First or Third Person?

[madelinemasoch]

Do you like using first person or third person perspective? I usually only write in third. I find it more descriptive because you can get more semi-omniscient with it, which works better because my ideas are so visual. I also find it to be less of a headache for whatever reason than just using "I" all the time (I'm aware it's more complicated especially at the higher levels of writing prowess). Part of me doesn't want the POVs to be super locked in and close to the character's psyche and the other part of me does.

I'm thinking of writing a new story in first person perspective because of the sentence ideas that are coming to me. They might come off more as teenage girl song lyrics than anything that's overly visual and poetic. I think this could be a fun exercise but I might also do it in two versions. I'm not really sure if readers who are used to a certain author writing in either third or first would have a problem with a change from the usual one to the other while traversing said author's catalogue, but that's very low on my list of decision making factors.

The story is gonna be about a guy who's cheating on his off-and-on girlfriend with his ex-girlfriend, from the ex's point of view. I'm not sure what else it's gonna be about yet, but I know there'll be more because I recently tried to do a story that was really short, just one scene long, and ended up adding a bunch of new characters and scenes to it just to complete the story and bring it to some kind of resolution. I sorta knew that would happen in the germinal stage of the writing of that one scene, so I'm hoping this new one picks up in the same fashion as well.

 

[StillStunned]

Do you like using first person or third person perspective? I usually only write in third. I find it more descriptive because you can get more semi-omniscient with it, which works better because my ideas are so visual. I also find it to be less of a headache for whatever reason than just using "I" all the time (I'm aware it's more complicated especially at the higher levels of writing prowess). Part of me doesn't want the POVs to be super locked in and close to the character's psyche and the other part of me does.

I write both. They each have their uses. I use 3P for sci-fi and fantasy stories with multiple characters, where I want to reveal the world from different angles. I also use it for some strokers where I want to create a bit of distance to the narrating POV, however slight (because I still use deep 3P).

1P works well if you want to explore the character's mindset, and their reactions to events. It's good for voyeur stories (although my one exhibitionist story is told in 3P), or stories that hinge on your character facing a dilemma - whether or not to proceed with a particular course of action, usually.

I'm thinking of writing a new story in first person perspective because of the sentence ideas that are coming to me. They might come off more as teenage girl song lyrics than anything that's overly visual and poetic. I think this could be a fun exercise but I might also do it in two versions. I'm not really sure if readers who are used to a certain author writing in either third or first would have a problem with a change from the usual one to the other while traversing said author's catalogue, but that's very low on my list of decision making factors.

I honestly doubt that many readers here are that invested. If they like your style or your subject matter, I don't think that 1P or 3P will make that much difference to them. At least I haven't noticed any effect.

The story is gonna be about a guy who's cheating on his off-and-on girlfriend with his ex-girlfriend, from the ex's point of view. I'm not sure what else it's gonna be about yet, but I know there'll be more because I recently tried to do a story that was really short, just one scene long, and ended up adding a bunch of new characters and scenes to it just to complete the story and bring it to some kind of resolution. I sorta knew that would happen in the germinal stage of the writing of that one scene, so I'm hoping this new one picks up in the same fashion as well.

1P is also good for stopping the story from getting out of hand. Because it's so focused, the story ends when the POV character's goals are reached.

Personally, I'd give it a try. If it doesn't work, you can always go back and rewrite it in 3P - bearing in mind that this will involve a lot more than just changing "I" into "she" everywhere.

 

[THBGato]

I usually only write in third. I find it more descriptive because you can get more semi-omniscient with it, which works better because my ideas are so visual.

I'm the opposite: I mostly write 1st person (sometimes with alternating povs between main characters). But then what I value the most as a readers is the psychology of it all: the feelings, emotions, internal struggles, reactions, thoughts, etc. Much harder (though not impossible) to do in 3rd person, but it often comes across as didactic.

I'm far less interested in what the characters look like (and get put off by info dumps detailing height, weight and cup size), so I don't miss that advantage of 3rd person.

That's my two cents. I think it's interesting that this choice seems to be influenced by reading preferences.

 

[Bamagan]

I favor 3P for longer stories, since it allows for more variety and better 'coverage' of plot events that would otherwise occur 'offscreen' if told from a single perspective. Or, if there's a relatively large cast and more than a few get a real character arc, 3P often makes that easier to convey. I think it's more of a toss-up for shorter and/or simpler stories, where either perspective can be effective, and it comes down more to a style choice than any practicalities.

 

[Voboy]

I do first, almost always.

Some of my stories "feel better" in third, so I use that. Occasionally I start in one, then move to the other (usually within about 1500 words; it's obvious right away if I'm using the wrong perspective). Most of the TP writing I do is fantasy, SF, or supernatural; I just think those things lend themselves to TP, at least in my hands. I do better using FP for contemporary stuff.

Either way, it needs to be organic for that story. OP, I think the "teenage girl" approach is a neat idea, and perfect for FP, but that you might be better off with a shorter story. Almost any dialectical narrator gets old quickly in large doses, which is why Irvine Welsh switches perspectives often: he knows his readers get tired of reading nothing but Scots, so he gives them a rest periodically.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Most of my stories are first person past tense. It just comes naturally to me. I really have to work to write in third.

The experts say first person is good for romance and erotica. It offers a more immediate and intimate connection to the main character... the reader is seeing directly out of their eyes. You can also play with the character's limited knowledge to hide details or motivations of other characters, directly show the character's subjective biases and so on (though it's possible to do the same in close third person, too).

First person but alternating between two characters, as THBGato said, can be really powerful (as long as you avoid 'head hopping' too rapid switching). I tried it only once with limited success, but many stories on Lit do it well.

 

[Plathfan]

One thing to consider is the main character's personality. Are they chatty and outgoing? If they’re introverted and shy, they’re unlikely to share their story. If they barely talk to their own relatives and acquaintances, why would they open up to us?

The same applies to those going through tough times. People struggling with severe depression are unlikely to share their stories or show interest in sex.

 

[SimonDoom]

I like both, and I've even tried second-person POV once as an experiment, but my default/go-to is third person POV, usually told in a "close" or "free indirect" style from the point of view of a single character. I find that this POV gives me almost all the advantages of first person POV while giving me a bit more flexibility to expand the scope and perspective of the narrator when it suits my purposes.

 

[StillStunned]

The experts say first person is good for romance and erotica.

Aren't we the experts on writing erotica?

One thing to consider is the main character's personality. Are they chatty and outgoing? If they’re introverted and shy, they’re unlikely to share their story. If they barely talk to their own relatives and acquaintances, why would they open up to us?

The same applies to those going through tough times. People struggling with severe depression are unlikely to share their stories or show interest in sex.

Good point. I wonder whether there's any correlation with the author's own personality - allowing for the probability that writers already tend to be more introverted than most - and whether they prefer 1P or 3P.

 

[Jorunn]

I started the Summer Lovin story I submitted this year as a 1P from the viewpoint of the main female character. But as the story evolved, I ran into the lack of a semi-omniscient view necessary to connect all the dots. The MFC didn't know everything she needed to know! I ended up tossing some great sections from the MFC viewpoint, and re-wrote it from the main male character's viewpoint. That took a lot of work, but I think it turned out well. I normally write 1P, but after this story, I may try some 3P stories.

 

[SyleusSnow]

One thing to consider is the main character's personality. Are they chatty and outgoing? If they’re introverted and shy, they’re unlikely to share their story. If they barely talk to their own relatives and acquaintances, why would they open up to us?

The same applies to those going through tough times. People struggling with severe depression are unlikely to share their stories or show interest in sex.

Hmm. Sure, but consider how more difficult it is in third person to reveal a withdrawn person's personality and quirks. You can of course do it in close third, but I don't think it has the same immediacy and impact.

As a withdrawn introvert myself, I can say though I don't talk much, I have a rich inner dialogue running all. the. time. And damn do I wish it would shut up once in a while. Withdrawn people are often intense writers of private journals, so could as easily be sharing their story as fiction.

In first person, you can directly show every thought, every emotion a withdrawn character experiences, even the words they want to say/plan to say but never do due to insecurity, shyness or because loudmouth domineering extroverts are monopolizing the conversation.

One thing I have to work at in first person is revealing the other characters. Like, I've been criticized that I don't make the motivation of the other characters to bang the main character clear. So I have to remind myself to do that... usually through dialogue.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Aren't we the experts on writing erotica?

Heh. Well you may be, but I'm still learning and defer to the wisdom of successful writers all the time. My bookshelf is packed full of writing guides. Sometimes I'll even read one

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Aren't we the experts on writing erotica?

I guess so. I mean, from your perspective and to paraphrase Mark Twain, I am from out of town, and I do own a briefcase...

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Do you like using first person or third person perspective?

One is inherently no better than the other. It's also not so simple. Of course, second and fourth person are almost never used, but even third person can either be omniscient or limited, so there are actually three main choices for perspective, not just two. Then of course there is the new rage of 'deep' PoV going around which apparently also limits the tense in first person, I forget just how.

 

[Voboy]

I wonder whether there's any correlation with the author's own personality - allowing for the probability that writers already tend to be more introverted than most - and whether they prefer 1P or 3P.

It's not useful to try to draw these kinds of conclusions.

I've got 1P narrators who are shy and introverted, 1P narrators who are brash and outgoing, 3P narrators who are close-omniscient, 1P narrators who are morally bereft, and 3P narrators who sound a little like Tolkien.

None of them correlates with my real-life personality. The people I've met who know of my stories usually remark about how utterly mundane I am face-to-face. Truly, you'd never ever know me from how I write here.

Is that true for every writer? I'd be shocked if it was. We're all different. But trying to speculate about things like that without ever meeting the writer is, I think, a fool's errand.

 

[SimonDoom]

Hmm. Sure, but consider how more difficult it is in third person to reveal a withdrawn person's personality and quirks. You can of course do it in close third, but I don't think it has the same immediacy and impact.


In first person, you can directly show every thought, every emotion a withdrawn character experiences, even the words they want to say/plan to say but never do due to insecurity, shyness or because loudmouth domineering extroverts are monopolizing the conversation.

One thing I have to work at in first person is revealing the other characters. Like, I've been criticized that I don't make the motivation of the other characters to bang the main character clear. So I have to remind myself to do that... usually through dialogue.

I realize this is mostly a matter of personal, subjective taste, but I think familiarity plays a role, too.

I personally find that third person POV in the "close" or "free indirect style" is just as immediate as first person, if it's done right. It is possible to show, in detail, "every thought, every emotion" of the character's experience, of whatever personality type. When people insist that first person is more immediate, I sometimes wonder if they have exposed themselves sufficiently to the third person free indirect style.

The problem of writing a first person POV story about a main character who is withdrawn and introverted is you run the risk of having no dialogue, in which case the story may seem monotonous to many readers. As a reader, I enjoy a story that artfully mixes dialogue and narration.

Another problem is that you have to introduce yourself, so the reader knows who you are. This happens almost automatically in the third person POV, but in first person POV sometimes you have to make a point of announcing yourself, or the reader will scratch their head and wonder, "Who is 'I?'"

 

[AG31]

One is inherently no better than the other. It's also not so simple. Of course, second and fourth person are almost never used, but even third person can either be omniscient or limited, so there are actually three main choices for perspective, not just two. Then of course there is the new rage of 'deep' PoV going around which apparently also limits the tense in first person, I forget just how.

What's fourth person?

 

[SimonDoom]

What's fourth person?

I'm curious as well.

 

[Voboy]

What's fourth person?

I'm curious as well.

I think it's sorta like 1P from a group or collective perspective. "We" instead of "I."

 

[SimonDoom]

I think it's sorta like 1P from a group or collective perspective. "We" instead of "I."

I'm not sure why that would be referred to as "fourth person" instead of "first person plural."

Second person plural, which doesn't really exist in English, but does in other languages like Spanish, would be "You all" or the equivalent.

Third person plural is "they" (when it's used in the plural sense and not in a singular, gender-neutral sense).

 

[Duleigh]

Do you like using first person or third person perspective?

Last year I did three 750 word stories
750-01 Saturday Morning was written in First Person perspective
750-02 Saturday Afternoon was written in Second Person perspective
750-03 Saturday Evening was written in Third Person

And NOBODY noticed. If they did, they kept it to themselves, but no one said "I see what you did there." However it was a great writing exercise for me. I challenge everyone to try what I did, write three stories for the 750 word challenge, using each perspective in your stories.

First person is how I used to write, I will occasionally do it for dream sequences now, but much of my current writing is very personal, if I start with "I walked across the room, full of anger at this woman..." it hits close to home. With third person I can write something deeply personal, but convince myself it's happening to somebody else instead of occurring in my wretched past.

Second person is a bizarre challenge, it really is, you feel like you're writing a video game or something.

 

[Voboy]

I'm not sure why that would be referred to as "fourth person" instead of "first person plural."

Me neither. I'm just reporting what I found out, lol.

 

[Duleigh]

I'm not sure why that would be referred to as "fourth person" instead of "first person plural."

I looked up the "Fourth Person perspective" and found it's a BRAND NEW IDEA!!!!
(Cue the circus wagons and the clown car) It's horrible, I can't see a sane person writing that way for something that they expect real people to read and enjoy. It's a perspective designed to check a box, nothing more.

https://www.tckpublishing.com/4th-person-point-of-view/

 

[SimonDoom]

I looked up the "Fourth Person perspective" and found it's a BRAND NEW IDEA!!!!
(Cue the circus wagons and the clown car) It's horrible, I can't see a sane person writing that way for something that they expect real people to read and enjoy. It's a perspective designed to check a box, nothing more.

https://www.tckpublishing.com/4th-person-point-of-view/

I've never heard of it before this thread, but it sounds like a Shiny New Object.

 

[TheLobster]

I looked up the "Fourth Person perspective" and found it's a BRAND NEW IDEA!!!!
(Cue the circus wagons and the clown car) It's horrible, I can't see a sane person writing that way for something that they expect real people to read and enjoy. It's a perspective designed to check a box, nothing more.

https://www.tckpublishing.com/4th-person-point-of-view/

This is downward creepy. The samples read as though they were written by a hive mind, like the Borg in Star Trek. Quite unsettling. Might work for a certain brand of horror stories but as a general narrative PoV? No way.