First/Third-person Point of View?

[jcsk88]

Hello all!

I've been mulling over this question for quite some time now, and I'd like to put it out here for discussion. This is it:

How do you like your story to be told? From the first-person perspective of your protagonist, or from a narrator's third-person standpoint?

I use the first-person POV in Chronomancer, and I find that it allows me to keep my plot streamlined because whatever happens is told through the eyes of one person only. My main character, William Ashcroft, knows only about things that he experiences, nothing more. The reader has access to his thoughts and feelings, but I can keep everything else in the plot under wraps, because William gets involved in an event at the exact same time the reader gets to know about it. It makes the story more spontaneous and personal, I think, but I realise the limitations to this style of storytelling.

In my opinion, the main drawback of writing from the first-person POV is that things make more sense only in retrospect. If something happens to William and he does not understand it at the time of occurence, I'll need to create a scenario later on to have it explained to him, thereby evoking the feeling of "telling" and not "showing". The third-person POV sidesteps this by enabling the writer to show the reader something happening in the background that is outside the protagonist's awareness. Yeah... that's all I can think of for now.

I really hope I'm making sense here. Anyway, do write back to let me know what you think!

[sXe_Jinxeh]

I personally love first person, but I think that it takes a good character to make first person work. There are a lot of terrible first person stories, mostly because the main character who is telling the story is whiny, irritating and overdone (read: Twilight, a book that would have faired better in third person because you wouldn't have had to suffer through half as many whiny interior monologues)

I think that first person works really good in almost any situation, though I'm really thankful I didn't write Sparky in first person because Vinaya would have wound up shot. The only time I don't think first person works (content, not character wise) is when you have a secondary character who has a much more important storyline than the main, like in my story Sparky which very often cuts to what's happened to Erik.

But, for most of my cases, first person works extremely well. I almost always write outscenes too, which help, scenes that happen that Ashlyn aren't there to witness (in TYFU) and it proves a lot about the character (that nobody else gives a shit what's going on with her . . .)

[Iridescence]

I, too, love first-person. It feels more life-like than third-person, though I can write and read either one. My current novel is in first-person. Since I am planning on making a series, I am thinking of switching POVs for each book. Then again, I don't know how well that will work. Anyway, first-person is good because I can keep parts of the plot hidden, thus surprising and intriguing the reader. While third-person-limited also does this, I prefer first-person because it is often simpler than third. Basically the whole novel is either thoughts, actions, or descriptions. Probably the hardest thing about first-person, for me, is putting enough personality into my character without making them too whiny (Bella), monologue-y (Bella), or sanctimonius (BELLA). That kind of character is so plastic it's not even funny.

[Avery_Rayne]

There is a limited third person narrative, in which you follow one character throughout the entire story without the hassle of switching POV's. Sadly, I don't tend to shoot for third person. I find I can better build a character in first, where you relate to the audience (not directly, of course, because it would be considered second person). I feel more in tune with first person than third or second or limited third.

Of course, unlimited third person is good for testing one's writing ability. It's more challenging and therefore more work to keep a separate mentality for each character.

[ScottyMcGee]

Sometimes I use both. For story reasons or literary reasons.

Like my story, The Lost Legacy, it's both first and third person. This teenager who's caught by the police tells his story about his adventures in another world. So every time the scene changes to when he returns to Earth, it goes to first person. However, every time the actual adventure is going on in the other world, it shifts to third person. I did this because A) there are also outside forces that need narration, B) he's telling this as a story, so naturally not all the details would be able to fit in a single conversation and C) it shows how consistent his thoughts are in the first person narratives with his actions being seen objectively in the third person narratives.

[Starry]

I have a particular fondness for limited third person, myself. Especially the way I do it, which is basically over-the-shoulder narration (there's an official term for it that I can't remember now). There's essentially a thin screen between the narrator and the character, so you're still in their head but you've got enough objectivity to realize a character's flaws, notice settings the character wouldn't, describe the character's appearance without doing that really annoying looking-at-myself-in-a-reflective-surface thing, etc.

I tend to have some issues with first person, mostly because it's really easy to lose speech patterns and deeper characterizations in the process of narration, which makes the story a lot less realistic. If it's done right, first person can be great, but I've seen it done wrong too many times. Plus, in third person limited, you can do different scenes from different characters' points of view without it being unnecessarily confusing like it is in first person.

[Fiction]

I was always a third-personer but as I switched to more advanced lit I chose first.

[miss_smiley]

Hmmm... See, I write in both, although the third-person story (Death's Mistress) has had a much better reception than one of my first-person stories (Bad Hair Day). I find it's better to resort to third-person if it's a more lyrical or fantastical story, with a serious edge - a lot of my characters make little snippy comments to themselves, so my first-person stories often end up as comedies (or wannabe comedies, anyway....).
I really think it depends on your character - some characters are really interesting, but the moment they start to talk, it's kind of boring, and that puts a real damper on the story. Whereas others have the personality that really puts life into the story, no matter how dull the plotline is.
I'd emphasize the weaknesses and strengths of each style, but everyone here has pretty much outlined what I would say anyhow...>.>

[Alex]

I play into my strengths by using Third Person and that is when my best writing comes out. I never have and never will write in first person because it forces dialogue and uneven character development. I'm usually not a fan of stories where only one character is developed, because the more developing that gets done the more obvious certain flaws are in the characters composition.

My strong point is description, and third person is a much tidier vessel for providing the reader with vivid images and the incorporation of more literary devices. Also, maybe I'm just tooting my own horn, but I think I get more than enough good characterization of characters from indirect descriptions anyways.

I never quite undestood people who use first person =p, but what do I know, I'm mostly a poet anyways (and thats saying a lot considering I barely ever write *grumbles*)

[Majyk]

(You should make a poll for this thread.)

Ever since I started writing I've used third. Sometimes I'll play around wth first, but I never like the way it feels to write in it for too long (for most of the reasons stated above me. I won't repeat them). I don't think any of my stories would work in first, either, because I like to write about more than one main character.

[Bowie20049]

I cheat whenever I use first. I switch off to a different POV hehe.

[jcsk88]

I can't create a poll for this! I wanted to, as Majyk suggested, but the site says I don't have the privileges to do so. Does anyone know why this is so?

[lango]

Well... my stories in first person are never really much good. I never manage to make it sound serious, it always looks like a sad comedy attempt. I'm currently (pretending to be) writing Pirilimpim where I actually use both POVs. I use first person POV for a secondary character, and third person for my main character. Not sure if I'll be using third person limited or omniscient, it'll depend on how things go.

What do you mean exactly by "cheating", Bowie?

[Iridescence]

Has anyone read the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud? He successfully manages to combine third- and first-person views into his books: First-person narrated by Bartimaeus, the charming yet mischievious djinni, and third-person limited, featuring the bratty Nathaniel. I've only read the first book, though, but it was good--the combination of first and third wasn't annoying, but intriguing. I would use a style like this in my later writing career.

[Bowie20049]

What do you mean exactly by "cheating", Bowie?

They say that 1st person is difficult because it's hard to focus on a specific POV, but I switch POVs

[miss_smiley]

Oh my goodness! I loved that trilogy!!!! ^_* Yay! Bartimaeus!
I originally read it just to prove that my friend had no taste in books...and got addicted instead....

[Majyk]

I can't create a poll for this! I wanted to, as Majyk suggested, but the site says I don't have the privileges to do so. Does anyone know why this is so?

Er... I don't know, actually. I've never created a poll.

Has anyone read the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud? He successfully manages to combine third- and first-person views into his books: First-person narrated by Bartimaeus, the charming yet mischievious djinni, and third-person limited, featuring the bratty Nathaniel. I've only read the first book, though, but it was good--the combination of first and third wasn't annoying, but intriguing. I would use a style like this in my later writing career.

I read that (all three). It was a while ago, so I was young, but I really liked it. I liked how it used both first and third person.

[Eilidh]

I love how as soon as one person has a go at twilight the whole thread turns anti-twilight.
Anyway, I love either. Although I do prefer first person to an extent. As long as they are concentrating on the story.

[Iridescence]

I love how as soon as one person has a go at twilight the whole thread turns anti-twilight.
Anyway, I love either. Although I do prefer first person to an extent. As long as they are concentrating on the story.

*Grabs flaming torch* Eh? Twilight? Lemme at 'em, lemme at 'em!