John Knight
John Knight asked A.X. Rhodes:

Just finished reading Saying Goodbye. (Left me and my girlfriend speechless). Its narrative voice is distinctly different from the (2) in TWOW. How is it that your "voice" changes from work to work? Just wondering cause I think it's really cool. Most authors are redundant.

A.X. Rhodes Most people I've talked to have had a similar reaction to Saying Goodbye.
To your question, I think the third person voice of most authors is similar in most of their work. However, the first person perspective allows for a lot more flexibility, because it is not the author's voice. In a sense, I am an actor as well as a writer staying true to a character's voice. The character of Daniel Lawrence in The Writs of Wrath lives in the mid 1800s and is a detective. The nameless narrator for Saying Goodbye is a troubled person living in modern times. Therefore, their first person voices should be very different. The kind of story also changes my style of narrative. Many authors stick with a certain format, whereas I like trying new things to keep it fresh.
Personally, I like writing in first person more than third. It's much more fun to remain true to that character's voice in my head, and it naturally creates a unique style in the work. Many, if not most, great novels are also done in first person. I think the insightful nature of its perspective draws the reader in to the narrator's inner world, making it easier to evoke an emotional bond/response with/to the book. Thanks for the question. AXR

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