First Person vs. Third Person

[Kevin]

For short stories, I will sometimes use a first person narrative, but for longer books and novels, I find third person invaluable to present the POV I need to reveal the story as I like. Since most of my work is horror related, the ability to choose being in the head of your monster or a possible victim helps maximize the desired impact of a scene.

[Nina]

I love first person more than third person. It is more relatable,and it doesn't seem like a story...it seems like the actual character is speaking to you...not a narrator.

Although,depending on the type of book,maybe third person isn't so bad. Like biographies,and children's books.

I don't really know now,I can't choose between them now that I think about it... *-*

[Laura]

Becky wrote: "I find myself narrating my own life in my head for the next week or so after I read the book. I start wondering what someone else might think about my thoughts and actions. Not a terrible problem, but a funny one :P"

I totally agree Becky! I do the same thing. After reading a book told in first person, I begin to talk with that character's voice in my head. Sometimes I even do it with third person. Imagine my inner dialogue after reading The Count of Monte Cristo. lol!

[Alex]

I like both as well, but prefer first person :)

[Micah]

I can't stand 1st person books, tbh. Very few books are 1st person that I enjoy.

It always is a character that I can not stand(Tris from Divergent for example) that is the main character and I am stuck with them throughout the entire book in their head and the characters I DO LIKE only appear if the Narrator is there with them. I've read only a few first person books I like. That being said, my favorite 3rd person book is GONE by Michael Grant because it is ensemble cast and it allows me to be in their minds versus stuck in one character's head the entire book

[Islam Ahmed]

I prefer third person narration better. It was when i first read City of Bones that i was introduced to third person narration. Actually, i think it was Little Women, but whatever.

[L.]

I generally prefer third person, but whichever works best depends on the story, I guess. I have read books in first person and enjoyed them too.

[Princess]

i prefer both.
i sometimes like the first person because i feel like I'm the main character but i think the only flaw for me is that i can't really understand the feelings of other characters beside the one telling the story.
i like the third person because it gives me the entire view of the situation but sometimes it still feel lack on something.

[L.]

Princess wrote: "i prefer both.
i sometimes like the first person because i feel like I'm the main character but i think the only flaw for me is that i can't really understand the feelings of other characters besid..."

What do you think of multiple first person, then? With that you can have the insight into more than one character's thoughts and feelings. Saying it like that, it seems that I should've liked it, but most of the time I just find it messy and confusing.

I guess I just never really get to enjoy the perks of reading in first person because I can't seem to become the character no matter what.

[Jenna]

Honestly, both. I like multiple third person, multiple first person. Third person pov and first person pov. They all have their benefits and draw backs. I like being inside the main character, seeing their world from their eyes, but I also like going on the outside for a little bit as well.

I don't have a preference, as log as I can see what I am supposed to be seeing, and feeling what the author wants me to feel, I will enjoy the book. If I can't connect with the character I won't like it.

To each their own!

[Princess]

Leo wrote: What do you think of multiple first person, then? With that you can have the insight into more than one character's thoughts and feelings.

i try it once but then again I'm confused who's who but now i'm reading more of a third person,but for now i think i like 3rd person more.

[Turtlefrog]

I personally don't really have a preference. If the story is great and I'm sucked into the characters and what is going on with them then that's all I care about. I can appreciate the 1st person and also the 3rd person POV.

I find that with the 1st person POV there is the added advantage to the authors to continue the same great story but from a different characters POV as with and or and .

When reading a 3rd person POV I find that I read them more as a movie then anything else. Only because I know exactly what is going on with all characters and how they feel at any given situation.

But what I have come to enjoy are books where we get the 1st person POV but from alternating characters as with

[Sierra]

As an author, who is about to publish a YA/NA Contemporary Romance Learning To Love A Rogue in 3rd person, it's a bit daunting to go against the current vogue of 1st person style knowing well that's where most readership lie.
I didn't write it so because I am brave, or like to challenge myself. But that's what I, as a reader has always loved reading.

With 3rd person books I get a larger than life feel from the story. The characters, scene, set, emotions, action, all are bare and gaping before me.

1st person ( Not ALL) had felt constricting. You get just one person's point of view in regard to the scene unfolding. What about the other person? What does the hero think of it?
If not at all, we either get to find answer to that in SNIPPETS at the verrry end, OR we have to wait for the heroine to pass through her bag of turmoil, THEN wade through the whole scenario again to get a picture of what went in our, hot, sexy and capable hero's mind. By which time, the scene feels repetitive.(And an author has to do it like this, 'cause otherwise continuous jump from one 'I' to the other 'I' can be confusing for many.- There's using 'He' for the hero , but.. then it isn't actually a 1st person book altogether.)

It's all preference. I'm sure the things I think lack in 1st person, most will consider true for the 3rd.

And I confess, I have very much enjoyed some 1st person books as well. They were no less riveting.

In the end I guess it's the measure of a good writer who can make a 1st person reader like the 3rd person and vice-versa!

That seems like a long rant! Won't take more of your lovely time with my boring opinion.

Take care all,

Sierra Jaid

[Michael]

I don't think that people read a book because it's in first person or third person. Most new writers, for some reason, tend to write in first person. My understanding is that agents, particularly for new authors, don't want the book in first person. My advice to young authors is to stick with the third person past tense. Can't go wrong.

Michael E. Henderson

[Ari]

Laura wrote: "I love both! I enjoy reading from a character's inner view and getting to know the way his/her mind works. However, third person also has its charms. You can get more accurate background informati..."

Thats very true. Its all about the readers emotional involvement. if you're not into it, the writer isnt going to make much money.

[Dorottya]

I don't care, as long as it seems realistic. 1st person is a little tricky, because the certain person may not know the feelings and thoughts of the others in the book... so there come the problems. It shouldn't be too obvious for the reader what those others think, because then we would think our main her / ine is stupid as hell, if she doesn't know. If she actually knows when she shouldn't, it's bad writing. And then the next question - how do we find out?
I love a great 1st person, but 3rs person is more foolproof, I'd say.

[Brigid ✩]

I like both first and third person a lot, and I think what works best is dependent on what the story is, how many characters there are, etc. I find that when I write I tend to gravitate towards first person because I just find it easier to connect with, but lately I've been trying more things in third person.

[khulhet24]

I prefer first person because it is easier to connect with the characters especially if its Dual POV but if its not, I kinda hate it because I keep wondering about the other character so at this point I like third person POV. Maybe it really depends on how the author wrote the book because I have read books that third person works for me and there are some that third person confuses me. Or maybe the real problem here is me! Lol. Anyways, still a good story line is the major point of consideration if its a good book or not.

[Megan]

I used to prefer first person, but I'm starting to come around to third person. I think each style has something different to offer, and it really does depend on the story and/or the characters for which style suits it best.

I recently read Under the Never Sky. At first, the third person threw me off because I'm used to reading YA in first person. But then I warmed up to it and now I love it. However the novellas for that series are written in first person -- which frustrates me so much! Does that bother anyone else??

[Kaysa]

I tend to gravitate towards third person. A few years back, if I'd pick up a book and it was in the first person, it would go right back on the shelf. Now, it doesn't bother me as much provided it is done well. Personal preference apart, I think it is a matter of availability and habit too.

[Lucas]

I don't like first person. I feel trapped in the character's head. My view of the events in the novel are filtered through the character's eyes. I think with a narrator you have a bit more idea of what's actually happening. Assuming the narrator is reliable, of course. It feels much less limiting when there's a narrator, as well.

[Marcey]

I love when an author can smoothly switch between first person on third person. I do prefer first person better because it is easier to connect with the character.

[Benjamin]

First person is good for seeing things from the main character's point of view, but you get a better view of everything that's going on in third.

[Laura]

It depends on the story. Some books are better told through third person because multiple points of view are needed to flesh out everything. Other stories take the immediacy of first (past or present) and give a lot of emotion to the narrator. So my answer is both. I like reading the appropriate voice for the story.

[schu]

I like both but I have a hard time distingushing first person if they changes from chapter to chapter. From one person to another. Its confusing. :)

[J.S.]

I started out writing first-person past tense because I didn't know any better. It worked--I got published, yay me ;) --but I wasn't sure about writing third-person until another writer challenged me to write third-person from a girl's POV. Challenge accepted! (That became the Lindsay/Jo Trilogy).

The comment about women writers writing a man's POV can be true with lesser writers. Same deal with a man writing from a woman's POV. Yet, there are some fine writers who've done that. You have to respect the character(s). It's not impossible to do it.

As for first-person present tense...hate it. I know it's supposed to make things sound more immediate, but it's too jarring. Respect for the authors who can do it, but I don't care for the style.

[Tom]

I write third person, but keep it from the perspective of my main character so it’s not detached. We still know her thoughts and feelings, and experience what she’s experiencing at the same time she’s experiencing it, but it doesn’t feel like we’re simply reading her diary.

But I did read an amazing book called “This is Not a Test” that’s told from first person, and I think it’s the best example of first-person I’ve ever read. But that was because the girl’s state of mind from moment to moment was central to the story, so the first-person narrative didn’t feel contrived. These were actually things she would have written in a diary.

[Chris]

First person wasn't quite as popular 30 years ago until recently. At least I believe that from my perspective. I've written one first person book that never got published. My biggest problems with it and a few other short stories, was that I could not, for the life of me, Keep the pronoun "I" out of the text. I favor third person because it's the fly on the wall, able to cover more ground, I think. However, truly, some of the biggest blockbusters in history and just recently have been successfully embraced in first person. So maybe I'm really limiting myself. 3rd is very safe for me.

Chris

[Jaina]

I actually like both and tend to get comfortable with both of them pretty quickly. I think my stories turn out better in first person though. I find most writers are more fluid in one perspective than in the other.

[Chris]

Jaina, you're fortunate to be able to switch mid stream, so to speak. I wish I was like that.

Chris

[Jaina]

I'm lucky for it. Still, I'm a mess with present/past tenses so it evens out. :P

[Dawngill]

first person ...unless i don't like the character voice, sometimes it can be annoying or take a while to 'get into'...and I agree about present tense

[Chris]

Garhg. Present tense. I just can't abide it, nor even write it.

[Jaina]

I love the way present tense makes plot twists more shocking for the main characters but it's so hard to adjust to.

[J.S.]

I like both and I've written in both. First-person is often called "unreliable" as we're seeing the action through one person's somewhat biased POV. If it's handled skilfully--like in The Fault in our Stars--then it works. Otherwise, it becomes a diatribe.

Third-person is somewhat more objective, but then again, it all depends on how it's presented. What I REALLY hate is first-person present. I find that pretentious to the max. I know some writers can get away with it, but as a reader I just don't like it. JMO...

[J.S.]

One thing that some readers don't like is third-person limited (one POV done in he/she style) as opposed to the omniscient third-person style. I've done mainly third-person limited as I felt that I could get into the lead character's head a little more. When I tried writing omniscient style, I had trouble, but that's because I simply wasn't used to writing that way. In the long run, there's really NO style that won't work as long as it's done skilfully. (I still don't care for first-person present, but that's my hangup)

[Piper]

What a fascinating thread! My preference for 1st or 3rd person depends on a lot of factors. I used to hate 1st person but it's growing on me :) IMO part of the NA trend toward 1st person (even with multiple POV) is because an emotionally-driven story like a romance grabs the reader if it can put you in the character and make you feel. It relies on empathy. By contrast, big plots or worlds with tons of characters require flexibility to tell the story to the greatest effect. The reader needs a moveable vantage point for something like Harry Potter, and multi-povs would be migraine inducing for an author...just my thoughts!

[Francina]

I prefer third person limited. I write in TPL and love when it is skillfully done. It's a great way to balance artistic style and voice. Sometimes my main character has something really voice to say through exposition and it's perfect...other times I want to elevate the writing and grammatical style without making it a direct reflection of her voice, and TPL lets me do that with ease.

I do like a good first person though. Especially in Contemporary YA. There is something about the Day-In-The-Life written in 1st person.

[MadameZelda]

No preference. I just like a good story.

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse]

I myself prefer books told in Third Person. I think it offers a much broader spectrum of the characters and events that make the story. First person allows you to really know ONE character, but then insight is missing for the others involved.