First Person vs Third Person Narratives

[trigudis]

Most stories on this site are written from a first-person perspective. They mirror, I suppose, the fantasies of the writers.

Do any of you out there have a preference (1st person vs. 3rd) for narrative, and if so why?

A few of my own stories contain a mix of both. This breaks up the potential monotony of a single narrative and offers the reader varied points of view.

 

[visioneer]

I have no preference with respect to 1st or 3rd person POV provided a story is written well and has interesting characters. I write in both POVs, but have never mixed POVs within a story. Unless very carefully done, mixing POVs interrupts the fictional dream or fantasy created by a story in readers' minds -- my opinion, of course.

I suspect some Lit authors prefer 1st person POV because it perhaps feels more natural.

 

[Hypoxia]

1st person: Most intimate, somewhat limiting. Put the reader behind your eyeballs.
2nd person: That's for songs, not for Anglish narrative fiction.
3rd person: Many stories here, and most common in mainstream.
. 3rd-limited: Follow one player. Almost like 1st person, but with wider scope.
. 3rd-omniscient: Know all, tell all. Shift focus among players as needed.
4th person: No POV at all. The language of tech/repair manuals.

I generally don't like mixing 1st and 3rd persons. If I'm telling the story from *my* POV, recording *my* thoughts, perceptions, and actions, then slipping into 3rd person seems like cheating. I'd rather use 3rd-limited to look into different characters -- common in mainstream lit.

 

[HeyAll]

If I really want to zoom in on a female character, I'll use 3rd person. Because I don't want to write female pov. But I do love reading female pov stories.

I'll use 1st person male pov for incest stories though. Those are always really popular.

 

[sr71plt]

First, I don't think anyone, not even Laurel, is in a position to assert what POV most Lit. stories are in. Intuitively, I would think it's third person. I write in both first and third, with first being dominant because it's the most intimate POV. Even when I write in third, I'm usually identifying with one of the characters.