Romance Writers & Readers discussion
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First person POV or Third Person POV better for writing romance?
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Cece wrote: "Hi everyone, for those of you who haven't met me yet I'm Cece and it's lovely to meet you :)So, my question is, is it better to write in third person with romance or is it okay to write in first p..."
Hi, again, Cece!! (❛‿❛✿̶̥̥)
First off I don't think you should ever feel like you have to do anything when it comes to your writing! You should tell your story the way you want to.
I mostly read romantic suspense and I can't think of any books that I've read that have been written in first person, and I don't write in first person but I'm sure there are plenty out there. I don't think there are any rights and wrongs when it comes to writing, it all comes down to personal preference. It is a good point about third person allowing us to find out how both halves of the couple this and see and feel about things, and if that's something you want to explore in your own writing then that would be great, but only if its the way you want to tell your story, don't do it because you feel like you have to fit some sort of mould.
Excellent points, Princess Jane! I totally agree:)I write in third person because I like that the best. I also prefer to read third person....however, I do see tons of first person romance books out there. Tons! It's very, very common.
Not only have I seen it, it's perfectly fine to do dual POV's in first person as well. Normally the author just starts the chapter or scene with the person's name, indicating whose POV it is. So if you wanna do that, you can:)
If you like first person, I say write it. I'm a believer that a story needs to be told the way it needs to be told. If that means in first person, then get those fingers working. *chuckles*
It's all up to the author, in my opinion. There is no right or wrong.
Jane wrote: "You should tell your story the way you want to...."Jane,
This is the most beautiful advice one writer can give to another. It's my absolute favorite. You've moved me to sniffles here.
Hugs, Sue
P.S. Cece, Forgot to state I always write in the first person no matter if it's paranormal or contemporary romance or straight fiction. I like being able to show all necessary characters that make up the story.
Mod
Then I made the mistake of writing a chapter from my hero's POV in 1st. And haven't stopped since. Cuz my readers asked for more. Cuz I totally bend to their will. Cuz I kinda ended up enjoying it. Cuz now I love writing everything from dude's perspective in 1st. Cuz I dunno what happened...
*sobs uncontrollably*
Just kidding. It's cool. I really started to dig it. Feels more intimate or whatever.
So, yeah, I'm a dual POV-er. Girl in 3rd person. Guy in 1st person. Of course, that might change at any given time cuz I'm totally random hahaha!!
Ummm. Ignore my rambling. Queen Amanda and Princess Jane. I second (and third?) what they said ^_~
Hugs,
Ann
P.S. - Great question, Miss Cece!!
Amanda wrote: "Excellent points, Princess Jane! I totally agree:)"Whew! Glad we're agreeing again! Hahaha! Have some more love . . . ❤(ˆ‿ˆԅ)
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "Jane,This is the most beautiful advice one writer can give to another. It's my absolute favorite. You've moved me to sniffles here. Hugs, Sue"
Aww!! You're so sweet!! Here's some love for you too . . . (っ◔◡◔)っ ❤
Awe, Jane, Thank you!! Love right back at you... though I can't do those cute faces. : )
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "Awe, Jane, Thank you!! Love right back at you... though I can't do those cute faces. : )"Haha, here you go, just visit here to find them . . . http://fsymbols.com/emoticons/
Jane! SO CUTE!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
Sue (Dog Mom) wrote: "Jane! SO CUTE!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!"You're welcome! (✿◠‿◠)
When I first put out my first fiction book that was/is written in first person, I had one person tell me they didn't like it specifically for that reason. The way I see it, everyone has their preferences of what kinds of books they like to read. The advice I give is, write what the story requires.Most, if not all, of my flash fiction is written in third person. But so far, my books have been in first person. My WIP is in first person and alternates between characters.
Write what the story requires.
I think one should write the way they feel it. This POV thing was invented only to torment the writer. There will always be pros and cons and if you bother with them, you'll never be able to finish a book. If the story flows written in the first person, go with it. Trying to change it will ruing the story.
You are never going to please all of the people all of the time.So, like the princess says, write it how you want to. It's your book.
I think I've seen more people speak out against 3rd person narratives online, but there's similarly those who like it.
It's why Amazon has a 'look inside' option. People can take a peek at your style and decide if they like it or not.
I heard one author's just released a romance novel with colour photographs in it.
There are no rules! Just you and your story.
xx
I wrote my debut novel in first person a romance suspense, it was accepted and published by a traditional publisher. This week was my release week. Personally, I see no problem with it! I feel it allows a reader to get real close to the characters and I enjoy it much more.Some of the best selling books were wrote first person, think of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn I'm sure I remember reading that great book in first person and that added to my personal enjoyment... she got a movie deal writing first person! It's not romance but an example to show that first person can work and work well.
Good luck
Oh and one more bit of advice. You will get lots of people saying do this do that but its YOUR STORY!! You are the director and call the shots. Good luck.
Jane wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Excellent points, Princess Jane! I totally agree:)"Whew! Glad we're agreeing again! Hahaha! Have some more love . . . ❤(ˆ‿ˆԅ)"
Hahaha....you make me smile all the time. *smiles* *grabs the love*
I think really the only thing that matters is that it is consistent throughout the book. If POV changes within a book, then it should be clearly marked with some type of section break to indicate the intentional change (which I think is how Annie made this work for her!). If it changes back and forth, just like verb tense, without a clear reason as to why, that's when it starts becoming a valid writing issue.
When I began to write my first book six or seven years ago, a friend's agent agreed to take a look to let me know if I it was any good since I'd never written fiction before (I was a journalist for many years). I was relieved that the agent liked the story, but told me that I should switch to third person since first person "was the mark of an amateur writer." AAK.
Four books later, I still write in third person, but with more and more novels in first person with alternating POVs, I doubt that agent would say the same thing now.
At the RWA Convention here in Australia in August, we had a panel of publishers who specifically mentioned they disliked first person POV, which kind of meant the novel had to be extra better to overcome that. However, indie publishers write in first person POV all the time.
I read an editing book recently where they said "There was never a time when people en masse wrote to the editor complaining that the book was in the wrong POV." (That's not exactly what he said, I'm paraphrasing... ;-) )
Here's my meager understanding:
Romantic suspense and YA/NA are written in first person nearly all the time. Why? Don't know.
Category romance is written in third person dual POV nearly all the time. Why? Don't know.
And while I 100% agree with Princess Jane that you should write the book of your heart, if you are seeking traditional publishing, your novel will be better received if you bow to the current wisdom... welcome to rank commercialism. It sucks.
I write in third person dual POV all the time but that's by choice. It just works for me.
And I would have thought writing in first person was the mark of a better writer - I think it's really hard to sit in someone else's head and think their thoughts... :-)
What you just said the comment above me hit the nail on the head. First person is bloody hard! And if you can do - do it! As you're right, you need to become the character and write them in a way that THEY, the person you have created will respond to conflicts and situations. Not you the writer.From my experience- draw up a detailed character profile of this person, from their voice ( how it sounds) to what their character is like as a person when you write BE that person. If they are not meant to be likeable- don't be scared show it.
Very best of luck!
I love first person, it works well across the two genres I write in RS and thriller. I plan to keep going, and would encourage anyone who wants to do it to just get on with it. :)
Amanda wrote: "Hahaha....you make me smile all the time. *smiles* *grabs the love*"I love this!! And have even more love!! (ɔ◔︣‿◔︣)ɔ ❤
Kim wrote: "First person is bloody hard! "I agree! It seems super hard and I don't think I could do it!
I think what point of view you decide to use is an important decision, and while if you are aiming to get your book traditionally published then yes there may be extra things to take into consideration, but I think the most important consideration is still to make your story the best it can be regardless of how you write it, because in the end a super story is what people are going to take away from your book, not things like what point of view you used.
Mod
I also find certain scenes, characters, whatever sound better in a certain POV.
Since I wrote so little from my hero's perspective, the small parts I did write needed to be super impactful. I really wanted to get into his head and had very few words with which to do it. Therefore, I found 1st person to be the "best" choice in that particular case. Next time might be different. Who knows, eh?
I dunno if that makes any sense at all hahaha!
*hits POST anyway*
Yes it makes sense '' get into their head'' is exactly what first person does - when done well!
Jane wrote: "Kim wrote: "First person is bloody hard! "I agree! It seems super hard and I don't think I could do it!"
You can.... become that person/character see the world through their eyes and remember your tense.
Glynn Flynn ( did I spell that right) did a great job in Gone Girl re read that. I will never forget that book, as she made me feel the main female, who is a total crack pot. But that's exactly how she came across to me on paper LOL job well done
I have one novel in 1st, another in what an editor called first person deep ( which I considered third but...) it was dual, giving thoughts of both hero and heroine, and my historical is in third. So write what works for you. I have seen people rant and rave both on their favorite or hated POV so I think it's a matter of personal taste for both the reader and author. Some stories call for a particular point of view and when authors ignore that I think that is where there is a problem.
First person POV is my specialty so I plan to write most of my books that way including romance. The romance I read are usually subgenres so I'm used to reading first person with romance. I agree that you should write however you want to write; use your strengths. If you focus on writing the way others write it will take away from the book because your heart may not be as into as it would if you were writing your own way. But that's just my two cents :)
Follow your instincts. Go with what works for the story.You can always write in close third rather than third person omniscient. Or even do a combination of third and first if you have multiple characters you want to follow.
I forgot to say...Whichever you choose (your book your way) please just stick to it throughout the book.
I just read a trad pub that flicks bizarrely between 1st/3rd/2ndry pov.
It'd be fune if it was clear one person was thinking/telling the story and there's a clear switch.
But this one didn't. Yuck!
xx
TL Clark (author of love) wrote: "I forgot to say...Whichever you choose (your book your way) please just stick to it throughout the book.
I just read a trad pub that flicks bizarrely between 1st/3rd/2ndry pov.
It'd be fune if i..."
Some people can do this well. And some can't. Mistress Ann does a beautiful job switching from 1st to 3rd and it barely registered with me. I typically don't read books like this, but she has it mastered well. No surprise there. *smiles* *big hug*
I read another book that did this and it didn't work for me. So, I guess it depends on the story line and the way the author writes it.
But if that's your passion, I say try it out! I'm such a firm believer it doesn't hurt to try something:)
Mod
That is all.
Amanda wrote: "Some people can do this well. And some can't. Mistress Ann does a beautiful job switching from 1st to 3rd and it barely registered with me. I typically don't read books like this, but she has it mastered well. No surprise there. *smiles* *big hug*I read another book that did this and it didn't work for me. So, I guess it depends on the story line and the way the author writes it.
But if that's your passion, I say try it out! I'm such a firm believer it doesn't hurt to try something:)"
I agree, I think different people do different things well, so if you can change between different types of point of views and make it work, and its the way you want to write your story, then go for it.
Mod
I've read amazingly well-written dual POVs and meh-written singular POVs that totally didn't work for me. Speaking of which, it's all up to the reader at the end of the day, right? I mean, someone could totally love your decision while others don't. Ah, the subjectivity...
*grins*
I agree with the point that you write the way you want to, not because everyone else is doing it, or it's the thing now. Whatever works for you, do it.Back in the old days, romances were written from the heroine's POV. The goal was to give the reader the experience of seeing and feeling through her eyes. I love that! Now, it's become popular to write from the man's, and readers really like that. I don't. I really don't want to know what he's thinking, I want to feel it. But that's me, and that's how I write. I had a fan that loved my novels but wished I wrote from the male POV. I probably lost her, but I respect that.
I read a couple of romance chapters of a fellow member who's on this thread where she also writes from the male POV, and it was good. I liked it. So, either way works. I just prefer third person, heroine. If it calls for, I will use another character's POV.
I agree with what has been written in this post. Write the way the story tells you it needs to be told. The book I have almost ready to roll out has different POV but each one is very delineated at to whose eyes you are looking through. I'm not sure I really like that way of writing but it is what to tale called for at the time. I also have one in 1st POV which I love as she is telling her story and I couldn't see it being told any other way.I let my characters and the story tell me what is needed. Also, the story is written how I'd like to read it. Yes, I write what works for me in that particular story.
Sorry for being late to this post. My best author pal asked me this question last week. Yes, it's whatever the writer feels comfortable with. I always write in third person, but feel I should try first.I read a Patterson (possibly Private Berlin) where only the antagonist in short chapters was in first and the rest in third. It worked like a charm
Have a go. There is nothing to lose at least until your editor sees it!
Mod
*wry grin*
Hugs,
Ann
P.S. - Mr. Mike is a pretty scrumptious Steakhouse place here XP
A west coast girl? Now, if I could sell a million copies I would gladly have a Mr. Mike here on the east coast. Reminds me to check my bucket list for the next Ernest Hemmingway - Harry's Bar to visit.
Mod
Ooooh. Nice bucket list item!!!
*fist bumps*
So, my question is, is it better to write in third person with romance or is it okay to write in first person? I've read books from both POV's but have noticed that romance fiction is largely third person so that the reader knows both of the central character's thoughts through the omniscient third person point of view.
I ask this because I'm exclusively a first person POV romance writer but was worried that I had to write in third person (which I am not very good at by the way) to fit the criteria of the genre.