I originally was going to have my novel in 1st person. When I actually began to write it BAM 3rd person. But lately I've been trying to find quality Teen Fiction out there and there is none! It's all in first person. So my first question is: do you know some quality teen fic. in 3rd person?
Then I made the mistake of looking at a Sarah Dessen novel. Personally she's my favorite writer - her plotlines are different - as different as teen fiction can be. And I really enjoy her writing, people who've read her will understand what I mean by making the mistake. See, she's a 1st POVer and I was reading one of her books "Dreamland" and I started thinking... maybe my story should be in 1st Person too. The problem is that I'm about 75 pages & 40,000+ words into it already.
What do you think, should I change it or keep it the way it is?
Also an important factor of this question is when I write and then stop in the middle to go back and do extreme editing (like page by page marking stuff up on a print out) I never look back so my story doesn't get finished. But if I only change the she's to I, etc. I might be okay...
Anyway, tell me what you think please
-Roo
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50,113 / 50,000
Jan 22, 2008 - 07 14
I think you have answered at least part of your question. DON'T go back and start again.
If you decide that it needs to be in first person, do that from where you are until you have completed the first draft. Then you can edit the first part into first person.
I have always found that the story itself dictates what POV you need. 1st person is intimate but can be very limiting. I have read some very average-to-dreadful 1st person POV books that had so many "I's" in them that I had to throw the books out. You need to be good at your job as a writer to create good 1st person.
I find if you keep your 3rd person POV strictly limited to the POV character limited, you can get most of the benefits of first person intimacy and immediacy.
As to the point of good quality teen fiction in 3rd person. The Harry Potter Books are in 3rd person, so are the Philip Pullman "His Dark Materials" series. They have just made the Golden Compass movie from the first book. If we are going classics, Susan Coopers "Dark is rising" series is too. As is Robin Jarvis' Deptford series.
There are plenty of them out there.
Regards
Jeff
50,245 / 50,000
Jan 24, 2008 - 16 03
I've seen lots of YA fantasy in 3rd person, but it's much harder to find YA contemporary, and even YA urban fantasy, that's not in 1st person. People who read contemporary and urban fantasy books are looking for a feeling of intimacy with the character, and a narrative that gives a sense of immediacy -- or, at least, that's what the publishers think. It's true that when I look for a new YA contemporary book to read, I'm generally in the mood to get really involved in a well-drawn main character.
The only contemporary YA book I've read recently that was written in 3rd person was John Green's An Abundance of Katherines. Really funny book, but the 3rd person took some getting used to. It was certainly the right POV for the book, though.
And that's the key -- finding the right POV for your book. There's no reason to default to 1st person just because that's what a lot of books are written in. I think you'll benefit from finishing the novel in 3rd person, putting it away for a while, and then coming back to it with a fresh head. Read it out loud to yourself or to a friend, and get a feeling for how the voice works. If you're not sure if you're liking the 3rd person POV at that point, then try rewriting a chapter or two in 1st person POV and see if you like it better.
1,230 / 50,000
Mei 3, 2008 - 21 33
Philip Reeve's "The Hungry City Chronicles" is a really good steampunk 3rd person novel. He has two main characters, who are both very deep and troubled and he is able ot switch from perspective to perspective quite easily, which helps enhance the emotional depth of the characters. A series well work checking out. The first book is "Mortal Engines" and it's my personal favorite out of the quartet. Good luck with your novel!