Greetings, I've started to desire writing another book and it's basically a fiction book with a twist! I prefer to write the book in first person from the main characters perspective and experience like some movies do etc. My dad also a writer continues to tell me it must be written in third person? Please share your thoughts and why? Thank you,
It's purely up to your own personal preference. There are tons of books written in first person, and tons written in third person.
First person or third person, both are perfectly acceptable POVs. Pick the POV that best/most effectively relays the story to the readers.
I think both are great. I'd suggest going with the one that gives the most powerful style of writing, or way to describe the emotion and setting. It also helps if you want your readers to have extremely limited perspective or not.
My wife uses an unusual twist, dealing with shape-shifting wolves. When her female MC is in her wolf persona, the POV is first person, with internal dialogue (monologue) italicized... wolves don't speak. When she is in her human persona of Caroline, it reverts to conventional third POV. Haven't seen it done that way before, but everyone, who has read her 75 or so pages to date thinks it works quite well. Wolf persona is aware of Caroline, calls her by name to describe her actions, but they are somehow the same, yet distinct, and the change of voice accentuates that. And in discussing a potential future mate the POV becomes we, meaning both the wolf and human personae have to come to terms with that choice, very subtle but intriguing! Yes you can write first POV, but some find it challenging, which might be why your father recommends against it.
When I started writing, it was pointed out that I would unintentionally and quite haphazardly switch between first and third person in the same paragraph. I suppose it's because I tend to visualize books in my head like a movie: sometimes the camera zooms out and takes in a wide shot or follows the action as a third person and sometimes the story flows best if one character's actions and monologues are the main focus. One of the hardest things for me is to pick one and stick with it! Although I can't see why the perspective couldn't change during a complex scene, as long as you cued the changes well enough to cut down on any confusion.
It depends on the story. For a definitive answer, read Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card (the section on viewpoint, naturally). And I'm not just saying this so I don't have to give an answer of my own. He has an amazing insight into the subject. You wanna know the reasons for writing in first, third or whatever? He details them and makes the choice way easy.
Every Point of View has advantages and disadvantages. Rather than follow any notions of storytelling purism, ask yourself what story you're trying to tell and pick the Point of View that best suits it. If you're creating a multi-dimensional world with a large cast of characters, Third Person gives you the distance to see everything you're trying to create without shattering immersion through a psychic narrator. If you're writing about the physical and emotional toils of an individual or creating a claustrophobic setting, a First Person Perspective might be more appropriate to lock your reader in the struggle.
