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Which POV do you prefer to write in?
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I definitely prefer third person close POV. If I write first person (which is rare), it's simple past. First person present POV is one I abhor, and I'm shocked at the number of authors who write in it. Third person is simply easier to follow and the story flows so much better. You get the benefit of some close POV and some narrator POV.
I prefer to read and write in 3rd person. To me, 1st person is like listening to a friend tell the story, while 3rd person is like I am there, involved in the action. It's easier to show the action in 3rd person, as opposed to telling it in 1st. There are some authors who write 1st person past very well, but many more who write it poorly. I've only read a couple 1st person present that works - when it is done well I hardly even notice it is present tense, but when it is done poorly it is jarring and horrid.
I always write in third person omniscient POV. When you have multiple actors and a complicated plot it is very hard to be effective in first person POV.
Having written just one novel and having no intention of writing another, I have no preference. However, that one novel was written in the first person.One of the most successful authors in recent times, Kazuo Ishiguro, is a master of the first person point of view. his works include Never Let Me Go*, A Pale View of Hills, An Artist of the Floating World, The Remains of the Day*, The Unconsoled and When We Were Orphans.
*Converted into a major motion picture of the same title.
Jim wrote: "Having written just one novel and having no intention of writing another,"Just out of curiosity Jim, why just the one novel?
Cynthia wrote: "Jim wrote: "Having written just one novel and having no intention of writing another,"Just out of curiosity Jim, why just the one novel?"
Cynthia,
Writing a novel was just one of several items included in a "bucket list" that my late wife insisted I create upon retiring in 2001.
It took me 14 months to produce a polished manuscript and an additional 2 months working with and learning from those assigned to help convert the manuscript into a commercially viable book. It proved to be a wonderful and worthwhile experience. That said; there are just too many other wonderful and worthwhile things I wish to experience.
This is a never-ending debate for me, lol. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.I have a trilogy that I've been working on for a decade, and I'm just now preparing to release the first book. It's been written in the 3rd person, literally up until a few months ago when I decided to switch to 1st person. In between working on my trilogy, I had been doing lots of other projects in 1st person and suddenly grew fond of it. So in applying it to my trilogy, I think it has made it stronger, since it'll allow readers a closer and more intimate look into the protagonists' mind, which plays a huge role in the story. I know this is going to cause trouble for the third book though--I'm going to have to get creative for portions of it without option of omniscient viewpoint.
Overall though, I think the plotline largely dictates the necessity of 1st or 3rd person. I believe stories that are more focused and centered closely on the protagonist often benefit from 1st person narration. Stories that are more complex and have strong focuses on a variety of characters could be better suited for 3rd person. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule.
Also, I think the target audience sometimes has something to do with it too. I remember reading somewhere that lots of literary agents prefer 1st person for YA novels, and 3rd person for children's and adult's novels.
I think it depends entirely on the story itself. I can't count the number of times I've read interviews and such with authors who struggled with a POV on a particular book, then out of sheer desperation, they shifted POV and the problem melted away. I wonder if we don't need to listen to the story, to what it (and the characters in it) are telling us.
POV is one of he goodreads fields on the metadata tab when editing your book — I have no idea what features/search/recommendations of goodreads take that into account, but there is a field for it (and an issue with author's adding/editing n their own books if I remember correctly).Honestly, the metadata fields could be a ghost/zombie part of site not doing anything (still says used for recommendations, though?...). A screenshot in case not clear what I mean by metadata tab fields -- https://d.gr-assets.com/photos/144279... (book info grayed out to not make this comment promotional).
A closeup of POV part:
ETA: to add closeup and correct typos.
It completely depends on the story for me. My more well received stories have been first person, present tense. I think I like it the best since I don't write with an outline, and stories flow more freely, for me, when I put myself into my character. I like third person, past tense for other stories. I feel like you can get away with a little more, but I do feel like it can sometimes lack in emotional investment when a narrator is telling you what everybody is doing versus discovering the motives behind those faces when you are following the character closely.
I don't feel I have the skill to write in a second person but I've read a few stories where people do that so well. Jeff Vandermeer's "Veniss Underground" is a great example, though it goes from first to second and finally to third as the story progresses.
In my published novel, I had two POVs, one for each main character. I broke the story up into six parts. In the first four parts, the POV alternated between the two characters. In the last two parts, the characters were well established, and I let them take turns having the POV for individual chapters within each part. I did not mix the POVs within any given chapter.In the story I am currently writing, however, there is a lot of mix-up of POV within chapters where the main characters are interacting with each other, because these characters are psychically linked, so each is experiencing something of what the other is experiencing, in tandem, so to speak. It's tricky, but I hope it will work.
So far in any of my writing, I have not engaged in any omnipresent POV, outside of the characters. Even descriptive sections are filtered through the characters - how they see their world. I think this is defined something like third-person limited, but it allows me to dig really deep into the emotional lives of the characters, so it provides the reader with a feeling that he or she is living inside the character and going through what the character is going through.
For example, a scene I'm working on has a Native American pick up my hitchhiking main character. As opposed to writing something like: "Rory got a ride back to town from a Native American on his way home from work," I build it up through Rory's filter, to be more like: "Rory recognized his benefactor as a Maliseet, who brought to mind Rory's fourth-grade teacher, a man of the same tribe." And it goes on from there, with Rory's memories coloring the details and his friendly nature prompting the two men to swap contact information. (I'm waiting to see where this new friendship leads...)
I've always enjoyed the opportunity the author has to make snarky comments about the characters when writing in omniscient narrator. My first novel was a book within a book. One set of chapters was written in 3rd person past tense, one in Omniscient narrator past tense, and one in first person past. I could not comfortably have written any of the sections in a POV than what each was written in.
Jim wrote: "Writing a novel was just one of several items included in a "bucket list" that my late wife insisted I create upon retiring in 2001."Awesome, cross one more thing off the bucket list!
BTW, back to my original topic. I'm really not enjoying writing 1st person at the moment! I think I'll stick with 3rd and multiple characters from now on. It's more fun IMO!
I write them the way they come to me. Sometimes 3rd, sometimes 1st. If there's a pattern, I haven't worked it out yet.
I prefer writing in first person, because it forces me to think outside the norm. Since my character can only comment on what he or she knows or experiences, I have to carefully choose the observations. It's challenging, but I personally find it more rewarding. However, as a reader, I have no preference. I like good books, and the POV is irrelevant as long as it's written well.
I shift POV from third to first, using a journal as justification for First because that character's thoughts are the most important but as the series progresses there are other characters that come into their own.
I use both. I find that first tends to work best for comic fiction and third for more serious writing. I never mix POV within a novel - it is either first or third throughout. And I will only have one POV character per novel.That's not the only way to do it, but it's how I like to work.
Jim wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Jim wrote: "Having written just one novel and having no intention of writing another,"Just out of curiosity Jim, why just the one novel?"
Cynthia,
Writing a novel was just one o..."
Jim,I've been roughing out ideas for a second book without a serious intent on actually going through the publishing process again. My brother has asked, why don't I just go ahead and finish it...I copied and pasted your comment to him in an e-mail. What you write has a lot of truth in it. Thanks for putting it so succinctly. Joshua
Unless a writer writes professionally (which means meeting deadlines and producing certain amounts of content), he or she should write as much or as little as desired and/or inspired. You've got to do it for the love of it, not to meet someone else's expectations. Joshua, you write however YOU want. If your brother wants a book produced, maybe he should write one. I believe that everyone has at least one story to tell.
the series that I'm doing now is a Urban Fantasy police procedural. For that I think first person works best... The other series I want to start will be strait space opera, and I'll do that third person because it's a much bigger screen so to speak
My big series (four books with two more coming) is written in first-person past with several narrators per book. One POV/narrator per chapter. I know that is supposed to be taboo, but I have great reviews on it and I have loved the process of really being the various characters. I think it is hard to pull off. You have to be able to pull off distinct voices and completely be in the head of the character. If I were to do that series over again I might have tried to do it present tense for various reasons. But I love first person and the characters really pop with varied first person. You just have to help the reader keep it straight. It might partly work because it is contemporary and it sounds like the characters are giving informal testimony about what happened. If it were epic fantasy or futuristic sci fi I don't think it would work so well.
I'm now starting a mid-grade and I'm sticking to third past for that. I have another adult WIP that is fixed, single-narrator first present and that is hard to get used to after all the first past but think it will have advantages.
Joshua wrote: "Jim,I've been roughing out ideas for a second book without a serious intent on actually going through the publishing process again. My brother has asked, why don't I just go ahead and finish ..."
Joshua, be encouraged...you are a great author, finish your second book and publish...you can make the difference in the world.....george
George wrote: "Joshua wrote: "Jim,I've been roughing out ideas for a second book without a serious intent on actually going through the publishing process again. My brother has asked, why don't I just go ah..."
Thanks George-->you too are a great inspiration to many of us.
I usually write in third person. I have a couple of storylines in each book so I write each scene from that character in the scene.
On POV.Just a thought, for me, POV is like every human dilemma. How the story should best come out can only be decided on a case by case basis. Stories and moods are too complex to pick a side and think it wise to project it on to all stories. Just a thought. Both of my teams lost foolishly today, so I may be a bit maudlin.
mysteryshrink.com
I've come to the conclusion (through trial and error) that third person gives me room to roam around and flesh out the story but there are stories that work better (for me, anyway) with first person. First person POV gives the story an up-close urgency that connects the reader and the protagonist. I used first person in Double Exposure and in While They Last and I felt it worked but I was a little less certain about Every Breath You Take. I do agree that the decision has to be made in each case by considering the 'feel' of the story and how you want to project it.
Barbara wrote: "On POV.Just a thought, for me, POV is like every human dilemma. How the story should best come out can only be decided on a case by case basis. Stories and moods are too complex to pick a side and..."
I agree with you - the story or its characters are instrumental in making the POV selection. And some stories are mixed, as J.J. points out above and which is illustrated by Diane Gabaldon's "Outlander" series. In Gabaldon's books, her main character Claire is always in first-person past-tense, and several other characters who for certain chapters get time on the POV floor, so to speak, are always in third-person past-tense.
I, too, like first person especially if I'm going to use flashbacks. It makes it easier, and I think more effective, to use first person in that case. Now, here's a question for all of you: What do you think makes a winning opening scene...to get readers to keep reading!
Add to that...I like present tense for some aspects of the story with past tense for flashbacks. All of you are experienced writers and "readers" and can pull off whatever method you use to great effect. Do what feels right to you.
My current novel uses both, as the main character is killed at the beginning of the first book. Prior to her death, I use third person, past tense. After she comes back, I use first person, current tense. It makes things tricky sometimes, especially when you cannot write what is happening that is out of your view (ie. how would you know if you are not there?) But as the character has several new "gifts," she can feel a person's emotions, intentions and more.In general, however, when I am writing fiction, I prefer third person past tense.
Sally wrote: "I think it depends entirely on the story itself. I can't count the number of times I've read interviews and such with authors who struggled with a POV on a particular book, then out of sheer desper..."I agree Sally. It depends on the story. I mostly write in 3rd person, but one of my stories The Art of Secrets was written in the 1st person. It is set in modern times with two protagonists young Emma and aging Charlotte. Each chapter is from the POV of one person about the other person. I could only make it work in the 1st person. I tried it in the 3rd person and it was too confusing. It was absolutely necessary to be inside the head of the character in that scene or chapter. Charlotte in particular. She was stroppy and wouldn't let me alone. A flash-back to the past was written in the 3rd person.
Cynthia wrote: "Authors, which POV do you prefer writing in? I'm finishing up my Demon Hunter series which is predominantly 1st person. At the same time I started a new series that is in 3rd.Although both have th..."
Though I have enjoyed many first person novels, I still like third person best. Maybe I'm not looking at it correctly, but I find it hard to write when one character garners most of the attention. It makes me feel like I'm getting the news from someone else's eyes, when I want to form my own opinion.
Evelyn Timidaiski
William wrote: "the series that I'm doing now is a Urban Fantasy police procedural. For that I think first person works best... The other series I want to start will be strait space opera, and I'll do that third ..."Evelyn wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Authors, which POV do you prefer writing in? I'm finishing up my Demon Hunter series which is predominantly 1st person. At the same time I started a new series that is in 3rd.
Altho..."
@ William, I agree with you.
Isn't it great? In the POV world, we not only have chocolate and vanilla, but also coffee, black raspberry, caramel, butterscotch, mint, rocky road, fudge ripple, strawberry, peach,.....
It is! I've tried most of them, and I find that each story and each target reader has a perfect POV. I generally prefer to write and read in Third Person, Past, but First Person can work better in some genres and stories... except it can also be the equivalent of a hand-held camera in a student film. Jittery. Anxiety-provoking, etc. If that's what the story needs the reader to feel, it works, otherwise it kind of reveals the author's hand a bit too much for me.
I like to vary the POV actually. My first novel was done in first person past...mostly. It builds to a present moment and then the remained of the book is first person present. My second upcoming release is done in third person present. I like changing it up as much as possible. The third I am working on is also third person present, but MOSTLY fixating on one character with little offshoots to others. When I get around to the official sequel of the first book, I'll use first person there again. It will serve to tie my initial novel and its official sequel. Wouldn't it be amazing if someone could truly figure out a way to do a book in second person,lol??
I usually write in third person, but I have one going now that is broken into sections. The woman is undergoing hypnosis as a help to lose weight and when she is in the trance, she experiences certain very real memories that make her believe she has lived a past life. So, I have elected to use first person for those times when she is under hypnosis. I have struggled with it and even now I find a slip-up every once in a while and can only hope that my editor will help me keep it straight. I live in fear of putting out a badly written book......ARRGGHH!
Although both have their strength, I think I prefer writing in 3rd. It opens up the world more for me to play in!
How about you guys?