorrow too >< ~Lynn
emily... cog answered your 'how' question as i would have... beth... ditto that... plus, if you are a first level ballet student, you would not be practicing nureyev's gravity-defying entrechats... nor should a driver's training student be trying to execute high-speed evasive techniques in his/her first driving lesson...
Not all experiences are good. Most of those should be avoided. Anyway, I like first person perspective. I'll agree that it is more difficult to work with, and you should really have a reason for using it. In other words, ask yourself why you want to write whatever it is you're going to write in first person. I'm working on a novel right now that is mostly first person. I chose to write it that way because the story is very focused on the MC and how he handles a certain situation. He is a quiet character who does not say much, so his thoughts are of paramount importance. To really understand him, the reader needs to see what goes on inside his head. My general rule of thumb for first-person is this: if you plan to stay intimately focused on one character at a time throughout most of your story, consider using first-person. If not, you probably won't reap its benefits and will only make life harder on yourself.
I think you guys are exaggerating how much harder first person is. If someone can write limited third person well, I don't see why they can't write first person well.
Agreed. I've been doing third person stories for years, but I'm actually finding first person to be much easier so far. Perhaps it's because the point-of-view character is essentially me in a different body, but I'm finding applying personality to the narrator to be more entertaining than having the narrator be a neutral spectator.
I don't mean 'to experience everything possible in the world' just take advantage of every chance to experience something as it comes.
No, the wisest man is he who understands that he understands nothing. Pajama Sam: But how can he understand, if he understands nothing? AH! Now you're beginning to understand! Make sure that your first-person narrative has smooth flow and is linear and coherent. Some people might get carried away with the first-person voice and begin rambling. And that was my thinly veiled attempt at staying on topic.
I think 1st person is managable for a talented beginner in a short story but difficult to sustain for a full length novel. Try practicing with short stories to get the hang of it. 'Rebecca' and 'Jane Eyre' are 1st person classics--and oh yes--they are both kind of mysteries as well...
It depends on how limited a third person they are writing in. Very few writers in third person stick absolutely to a single character's limited viewpoint throughout the entire story. Yielding to the desire to step outside that viewpoint from time to time in a 3PL story is not as damaging as doing so in a first person story. The consequences of that step outside pollute the first person viewpoint in a way that does not occur with that slight separation in the 3PL viewpoint. You CAN step outside even in first person, but it's more obvious when you do, unless you are a good enough writer to manage it well. Obviously, there are writers who can write well within the limitations of first person. But anyone who ASKS whether they should write in first or third, I would urge to write in third. When he or she has mastered that, then and only then work with first person. As has been pointed out, a short story is probably easier to manage first person in than a novel. The tighter focus and limited cast of characters of a short story make it more amenable to first person than the broader scope of a novel.
I don't know if this has been brought up, but unless you are writing a Noir story stay well clear of poetical discription.
