So story on 1st or 3rd person?

Hilbert · **Joined:** Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:07 am **Posts:** 2088

So guys, before I start writing again I have to ask you something about my novel...
I don't know if I must put the characters tell the story(which is what I love most) or just write it in third person?
Would you prefer a book written in first or third person? :roll:

Amarthadan · **Posted:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:00 pm

I think that depends on whether you'd want the story to sound more epic, or more emotional. For me that's the big difference. 3d person makes the story seemingly important enough for someone not involved to be talking about it. 1st person on the other hand gives you that emotional connection with the characters.

So I think what it comes down too is determining what the story is about and what you want it to read like, not to what we like to read.

Good writers make readers love their work despite personal preferences of the reader, not because they adapt to readers.

(All IMO mind you.

)

Hilbert · **Joined:** Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:07 am **Posts:** 2088

Uh I see , then I should write it at 1st person as I wanted

Battalia · **Joined:** Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:14 am **Posts:** 190

As a fellow writer, I hope I can add a little to the thread. Ultimatly, the above post is correct, you get a more personal touch with ONE charecter in first person. In third person, you are more connected with everyone, and as such, you can avoid the small unimportant details such as picking up a pen for a later scene.

First person can be immersive and done well, but it is often jarring to read for the first chapters as usually everything else is done 3rd these days, so ease into it, and avoid jargon that the reader may not know yet.

Another useful technique for first person is to alternate POV's every few chapters. However, this can also be annoying. In one book I read that did this I ended up skipping the other POV simply because I wasnt interested in that charecter. So take it with a grain of salt.

A benefit of third person is it allows you to stream action sequences easier. For example, if helms deep was first person aragon, you would have to have him watching legolas during his airtime which is less dramatic than how 3rd person would address it. (also most movies are done in a 3rd person method as well, so if your hoping for a movie adaptation...)

There is nothing wrong with doing a 3rd person stance but focusing on 1 charecter like first person, only describing the ones feelings and what is happening around them.

There is also nothing wrong with doing it solely from one or more charecters POV.

The biggest factor is your own competancy. If you feel you write smoother from a first person or vice versa, do it. If push comes to shove, you can always adapt into another POV later, as long as you write the darn thing!

I hope some of this info helped even a small bit. I love reading other peoples work, so if you want to bounce anything off someone, I'd gladly do some reading for you

Oh, that reminds me, make sure you have someone willing to read your work regularly. You know how most books have that "special thanks" spot? Thats it right there. When you get someone involved, they reverse hype you into thinking deeper and get you excited about your own book. Watching them react is especially motivating. But if all they say is "sounds good." then you need to find a new reader. Find someone that gets as excited as you are writing the novel

WayUnderTheMountain · **Posted:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:36 pm

Personally I prefer 3rd person just so you always have the option to skip the point of view between characters and villains. However, a really interesting technique I have seen is to write 2-3 chapters in third person and then write a "half-chapter" of the character's reflections on what happened in those chapters. As Battalia said though, the biggest factor is competancy so focus on how you write best and not on how others write best. I also agree with Battalia that you really shouldn't worry about the POV until you finish writing because its not too difficult to change it over after completion.

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:21 pm

Some stories do well introducing the story in 1st person (one or two chapters for example), then "pulling back" to third person to tell the larger story, perhaps still focusing on the initial character. You can wrap it up with the final chapter(s) in 1st again.

A complaint I generally have with most 1st person stories I've read (though it's been a long time since I recall reading one) is that the authors usually come across at some point or another where they have extra information they really want to get across to us but in reality the PoV character doesn't yet know. So we are often given a situation where there is some unbelievable coincidence or obviously "forced" conversation that allows the author to pass on the info to us.

I think there are some good examples of 3rd person stories that focus very closely on a single character, only diverging for short periods to keep the scope of the story expanded or move things along appropriately. By using 3rd person but keeping tied to a single character like that it can often attain much of the same personalization as a 1st person. Dan Brown is probably the most commercially successful author I can think of that does this well I think.

Hilbert · **Joined:** Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:07 am **Posts:** 2088

Thanks all of you very much but I decided to go for first person and as I said before my book would be like a book created from the heroes(at least the survivors) ofthe story... :-D

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:07 am

I know you have already decided, but I have decided that, as a fellow writer, I would give you my piece of bread.

Ist persons can be good as you can focus greatly upon one (or a small number of) protagonist(s) in detail. Usually this is just one person, but in Darren Shan's the Demonata series, the three major protagonists; Grubbs, Kernel and Bec (with Grubbs getting 6 of the books, and the other two getting two each). Also, one problem with this is that usually certain important information is already revealed to the reader early on, if it is retrospective you would generally rveal that the character(s) narrating is/are alive at the end. However, you don't have to, [spoiler alert] in Darren Shan's other major series, the Saga, Darren the Half-vampire narrates the entire serioes even though he died at the end of the last book (twice).

My series' however will always be 3rd person because, I can greatly expand upon more than just one or twio charactyers, and the reader gets a more accurate and reliable picture of characters who are not major protagonists as well. Also, as narrator, I can keep certain information secret if i wished so as to unviel it at the proper time. J K Rowling's Harry Potter, Chris Paolini's Inheritance Cycle and our very own Mr Tolkien are prime examples of this.

In the end however, only you can decide the fate of your world. Use your poweer wisely, for with great power comes great responsiblity (reference: can't remember)

Hilbert · **Joined:** Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:07 am **Posts:** 2088

Well thanks, nice to hear all those opinions :yay:

Battalia · **Joined:** Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:14 am **Posts:** 190

Quote:

for with great power comes great responsiblity (reference: can't remember)

Isnt that spider man?

WayUnderTheMountain · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:52 pm

Actually it comes from Voltaire and was later re-used by Marvel in Spiderman.

So story on 1st or 3rd person?

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