When I write, its usually in first person. I never really considered writing any other way until I posted an excerpt of my latest novel and someone commented about the POV. It wasn't a negative comment, more of a curious one. This person said that they weren't used to seeing novels in first person. So that got me thinking. What POV do you write in and what are the benefits to each one? How do you decided which POV you want to use?
I write in third ( usually close third ) and first person pov. I've attempted second person but haven't found a subject to do it justice. Bonuses with third - I can go to any character and do a scene without the mc being present. I can build things the mc doesn't know to create tension. I can keep the reigns on my mc not having to filter everything exactly through him. Bonuses with first - I can let the reader see all sides to the mc or hold back and create an unreliable character. I can create immediate closeness. I can keep the story focused having to filter everything through the mc - there's less chance of extra scenes creeping in. Things I don't like with third - not much but I can sometimes find myself a little distant from the mc. I have to work harder to be introspective. Things I don't like with first - I can find myself rambling - the mc can go on and on about unimportant crap. Sometimes the introspection is too much.
Whichever is the best one for telling the story. That's usually third person, which affords the greatest flexibility. Theonly what the character knows or believes at that point in the narrative.re are reasons to drop into first person, though. The most frequent good reason is an implied promise to the reader that you will always present the story only as known or believed by the character. An important variation is to present the story as the character WANTS the reader to believe (the unreliable narrator). , Contrary to a common misconception, first person is not "more intimate". You can be equally as intimate with third person remaining, keeping the focus very close to the central character. If you DO need to reveal things not known to that character, you can presents scenes from other POVs seamlessly. Doing so from first person breaks the first person "feel". Unless you're writing a "how to" book, I'd avoid second person writing. It's intrusive, and annoying in large doses.
I love second person, but hardly anyone else does, so I rarely use it. So sad. I mostly write in third, but sometimes in first. I don't really distinguish between first and close third, so generally I just use whichever seems most common in the genre or subgenre.
For me, writing in first person has always felt the most natural and free-flowing. I've done some acting, so first person always feels nice when I want to really dig in to the character. Third person, however, I think, can give a writer more freedom to be poetic and flowery. It always seems strange to me when a first person narrator gets super philosophical or flowery, but I think that works so well with a third person narrator.
My default is third person. I don't actually object to first person, but I tend to feel that it needs a reason or an excuse, while third person doesn't.
Cogito already said what I prefer most. I really enjoy 3rd person, which is very tightly centered to the character, his/her beliefs and knowledge.
I am hopelessly inadequate at writing in third person. While I am capable, I find that it all ends up being so bland because I can't get lost on tangents as much. Whereas when you're in first person, you're literally inside the persons mind. And it allows you to fully develop that characters emotions, personality, thought processes, and create a much more interesting and diverse character. Though it does obviously have the disadvantage of not allowing you to develop as complex secondary characters. At least not quite as quickly, as their actions and words have to speak for them rather than an omniscient narrator.
You can do all of these things in close/limited third person--close third person is inside the person's mind. It sounds to me like you're thinking of omniscient person point of view.
I've tried pretty much all forms of third person, and can never quite nail it. I'll keep trying of course... But I'll always have a soft spot for first person perspectives, and don't really enjoy third person much.
That's absolutely fine. I'm not trying to tell you that you're required to like it. Just that it can do the things that you describe.
Perhaps you're right. I've tried what you described with third person, and invariably end up just writing "I," and "Me," and such after a while anyway XD. Give it 20 years. Maybe I'll get it XD
If you want to learn to write in third person, you could write a few paragraphs in first person, and then just change the pronouns and so on, to make it third person. It can be that easy.
