What is your writing preference in terms of Person?
I invariably use Third Person. I have a number of reasons. I have seen some good work in First Person, too. In my observation, most beginning writers tend toward First Person.
When writing in First, do you use the pov character as the observer/narrator or as the main character?
I have only seen Second Person succeed in poetry, although I have seen it from time to time in prose.
AW
I guess I fall into the "beginning writer" category here, as almost all my stories are written in first person
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Just to clarify, I said that many beginning writers use First Person, but did not wish to imply that all users of First Person are beginners. Mark Twain, for example, used First Person extensively.
By using Third Person (TP) I believe the pov character(s) can be nuanced more than by using First (FP). The readers will accept various attitudes, moods, beliefs, etc. of the character and accept the character evolving over the course of the story. Even in possibly the greatest FP novel, Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", Huck, as the narrator, remains constant in these aspects while he tells the story relating the acts and words of the other characters. It is apparent that Huck's view of all that happens in the novel is actually the author's (Twain's) view.
If the story is in FP, then the author is saying, "This is me telling you how I view what is going on." If the author portrays oneself as having a dark side, being immature, or other bad trait, then the reader recoils and asks "if you're like this, why am I paying attention to you?" If an author wants to use a main character and/or pov character who has some flaws it goes much easier in TP.
In a story with multiple chapters FP is especially a handicap because each chapter or scene has to be seen through the eyes of the first person narrator. That means that no action can be portrayed first-hand without the presence of that narrator on the scene. In thase cases a FP narrator must rely on a second-hand recounting of off-camera events and that can be very limiting.
TP has some difficulties. It is harder to impart true, believable human feelings and emotions to a third person. I feel that is why some writers opt for FP. It also requires some discipline to avoid 'Headhopping Syndrome'.
My views on this are limited strictly to prose. If poetry, and other forms of the writing arts were in the discussion, then I believe my views might be more ambivalent on the subject.
Of course, if writing was easy, then everyone would be doing it and then where would we be?
AW
I prefer writing in a third person point of view because for me, I could put in a lot of ideas onto each character and I feel not limited as to what actions I shall incorporate. It would also depend to what type of story you’re going to write. Maybe I would try to write a whole new story using the first person point of view and see if I can have a good outcome. Well, trying is always free for grabs. It just will take you a lot of effort to do so.
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Visit writania.com for more info. I tend to write in first person narration the majority of the time. I have a story I'm working on that's in third person narration to get out of my own head, so to speak. The eBook I'm working on is in first person, based on a series of private messages I received form an individual. We'll see how the story is received when I post it.
I can write in either. It's just hard when switching between stories that are first person to those that are third. I remember a few times I wrote I said instead of she said. It's annoying but I eventually got past it. But preference wise... I say both have their benefits and flaws unique to each style used, so I just even out the stories and write some in first and others in third.
I've been experimenting with both and I can't choose one preference. When I was younger, I always wrote in third person, but then I got older and started writing about personal stuff and it seemed more natural to write in first. I have this idea where I'd like to mix both of them at the same time, but I'm not really sure I could pull it off. No harm in trying though, is there?
I have no preference whatsoever. The story dictates.
I can write in both to a good standard. However if you ask again this time about tense then you might get a different answer.
Would Somebody please write a few lines in SP and highlite it's pro's and con's.
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One of my favourite "new" authors, Michael Gruber (Tropic of Night, The Good Son) deftly moves between FP present narrative, FP present journal (bringing in backstory via accounts of earlier events as seen by an "earlier version" of the pov/main character), and TP omniscient; the latter covering pretty much all that was left out, advancing the plot and introducing new characters. He creates remarkably layered story using this combo of devices/voice. And occasionally throws in some poetry, for the likes of me.
Tricky, and for longer works. I can only imagine the post-its, like feathers linked on a yarn wire-frame wing, on his corkboard outlines...
