First person or third person? http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701 awritersloveletter I'm writing something for fun. My main problem, however, is either writing in 3rd person or in 1st person. It's about two people who end up meeting one another...so...I'm stumped. I want to be creative with it. I always write in 1st person. Something about going through someone's point of view always seems so real to me...but I'm not sure if I could do that with two people. Would that be too confusing? Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:16:51 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_771336 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_771336 Anfaenger I did the same in an earlier NaNovel (this one is in second person), and IMHO it works. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:38:44 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_777955 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_777955 Michael S. Repton It works fine. Heck, my current non-Nano project, Return to Hinamizawa, has *eight* first-person narrators :D Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:08:38 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_782751 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_782751 writer-in-the-dark It depends. Sometimes, I'll start writing something in 3rd person and then part way through, the idea takes over and it gradually switches to 1st person. x3 My Nano novel is completely written in 1st person so far except for a couple spots. ^^ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:56:10 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787166 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787166 sarah_k I found that happening to my novel this year. I swear I started in third person, but today I noticed it was first. Not exactly sure when it happened. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:14:53 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787426 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787426 Mandy Noble Third person omnipresent. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:20:36 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787495 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787495 downwithopc First! Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:35:48 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787690 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787690 throughasplendour If you make it clear when you're switching perspectives (I've seen books with the POV character's name as the chapter title, for example) there's no reason not to do it in first. I prefer reading third person, but it's totally subjective. Certainly I wouldn't be put off by first person prose. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:50:22 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787890 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_787890 brownguy20 I think so long as you keep it clear to the reader and have a good reason for switching it's no problem. When I read first person though i tend to think like the character I'm reading after I put the book down. Or I start narrating my life to myself. It's a little frustrating, haha Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:41:12 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_794425 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_794425 Matuami I don't think that multiple first-person narrators would be a problem; I've seen it done before, once with four different characters. The author just headed each chapter with the name of the POV character for that chapter. Confusion solved. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:49:18 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_795980 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_795980 metteius I find it easier for me to write in first person, not really sure why :) Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:11:22 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_799647 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_799647 awritersloveletter Yeah, I find that I do first person much easier. However, can one do multiple POV's in a short story...no chapters involved at all? If I wrote in 1st person then wrote in 3rd person to kind of narrate what's going on with the other people then switch it to their POV (I hope you are catching on what i am saying) would that be ok? Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:25:17 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_799834 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_799834 Lauren E. Mitchell I'm doing first person this year because I wanted to get into the heads of my three main characters. Then their housemate butted in and wanted to be included and so there are sections from her POV as well, which serves as a nice external view on the relationship between the main three. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:04:49 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_800363 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_800363 minty88 Actually, I find first person to feel a little too claustrophobic for some reason. I don't really like writing in it because I get self-conscious when I do. I'm not sure why. I'm trying something new this year and writing in third person, but still through the lens of only one character. I guess that kind of defeats the purpose of third person, but I wanted to try it. Turns out, it's really difficult! I keep finding the perspective of just one character to be limiting, and only about 15,000 words in did I start to really enjoy doing it. It's fun to play with perspective, because I switch perspective each chapter, so you're only getting pieces of the puzzle at a time. Not sure if I'd do it this way again, though, because I find that certain perspectives severely limit my writing style. Is it that way with first person, too? Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:29:03 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_804856 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_804856 lcplsnd My MC is female, so this one is third person. I recently noticed that unless a story is actually based on me (short stories usually on what-ifs, etc), I write female third person and males either way. I think it started because I was afraid I was writing Mary Sues. I've always felt my male characters are stronger... Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:37:36 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_804943 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_804943 kanoinazuma18 Third Person limited all the way. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:22:11 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_807368 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_807368 mackenziebradley I have four main characters and they each get their own first person chapters. The prologue/epilogue are/will be in third person. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:47:27 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_808457 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_808457 JECanf I almost exclusively write in first person, but I've found third person actually works better for me. I switch back and forth between perspectives in different chapters. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:25:46 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_813387 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_813387 nickybr38 I'd like to write in first person one day. I just don't have the knack for it. I've been told it's the easiest method for new writers but to me it's really, really difficult. Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:56:46 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_823196 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_823196 bravrayj first person. my writing turns textbook dry in third person. Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:42:37 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_827439 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_827439 o0hawaiigirl0o Third person is my comfort zone, so I'm writing in first this year. It's getting a little easier finally, but I still prefer third person omnipresent. I only have one MC this year, so I don't have to worry about switching perspectives. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 06:15:56 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_832068 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=1#forum_thread_comment_832068 nyroeon It's easier for me to write in third person, but I find first so much more interesting. The reader only knows what the story is like through the eyes of one person, much like real life. Have you ever attempted to write in second person? It would be kind of like a weird RPG, you think. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:27:20 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_837770 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_837770 Mei_Mia I generally always write in third person, simply because I like the character relationships between a variety of characters, and whenever I have written in third person, well... it's just the own character's relation to everyone else... This said, I did write one novella type thing, Skye, and it's in first person all the way through until the last chapter, which suddenly starts in the third person and stays there. Mainly because the one doing the first person narrative, her last line from the first person section is "That is how I died." - then it's in third. but yeh, generally i prefer third. It's easier to switch to other places for even the briefest of moments, and to give everyone's thoughts, not somebody's assumption on everyone's thoughts. but that's just me. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:39:46 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_839905 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_839905 Frozen Sky I am so much better at writing first person, but it won't work for this year's novel. So I hate how it's written but I'll just have to stick it through. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:20:22 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_848886 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_848886 ChoKiba I usually write (and am pretty good with) third person. For some reason though, this year I went to first person. Even the story that was going to be third person has turned into two different first person points of view. So yeah I'm actually enjoying it all with the first person though. I'm surprised by that, but I can't really complain about it either. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:37:19 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_870977 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_870977 Tooterfish First person is too limiting. Third person omniscient is too broad. Third person limited is juuuuuuust right! Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:15:03 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_874624 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_874624 Tooterfish Or a choose-your-own-ending book. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:15:24 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_874626 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_874626 ahiaasen Some of my favorite fantasy romance novels use first person between the male and female and they twitch off every chapter or so. One's a Young Adult, Perfect Chemistry, and I couldn't see it any other way because you really get to see inside the lives of both teenagers. I chose first because there's a lot of internal things going on with my main character that I really wanted to be able to dig into. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:39:12 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_884064 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_884064 Tyjet My story bounces back and forth from 1st to 3rd person narratives. The 1st person narrative is my MC, and in any of the stories (my novel has an episodic structure, meaning that it was bunch of small stories smushed together) I would use 3rd person narratives to follow any of the other characters. I've found that for me, 1st person is easier to write. I think my MC's personality is some of the best parts of my novel. He occasionally chimes in with after thoughts in parentheses while telling his story (kind of like this). I think the best series of books that switches back and forth between 1st and 3rd perspectives is the Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale. I highly recommend reading it if you want to get an idea of alternating perspectives. Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:28:37 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_917609 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_917609 Angryman I've written a story from the P.o.V of both MCs, so it's not that bad. The only thing is that, since P.o.V changed so frequently, I couldn't write in chapters. But every time P.o.V changed, I started the next line with a different font (right after a page break). Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:42:45 +1030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_961634 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/age-group-20s/threads/39701?page=2#forum_thread_comment_961634