Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion
Author Resource Round Table
>
Which would be a better person to write in?
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Caroline
(new)
Jan 28, 2013 07:20PM
I have a book idea. There is situations in the book where Third person could be used and First Person. I had been thinking First person is more original but the writing of third person may do my book better. Both would be great. What do you guys think?
reply
|
flag
I like to write in the first person. I just feel more comfortable with that. The only problem is that I have to rely on what others tell my main character since I have to follow her around. But it work for me and the mystery/gothic/romance type books I write.
You can switch and speak in the first person for several different people. I did this in my psychological thriller, Terror on the Beach. When the serial killer was speaking it was in italics throughout the book. Part one of the book was called Sarah and she tells her story, then Robert takes up the tale in part two and tells his side and then back to Sarah in part three. It worked for that book but I don't know if I would try it again for any other book.
I prefer third-person because there is so much you can do, plus you can follow many different people. But whatever POV you use, stick with it the entire book. I read a book series where the main character was first-person but the other characters were third. It gets confusing and tiring.
Who is your target audience? First person is more prevalent in YA, where it allows the reader to enter the main character's mind more easily and relate/engage with them.
In the end it really depends on what aspects of the story you wish to tell. Some books are great in first person. Some are better in third person. I recently read a book in first person, present tense, which although it was a book I would normally have enjoyed, I struggled with. It was written in first person from two points of view in alternating chapters.
The issue was probably partly due to me not reading the chapter headings to remind me who was speaking. Perhaps it was just me, but it's also possible that the characters were not written differently enough for me to immediately pick up the change.
If you choose to write first person from more than one point of view it has to be done extremely well. (I don't think I'd be brave enough myself!)
And don't be afraid to start over if the way you pick isn't working. I once rewrote a scene three times, each with a different POV, to see what worked best.
Same here. Pick the one you are most comfortable with. I've tried writing in both and settled on the first person as the words flowed better that way.
~Caroline~ wrote: "I have a book idea. There is situations in the book where Third person could be used and First Person. I had been thinking First person is more original but the writing of third person may do my bo..."Only you know your story. Try one, and don't be afraid to change. The POV that is best will sort itself out.
You always give such good advice, Sharon!
Peggy wrote: "You always give such good advice, Sharon!"Thanks! I'm speaking from recent personal experience, LOL. My WIP, In The Eye of The Storm, has been kind of a bear. I've started it with three different first-person POV narrators, and it just wasn't working. I realized that I needed to introduce a new character, change it to third person, and salvage what I could of the first-person narratives in the form of diaries being read by that new character many years on. Suddenly, it started to work!
I would say the first person present tense is the best way to connect and influence the reader. But it's hard to pull off without starting every sentence with I this and I that. Good luck!
