1st Person Problems

[Halle]

Okay, so I've been writing in first person for a long time now, but I feel as if I use 'I' and 'my' to begin a new sentence too much.

There's always been this uncertainty that I begin with these words too much because that's how the writing feels it has to be, that and the direction and my writing style permits that these words can be the only words to start with, and so reading back and seeing all the sentences beginning with 'I' and 'my' gets rather annoying, can anyone give any suggestions on how to dig deeper in the first person narrative to avoid using these words to start a new sentence less often?

I feel it would help if I knew how to show not tell in first person, most examples of show don't tell are in third person, so I'd like some help on this aspect as well.

[Dabs]

Okay, so I've been writing in first person for a long time now, but I feel as if I use 'I' and 'my' to begin a new sentence too much.

There's always been this uncertainty that I begin with these words too much because that's how the writing feels it has to be, that and the direction and my writing style permits that these words can be the only words to start with, and so reading back and seeing all the sentences beginning with 'I' and 'my' gets rather annoying, can anyone give any suggestions on how to dig deeper in the first person narrative to avoid using these words to start a new sentence less often?

I feel it would help if I knew how to show not tell in first person, most examples of show don't tell are in third person, so I'd like some help on this aspect as well.

Showing and not telling are the same in first person as they are in third person. I think people give examples in third person because most people write in the third person. It's the same idea, though. Don't summarize. Experience, don't observe (don't use phrases like "I felt", "I thought", "I saw", etc). Avoid using adverbs and vague adjectives, like "beautiful" or "good".

There are a lot of ways to vary your sentence structure. I don't write in first person that often, but I like to write in close third a lot, so I get into a character's thoughts. I'll occasionally write in fragmented sentences to help with pacing and with a sense of realism, since people sometimes speak and think in fragments. During an action scene you can, instead of just listing the character's actions, describe what they're thinking, what's physically happening inside of them (if they're running, do their legs hurt? etc).

[Iridescence]

First person is probably my favorite POV, and I write in it often, so I get your dilemma. Like Dabs said, try not to use "I felt," "I thought," "I saw," too much. The reader doesn't need constant reminders that it's you doing everything - that's why it's a first person book. If you say "The sunlight sparkled on the water," we know you're seeing the sunlight sparkling on the water, because you can only talk about what you see (one of the pros - and cons - of first person). And you also don't need to start your dialogue with "I said." Start with the dialogue first, then add the tag at the end. "No," I said. Rather than I said, "No." Sometimes you can't help but start sentences with "my". Again, one of the failings of first person.

Also like Dabs said - fragments are good. More often than not you don't need to begin a fragment with either I or my. Obviously don't overdo it - no one wants to read a story full of fragments - but they help a lot, since (like Dabs said) a lot of people think in fragments or even images.

meh. I have other advice but I can't think of it right now.