Do you prefer to read/write in first or third person?

[E.G.]

Nathan wrote: "Character driven, one main focus: First person.
Character driven, large cast: Third limited
Plot driven, one main focus: third limited
Plot driven, large cast: Third Omni
"

Nice breakdown, although I tend to think all good stories are 'character driven' even something like GOT which fits the PD/LC category. If I didn't care about Tyrion, Arya and Daenrys, I wouldn't be interested in the plot developments.

As it happens, I write 3rd Person/Present with Omni. The present tense wasn't conscious, it was how the first book developed. I was worried about it because it was unusual, but when I tried to switch to third person/past, it became really awkward and wouldn't flow. I need the Omni since it's sci-fi and it's pretty hard to world build without it.

Since romantic sci-fi isn't a huge seller to start with, I can't tell if the unusual tense is hindering sales. It doesn't seem to be affecting the reviews.

[Jason]

No offense to you, E.G., but I despise present tense in my reading and writing unless it's very situational. In a vision, for example, or a memory that is very vivid to a character.

When I write, I work in 3rd limited past. I don't have large character casts, but I prefer the extra freedom of 3rd when I write. I don't mind reading 1st past - in fact, I've read several very good novels in that style, such as Burning Bright and Curse of Prometheus: A Tale of Medea.

[Gem]

Jason wrote: "No offense to you, E.G., but I despise present tense in my reading and writing unless it's very situational. In a vision, for example, or a memory that is very vivid to a character.

When I write, ..."

Not everyone likes everything. POV and tense are not strong factors for me in reading. In writing, I go with what works. My first novel is first person, present, so you wouldn't like it either.

[Becky]

I think it depends on what I am writing. I have done books in first person and in third, so I guess it is really story driven for me. When first person is done well I think it is phenomenal.

[Kshitij]

If you've a protagonist and the story revolves around that single person, then first person works well. In horror/mystery, with several characters, I guess its effective to write third person..

[Daniel]

I almost always write in third person limited, though I've done a couple frame stories where it moves between third and first. I'd like to write a full novel in first one day. Just haven't had the right idea yet.

[W.]

I love books written in first person, especially if the narrator has a unique voice. Done well, these books have an immediacy to them. It's as close to mind-reading as it can get--how cool is that?

To caveat this, first person can be a hit or miss affair. If I don't like the voice, then no matter how well written the book is, or how fancy its plot, I won't get pass page 1 or 2...

A book written in third person pov feels cooler in tone to me. It's harder for me to sink into, but I'm also more patient with it.

Someone else mentioned earlier that the new wave of YA is all in first so I guess the pov choice is also genre-dependent?

[Jason]

I might write a book in 1st past sometime, too, if I get the right story. The thing is, I like to switch viewpoints now and again - sometimes for a chapter, sometimes for a brief interlude, sometimes just when a scene shifts to someone else's perspective - and I can't do that in 1st. I need a story which is entirely one person's before I can commit to that.

[Jason]

I don't write it that way because I don't like to read it that way. When different chapters change the "I," it annoys me. I have to readjust to the difference in thoughts, emotions, etc.

I've seen books that have 1st person for the main protagonist and 3rd limited for little jaunts into other heads, which is something I may try sometime, but, when I do read 1st, I want to be primarily (95%+) in the head of one person, or it disturbs my immersion.

I hope that makes sense.

[Yolanda]

Like I said, I prefer third person. I like to be inside more than one head and sometimes(most times for me), first person internal thoughts can become repetitive, too long and boring.

[Ariel]

I love how Ellen Hopkins does third person omniscient. It gives a wide spectrum of difficult situations and the very differing ways that interlocked characters deal with those situations. It's also written in structured prose instead of paragraphs. Overall, it's a very unique set up.

However, I also really enjoyed "Cut" by Patricia McCormick and "Go Ask Alice" by (Anonymous, if you prefer) Beatrice Sparks.

"Cut" is written in 2nd person and the reader is subjected to playing the role of therapist. This is a "love it or hate it" aspect in my opinion, meaning you either love it or hate it. "Go Ask Alice" on the other hand is more of an apostrophe where the main character is always talking to her diary.

Other fun POVs and structures include Harry Potter, the highly descriptive but eerily mysterious Lolita, Remeber Me? by Sophie Kinsella where the main character has amnesia, some of the dialogue only books really appeal to my gossip-loving side, and I'm sure I'm leaving out better ones, but these are what comes to mind.

[Heather]

Christopher wrote: "For my books I prefer Ist person past. I've tried writing in 3rd but I can't get comfortable with the god-like perspective. I don't know why, I read 3rd-person novels perfectly happily. So far thou..."

Thank god. I'm not alone. I prefer to write in 1st person, which is a true talent, but tricky. I've been challenged to write my current novel in 3rd by my agent and editor, just as a change of perspective. It's hard to be an overseer when I'm living in the world of the work. It's really good, but my editor has had her work cut out for her fixing my two-headed changes in POV...ugh! Always up for the challenge:)

[G.G.]

I really think you ought to write it the way your MCs dictate you to do it. We really have no choice when they haunt our heads day and night.

I wrote both my books in first person POV.
I've tried to re-write small parts in third person just to see how it would sound but my stubborn MC disappeared on me and left me with nothing. Writer's block? Not really, just a missing MC. :P
So First person POV (past tense) it stayed.

[Heather]

Agreed!

[Nathan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember hearing somewhere that most books written are in 1st person.

True or false?

[Heather]

I believe that would be mostly third person.

[G.G.]

Maybe lately it is, but I've read a lot more third person POV books than first.

[Lily]

False :)

In my personal library of favorite books *glances over shoulder*, it's everything. 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Personally, I read whatever works best for the story. If the POV doesn't work, then I find it undreadable.

Switching back to being an author, in the past 5 years or so, I've noticed the extremely popular books have been mostly YA and written in the 1st person, so I guess it's only natural others would be inspired to continue with that.

[Renee E]

First person seems to have an advantage when it comes to drawing the reader in to identifying, or at least empathy with the MC.

Probably why so much of the YA genre are written from that POV. That period of one's life is, necessarily, one of being self-conscious.

[H.A.]

I wrote 3 novels in the 3rd person then the next in 1st person. Crikey it was difficult to swap between the two.

[Ed]

For me the problem with 3rd person is that it's not real life. If the main character is living a story he/she doesn't know everything that's going on- that's real life. Most of the time you have no idea what other people's motives are. It keeps the reader mystified until the characters discover whatever. I think it makes the story more compelling and immediate.

3rd person is fine for some stories but not all. I've even tried a mix of 1st & 3rd and got many comments hating it.

[Jason]

Ed wrote: "For me the problem with 3rd person is that it's not real life. If the main character is living a story he/she doesn't know everything that's going on- that's real life. Most of the time you have no..."

'Tis true. For me, good 3rd person doesn't tell me everything, but it makes me (the reader) like the "devil on the shoulder." I'm following along with the character, hearing his/her thoughts, seeing what he/she sees...but there's enough detachment that the reader might hear the footsteps that the character didn't notice, or catch the wince on someone's face that the character dismissed as unimportant.

I don't want to BE the character when I read. I want to be WITH the character.

[Frederick]

James Woods' book How Fiction Works does a great job of describing how close 3rd person can be used to blend 1st and 3rd person--sometimes moving from one to anohter within a single sentence. Done well, it can give 3rd person the immediacy of 1st.