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So, I was just working on my fantasy novel and I started writing in 1st person, even though, up until now, I’ve been writing it in 3rd person. I was surprised at first, and then I thought, “Wow, I actually really like how it sounds in 1st person.” So now I don’t know if I should keep writing it in 1st person or not. Maybe I should start another draft in 1st while keeping the 3rd? Please advise!
I’ve only ever written in 3rd person, but this November I may try my hand at 1st person. If you like how it sounds. I’d say go for it and finish your book in 1st person.
Thanks! One problem is all my other stories are in 1st person, and I wanted to change it up a little bit. But I guess if it’s meant to be…
The good thing about 1st person is that you get to know your MC really well and see everything through their eyes. But if you have a large cast and want to switch views occasionally, that might not be the best thing.
I like 3rd person better for most things, but 1st is more to-the-point.
What aspects do you have to this book? Is it more one character centric? Or a larger cast?Okay, I thought your previous work was in 3rd person, my bad. 😉 Rosey is right, you can tell from multiple viewpoints better with third person. You can more than one viewpoint with first person as well, though I have never actually read a book like that (multiple viewpoint characters in first person, I mean) .
1st person is very different than third person really. It depends on the feel you want. In 1st person, the reader needs to /always/ be connected emotionally with the MC, and should /never/ have the same sort of connection to other characters as he/she would in third person.
What’s the point of the story? Is it about how all these people work and think differently? Is it about how their differences make them strong? Then it’s 3rd person. Like Harry Potter, or LotR, where the story /follows/ one main character, but really is about /all/ the characters.
Or is it about one characters journey, and how others influence him/her on the way? Is it about showing our own complex emotional scope? More like To Kill a Mockingbird, or A Christmas Carol. (Which, incidentally, I don’t know if it’s in first or third. I feel like it /should/ be in first. But like everything writing, there’s no hard and fast, “Do this all the time” rule.)
Personally I prefer both reading and writing 3rd person. I like to develop all the characters on an intimate level, and you can’t get that level of character development with 1st person.
You can get good development with 1st person, it’s just you need a LOT more material to do it. You can’t show a simple scene through each character’s POV. Instead you have to add lots more scenes that in some way develop them outwardly, because the reader is not allowed inside their head and so doesn’t know them as well.
So 3rd person is definitely my favorite.
But then, I write stories with tons and tons of complicated characters, and to follow one particular person among them all would be to ignore so much more potential for complexity and drama. 😛
Wow, guys, thanks so much for all the help!
@Rosey and @Ezra: my story is definitely more one-character centric, as I’m following my MC on a journey alone, but yet meeting a lot of different people.
@Kate: I personally don’t mind reading either 1st or 3rd, but I feel more comfortable writing in 1st person. Maybe it’s just the kind of stories I want to write? Thanks for the different perspective!
Ok, I have a crazy idea I want to throw out there. How do you guys think it would work if my MC spoke in 1st person, but every once in a while, I switch to 3rd? (I don’t think I’m crazy. I may have a concussion, quite possible considering I’m playing sports right now, but I’m serious about this idea.) What do you guys think?
Interesting idea… though to some people it might be seen as almost cheating. Because in giving yourself a certain set POV, you’re setting yourself rules to work with. There’s a certain satisfaction to making a scene work in a POV that it’s hard it work in.
Not sure if your average reader would have issues reading that sort of thing, but I have a hunch that would make the authors out there flinch.There’s always the multiple 1st person, if you want to switch off characters. Would that work better for the “once in a while” in question?
I’ve done that in a trilogy I’m writing…the MC’s view is in first person, present tense, and occasionally I write chapters from other character’s views in third person, past tense. It actually flows together even better than I’d hoped and I really like it for the style of book I’m writing. I’ve seen it in published books too (the switching of first to third person, not the switching of tenses; I’ve not seen that yet.)
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
Ezra, you’ve got some interesting points, there.
I used to only write in first person until a couple months ago. Now I tend to prefer third for short stories (I’m not sure why, it just always seems to happen that way) and first for novels. However, my WIP has changed a lot since I wrote the first draft years ago with my two MCs and their POVs (both in first person), and in the rewrite I’ve actually tried adding in my villain’s POV…also first person. And the shocker was, it worked. Really well, I think. But now I’m not sure how to show the change of POV other than with the obvious clues in the first sentence of the new scene, for example. Any ideas? And what would you think of a story told like that?
Hope you don’t mind me sort of adding my own question to the discussion 🙂
Like Kate, I prefer reading and writing in 3rd person. For me, I feel more connected to the character when reading in 3rd person (though that really doesn’t make much sense…). I love the “big picture” sensation that 3rd person brings. 1st person, to me, feels slightly jumpy and unnatural, but that is purely my personal opinion. 🙂
That said, I have really enjoyed @Hope’s 1st person stories. She has a way of writing in 1st person that makes it feel like 3rd person.
Soo…what I’m trying to say here is that 1st or 3rd person preferences are just that…preferences. Do what you want to do. It’s your book. Good luck!
Once again, thank you all for all the helpful replies!
@Rosey: I suppose switching the characters once in a while would work. There’s just one problem with that. She’s alone a lot of the time in the book. There isn’t one constant character with her. She has friends with her in the beginning and end, but in the middle it’s mostly just her. It’s definitely a good idea, I just don’t know how well it would work with my story.
@Hope: I like that. I’m not sure if I’m deft enough for that, but I would certainly like to try it!@Amanda: That sounds like a really interesting idea. I’m sorry, I don’t believe I can help you with that right now, but if something comes to me, I’ll be sure to let you know!
@Ivy: I totally get where you’re coming from. Thanks for the help, the advice, and the luck! (I’m going to need it!)
Alright, I think what I’m going to do is start writing a new draft in 1st person while keeping my 3rd person, and see how it goes. If anyone has any new advice or something of the sort, please let me know. This young writer can use all the help she can get!
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