favourite voice?

[sirhugs]

When I write, it always seems to be in first person. I am biased towards reading stories in first person as well.

How do you feel ?

Any psych majors care to guess why this is?

 

[Quasimodem]

My favourite voice is that voice which most effectively tells the story.

If that means to display only the view restricted to what is available within a single character's head, use first person.

If the narrator is to explain to another character (who perhaps has amnesia) what s/he has done, use second person.

If you wish to show the actions of several characters, who act outside each other's sight and knowledge, the use of third person is most natural.

Also, third person is the easiest voice in which to introduce dramatic irony and other good stuff.

 

[wildsweetone]

I write in whatever POV my characters tell me to write in.

Dare ya to stick ya psyche major on that one. rofl

 

[Weird Harold]

When I write, it always seems to be in first person. I am biased towards reading stories in first person as well.

How do you feel ?

Any psych majors care to guess why this is?

I voted for Third Person, because that's the easiest to write and allows me to tell more of the story.

I enjoy reading First person, and have written some things in first person.

First Person is a popular, if often abused, POV because it's like telling a story to a friend over a few beers.

The only choice I would NOT choose, is Second Person (or combined First and Second -- the "I" said/"You" said form) because ORDERS are always framed in second person and I spent 21 years taking orders before I retired (so I wouldn't have to take orders anymore. )

 

[deliciously_naughty]

First works occasionally, but mostly third is the voice of choice for me

 

[Whispersecret]

I write most often in third person, limited, not omniscient. I can't seem to master omniscient. First person is good too sometimes. I can get much deeper into the character's psyche if I take on that persona myself. However, as mentioned before, it's limiting. Other characters' minds are off-limits in first person. I will NEVER write in second person. BLECH.

As far as reading, I have no preference, as long as the story is written well.

 

[Guest]

I can't log in right now, but hey.

My personal fave is third person limited, past tense. It lends itself better to story telling rather than confessionals. I don't like confessionals.



-KillerMuffin

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I'm not the narrator

I've read very good straight fiction in first person and third person, but in erotica I definitely prefer third. (I'll tell you the truth, I've forgotten what second person is.) I'll tell you my stupid reason for not liking first person.

I'm a guy. The protagonist tends to be male too. And usually somewhere along the line he's going to do or say something that actually makes me embarrassed or ashamed or unwilling to identify with him.
Look, I don't have an eight inch penis, I'm not built like a greek god, my name's not Rick or Matt or Connor and my eyes don't twinkle with engaging virility. When I read that I do have these qualities (in first person), I get embarrassed. I'll watch a guy like this make love in third person, but there's no use in pretending that I'm him.
Also, first person to me always has a kind of leering, locker-room, braggadocio tone to it that I don't find appealing. You know, it always comes off as boastful, like "I was there and you weren't"
I like for my erotic stories to take place out there in pure space where I know the action will exist forever, independent of the narrator.
Finally, I wonder if I'm the only guy who feels jealous about these narrator studs? Yeah, I'm sick, but i find myself envying some of these guys. I became so jealous about the men in my own work that I just started writing myself into all of them. Which is why you won't see any eight-inch penises in my work.

I wonder too how women feel about reading first person narratives by men. I know that in the first person stuff I've read by women, the author's gender made very little difference to me. Which is kind of weird.

---dr.M.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I prefer third person, and that's what I voted for. First person brings me back to childhood, when we wrote essays like "what I did during my summer holiday".

I love using third person in my stories - omniscient, that is - because then I can tell the inner feelings of each of my characters.

 

[Pookie]

I enjoy writing in first person because it allows me to build suspense that I otherwise could not. I can create plot twists that would otherwise have little or no impact with the reader. It is difficult to write in first person though. But if the author takes the time to create believable characters along with a believable plot, first person will always be the most powerful voice in my opinion. However, there are many stories that are best told in third person.

The author has to be careful that she/he doesn't create a prima donna along the way. If the protagonist's weaknesses are displayed along with his/her strengths, then it makes the story easier to swallow. To many first person stories become a way for the author to play the "stud". In a few plots this might be fine.

My first story was written from a female pov. The second story was very difficult because it was written from a male pov. I struggled with the early chapters because I was making the male sound too feminine. I re-wrote much of the first few chapters several times before I felt comfortable with it.

The key to first person is making the characters and plot as believable as possible, otherwise it sounds like a tall tale being told by an arrogant braggart. Unless it is Superman telling the story, keep the protagonist real with real weaknesses to go with their strengths.

 

[BigTexan]

I voted for Third Person, but there are many stories that work better as first person.

First person works better if you need to REALLY get into the head of the main character and don't need/want the reader to get other points of view.

Third person works better if you want the reader to be, in effect, a fly on the wall watching the story unfold before them or when you want/need to give the reader different points of view or more information than the main character would have.

Just my opinion.

BigTexan

 

[Guest]

what i read what i write

I also voted for third person for reading. There is some good first person out there, but I agree with the dr. on the whole do I like/identify with the narrator. I will plug pookie's confession stories as being examples of good first person narratives.

I was very interested in all of the responses. I am currently toying with submitting a short piece written in the first and second persons, but have come up against the hurdle that WH mentioned. Wonder if I should just do a rewrite in omniscient third.

The piece reads like cyber or phone sex. Hmmmm...maybe I should submit it as an audio story.

Anyone who would be willing to read it and give me feedback, please PM or e-mail me.

 

[sirhugs]

Re: I'm not the narrator

. (I'll tell you the truth, I've forgotten what second person is.) ---dr.M.

second person is "Then you sucked his cock".

Personally, I find that really annnoying. I am not a character in someone else's story.