First Person vs Third Person: Which is more popular in Erotica?

[WendyTrilby]

I’ve recently joined and have posted my first story. So far, the reception has been great and the comments very kind. The story is called Portmanteau Episode 1.

https://literotica.com/s/portmanteau-ep-01

It’s written in a style called portmanteau which features three independent stories loosely associated with each other. Overall it jumps around a bit offering a kaleidoscope view of the event. At any rate, it is written as is most fiction in the third person omniscient. However, in reading works all over this site, it seems the first-person narrative is more common, and I assume more popular for the reader . First person doesn’t work for me as it tends to read like a letter (I’m reminded of sneaking looks at my Dad’s Penthouse magazine and reader’s forum section), but it must be working because of the plethora and popularity of works written in this style.

Can anyone offer some insight as to why the first person is so prevalent here? My assumption is it helps with the fantasy for some readers as they can become the pronoun “I” or “we” in the story and enjoy the erotic adventure from the perspective of the participant.

For me, being the story’s observer in a 3rd person narrative gives me a voyeuristic view which adds another layer of eroticism. As long as I’m never too far ahead of the hero or heroine, this style keeps me turning pages. As a writer it also allows me to create undesirable characters that no one wants to associate themselves with personally but are needed to move the story forward.

Art is art, there is never a right or wrong way, but I would love to hear what others think specifically which style enhances the pleasure of the read and perhaps a thought as to why.

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

As a staunch scopophile, I have to say, 3rd person omniscient is my preference too, for porn erotica.

 

[Euphony]

There's a ton of illuminating threads on this via search.

"Popular" in raw numbers is likely first person b/c that's what people often think in and can more naturally write without much training.

"Best received" can be both. Really depends on how visceral the feelings/events need to be. 1st *can* win out but plenty of skilled 3rd person close give plenty of intimacy and 1st a run for its money.

3rd also has a bit more lens flexibility. Good if you want to shift some but in 1st person, deftly using blind spots and claustrophobia can make for exceptional story telling.

As with most things writerly, it comes down to the story and how the author best feels it is told (and their ability to meet that goal)

 

[Defluer]

I was staunch 3rd person, way back in the day. I even disliked professional authors who wrote first person. Then I found Dresden and despite what I wanted... That fucker won me over. After that, on the other website I used to write on, I was all 3rd person. When I wrote my first story for here I did the experiment of trying 1st person. It's now my preferred method.

If the woman is the main character of a story, I go back to 3rd person. It's just easier for me, I feel like I'll alienate less readers by not attempting to "think" like a woman.

It doesn't really bother me, as a reader, if it's 1st or 3rd. There are pros and cons with both of them.

 

[SimonDoom]

This issue has been raised often in previous threads, so you might try doing a search for them to get more information. There was a recent thread on internal dialogue that touches on this issue.

Many readers and authors like first person because they feel it is more intimate and it provides a more satisfying erotic experience, for the reason you offered: first person lets you put yourself in the shoes of the narrator more easily.

I use both, depending on the needs of the story. I enjoy mixing it up. My go-to is third person, using a free indirect style, in which the narration is done in a style that brings it very close to the perspective of the main POV character. For me, this offers the best of both worlds: it gives me the flexibility that third person POV gives while offering much of the intimacy that first person POV gives.

My perception is that both work perfectly fine, in terms of the reception they get from Literotica readers. Choose the one that works best for your particular story rather than worrying about what the Lit readers will like.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

I enjoy both first person and third person stories. I have written both as well. I think the problem with first person, it's limited to what the narrator see and experiences. This works well in Mystery stories, it prevents you from putting the dots together as easily as the detective does, your limited by see the world though Watson's or Hastings's eyes. Neither of which is the brightest lantern on porch.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Firstly, I had no idea what first, second or third person writing was before I started posting here. My first story was written in first, as it seemed a natural fit. I imagined I was sitting in a pub telling a tale. I think that idea is why first is prevalent.

Later stuff were more traditional fiction with a bit of sex, so third was the way I went.

Both have their place, and you need to figure out which is appropriate to the tale you're telling.

 

[ofbuttons]

Third person, for me.

That said, one of my favourite series on this site is written in first person -- it justified itself by being a story actively told by someone to another person (with the usual literary suspension of disbelief when it really gets into detailed narrativising) and it's very effective. I think either is just fine.

When I'm the one doing the storytelling, I favour the slight removal that third person brings, and prefer it when I'm writing. You can still get deeply into a character's headspace through this mode -- close third person, in other words -- while sometimes allowing for a little more freedom and moments of objectivity.

 

[ElectricBlue]

There's a popular view that first person is somehow automatically "more intimate" because you're in the mind of the protagonist. I don't agree. I think you can get just as "in close and intimate" with close third person, as close as you want.

I use both, and I remember a fellow writer saying, some time ago, "My God, you put the reader on their pillow, whereas I just want to go away and close the door."

What I will never understand are those folk who say, quite vehemently sometimes, that they will never read something that's not written in their prescribed voice. They're often the same people who carry on as if they're authoritative - I tend to think they're limiting themselves as readers.

 

[Britva415]

My assumption is it helps with the fantasy for some readers as they can become the pronoun “I” or “we” in the story and enjoy the erotic adventure from the perspective of the participant.

My assumption is it's easiest to write, but I could be wrong.

 

[Britva415]

I even disliked professional authors who wrote first person

Same here.

In my opinion, there should be a good reason to write a novel in first-person. A good reason which the story depends on.

There should also be a good reason within the story why the person is telling the story.

Way too many pop novels written in first person fail on both counts, which makes reading them an extended effort to suspend disbelief.

Limited scope is often given as a reason to tell the story from the protagonist's non-omniscient point of view, but this can be done without first-person narration.

If the story doesn't depend inherently on the first-person narrative, I would far, far rather read it in third person limited to the protagonist's scope.

 

[Britva415]

I'm also smugly tickled that second person isn't even part of the discussion

 

[Djmac1031]

When I first started, my first several stories were first person.

Why? Because it was easier. I'm a guy, and my stories were from the guys point of view, because they were MY fantasies and my male protagonist was essentially me.

Plus, they all only featured two main characters: The man, and the woman he became involved with.

I found as I started writing other, more complicated stories with a larger cast of characters that third person was better.

And as the cast of my long running series grew, I decided after much debate to change it to third person as well, because it allowed me to get inside the heads of the other characters as well, and to get into what they were up to when the lead male character wasn't around.

Although that took some adjustment; I kept writing "I" instead of "he" many times by accident lol.

In the end, I think it all depends on what serves the story best.

I don't really worry myself about reader preferences because there's not much I can do about that.

 

[rosebudliquor]

My first stories are in first person because they are fantasies; I projected myself into the narrator. My preference as a reader is for near-dramatic narration; I do not, generally, want to be given the internal thoughts of more than one character. It feels too unrealistic, usually.
I've written a few third-person stories, mostly as writing challenges to myself. I don't think too much about what readers want. I figure if I write something that I enjoy reading and that turns me on, it will find an audience here.
I wrote one, a chapter in a series, where the female lead tells the narrator about a sexual encounter while the two of them have a sexual encounter, and most of her story is about three other characters having sex while she observes, so that's mostly third person framed by first person. I also realized that I had her say a few things in present tense instead of the usual past tense of narrative, so I decided to write the whole thing with her story in present tense. THAT was a challenge, fun to do. It's one of the least-read parts of the series, and not a highly rated one, so maybe that stuff was a distraction to readers.
I'm not sure the first person helps readers project themselves into the story; I feel like it helps it seems like someone is telling you about something they really experienced--maybe that contributes to readers criticizing stories for the characters' behaviors (It's a Loving Wives problem usually).
Two of my highest-rated, one of them one of my most-read, stories are in third person and feature characters I consider real caricatures. And I'm currently working on a part two of my most recently-written piece. It's in third-person. The first part had two viewpoint characters: one male, one female. I gave the thoughts and feelings of both. Part two is all from her POV. This makes me think a possible part three will be from his. The choice there was an attempt to give her equal air time/fair treatment, though I really am not confident about writing what a woman is thinking and feeling. I'm hoping it feels real enough for most readers (while still being a turn-on).

 

[Britva415]

that took some adjustment; I kept writing "I" instead of "he" many times by accident lol.

*knows that feel

 

[Bramblethorn]

Same here.

In my opinion, there should be a good reason to write a novel in first-person. A good reason which the story depends on.

Why should writing in first person require any more excuse than writing in third? Everybody gets to have personal preferences but that doesn't make them an author's "should".

I'm also smugly tickled that second person isn't even part of the discussion

That'd be because you joined two months ago, and we have the "second person bad" discussion every three months. Have no fear, it'll come round soon enough ;-)

 

[LegoHead]

I remember a fellow writer saying, some time ago, "My God, you put the reader on their pillow, whereas I just want to go away and close the door."

I concur. I've discovered your bibliography to be the ultimate solution to my chronic insomnia.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I concur. I've discovered your bibliography to be the ultimate solution to my chronic insomnia.

I doubt you've read anything of mine. You're just pissed that your attempt to paint me as a stone thrower blew back in your face.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

I write in both first and third. I can't give you a reason why I do either. My brain picks one randomly when I start writing and I stick with it.

Right now I'm writing a story in 3rd person limited but switch perspectives every one or two chapters. Why I decided to do that? No idea. But it's fun!

Congrats on your first story btw!

 

[Defluer]

Same here.

In my opinion, there should be a good reason to write a novel in first-person. A good reason which the story depends on.

There should also be a good reason within the story why the person is telling the story.

Way too many pop novels written in first person fail on both counts, which makes reading them an extended effort to suspend disbelief.

Limited scope is often given as a reason to tell the story from the protagonist's non-omniscient point of view, but this can be done without first-person narration.

If the story doesn't depend inherently on the first-person narrative, I would far, far rather read it in third person limited to the protagonist's scope.

Yes! I'm sure there was somebody else before Dresden that started the "Urban Fantasy" trope of first person but I don't think that everything written in the genre of Magic in the Modern World, needs to be first person. I would hate it if all books slipped into that style.

I think lately I've been butting up against how the Main Character, the "I" of the story knows the feelings and pleasures of the people around him. Which would be a lot easier in Third Person because you don't have to explain what the other person is doing to tip off the MC. Or have an MC who is always watching and tracking the ticks and spasms of the person he's having sex with. Because sometimes when I'm having sex I'm not aware of anything but my dick, I've felt like I'm seconds away from heart failure afterward because I was only focused on getting off. Only on the other side of orgasm (Oooh, has somebody written that story yet? The Other Side of Orgasm.) did I even subtly check if the person I was with enjoyed themselves too.

So yeah, I keep wondering if I should step back into 3rd.

 

[LegoHead]

I doubt you've read anything of mine. You're just pissed that your attempt to paint me as a stone thrower blew back in your face.

Your assumption is correct, pebble tosser; I have never completed one of your derivatives. They are more useful than counting sheep.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Can anyone offer some insight as to why the first person is so prevalent here? My assumption is it helps with the fantasy for some readers as they can become the pronoun “I” or “we” in the story and enjoy the erotic adventure from the perspective of the participant.

Many of us are amateur writers, not writing majors from college, who were tasked to write over, and over with a lit major reviewing and critiquing the works. And as a beginner writer, first person is easier, because I'll write just what I see and hear. I don't need to think about the other characters' motivations or how to inject those into the story. Their motives are outside of my POV.

When it comes to writing first person stories, I think here on LitE, the success and acceptance of first person may be driven by WHO the MC is (male, female, etc), with female POVs being more popular. IMO, male POV stories are criticized more so when male readers project and find the character unbelievable.

My own stories of swingers probably draw criticism from male readers who are into monogamous marriages, and they can't see sharing their spouse with any other guy as pleasurable. Jealous jumps out at them as what SHOULD be the natural response. But those same monogamous-only reading a female POV may be more accepting, thinking "Ahhh, so that's what she's thinking."

 

[MelissaBaby]

As I think about it, I don't recall ever making a conscious decision whether to use first or third person. The choice seems to have always been an intrinsic part of the conception of the story.

 

[Voboy]

As I think about it, I don't recall ever making a conscious decision whether to use first or third person. The choice seems to have always been an intrinsic part of the conception of the story.

Agreed.

There have been two occasions that I recall where I've started in TP and, within the first 500-1000 words, changed to FP. The story tells you which voice it wants to be told in, in my experience.

 

[KeithD]

Agreed.

There have been two occasions that I recall where I've started in TP and, within the first 500-1000 words, changed to FP. The story tells you which voice it wants to be told in, in my experience.

There have been several instances where I intended to be writing third person and discovered I had reverted to first person, which I guess is my default perspective.