I seek the wisdom of the elders

[FunWhileItLasted]

..............

 

[lovecraft68]

Welcome to the AH.

POV comes down to personal preference unless there is a specific reason one works better than the other. For example if your main character has a deep dark secret....first persona may not work because the reader is in that characters head so how would it not be given away? So third would work better.

As for what readers prefer? Lit is vast and there is a good sized readership for everything. In my time writing here no one has ever trolled my story complaining "should have been third person" so I think as long as the story is good they don't care.

One other thing. Second person does tend to bother people. Few write in it and most of the feedback here has been negative towards it. First and third are your best bets.

 

[karaline]

traditional answer to this question was 'oh yes, third person is definitely more professional, it is the real writers preferred method'

but first person can be more intimate, and if you're writing erotica that is likely what you're looking for and done well I don't think it sounds childish

I think second person is hard to pull off well, and speaking personally, I don't like the use of second person in erotica, i feel like the writer is telling me how to feel and it irks (this is irrational, i know this is irrational)

end of day do what you want to do, what feels most comfortable, or what fits the story. I always write in third, dunno why, I probably should at least try writing in first.

 

[lovecraft68]

traditional answer to this question was 'oh yes, third person is definitely more professional, it is the real writers preferred method'

but first person can be more intimate, and if you're writing erotica that is likely what you're looking for and done well I don't think it sounds childish

I think second person is hard to pull off well, and speaking personally, I don't like the use of second person in erotica, i feel like the writer is telling me how to feel and it irks (this is irrational, i know this is irrational)

end of day do what you want to do, what feels most comfortable, or what fits the story. I always write in third, dunno why, I probably should at least try writing in first.

I always feel like second person is trying to hypnotize me.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

I find 1st person is the most plausible because its the most intimate (I define intimate as exposed and vulnerable), while 3rd person is better informed but 2nd hand.

 

[FunWhileItLasted]

.................

 

[karaline]

I always feel like second person is trying to hypnotize me.

ah you're right, perhaps thats why i don't like it

(I define intimate as exposed and vulnerable).

Neither do I....?

 

[SusanJillParker]

(If this isn't the right place to post this, someone move it please? Thanks)

Hello all, newbie girl here, with several stories I'd like to share. I have a question that might best be answered by the more experienced writers:

What reads best; first, second, or third person? Is there a rule at all or is it just personal preference?

I've tried all three styles as drafts with the same story and for me, first is the easiest but it sort of looks like a high school paper. Most "professional" stories seem to favor third person. Second is just plain hard to do; but it does make for an interesting read, because it seems to pull you in better.

I want what I share here to be interesting and enjoyable to the group, so I welcome your opinions.

Thank You

Most mainstream publishers want and expect you to write in the third person.

Some stories work well with first person but that limits you. You can only write from what you're thinking in your head and seeing from your eyes.

Second person is good for detective novels.

You take your gun. You shoot him. You stand over him to make sure to make sure he's dead.

Then there's the omniscient person, written from outside the story and detached, it's where you see and hear everything as if you're God.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Yes, definitely agree with Noir re first person and the intimate, immediate nature of the writing. I find I put a lot of myself into my narrators, so first suits me best.

My immediate problem with second, is when I am being told what I feel or do - I immediately think, no, I don't feel that, no I'm not doing that.

Write what flows best for you, some writers get in close, others stand back some, so go whichever suits your voice best.

I find 1st person is the most plausible because its the most intimate (I define intimate as exposed and vulnerable), while 3rd person is better informed but 2nd hand.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

I always feel like second person is trying to hypnotize me.

For the record, all hypnosis is self hypnosis. That is, its all stimulus/response. Like if I fart. To me the aroma rivals roses, to others not so much. If I buy my girl or your girl a 3X baby doll nightie, she may not appreciate the gift.

 

[SusanJillParker]

For the record, all hypnosis is self hypnosis. That is, its all stimulus/response. Like if I fart. To me the aroma rivals roses, to others not so much. If I buy my girl or your girl a 3X baby doll nightie, she may not appreciate the gift.

Especially if she takes a 4X.

 

[GoldenCojones]

What the hell, I'll chime in with my 2 cents worth.

I hate reading 2nd. Just fucking hate it.

Between 1st and the several forms of 3rd, I think the story usually dictates the POV. If you need to be in the main protagonists head, 1st is great for that, but you can do it from 3rd, it's just a little more difficult. If you need to hide stuff from the reader 3rd person omniscient is a bad choice. It usually comes off as lying to the reader.

Pick the POV best for that story and run with it. Just don't change from 1st to 3rd in the middle of the story. That is annoying to the reader.

Just my humble opinion.

 

[FunWhileItLasted]

.................

 

[jomar]

I've never read a published novel that's second person. Plenty of pros write first person and I've read solid novels that successfully move between first and third.

I say write what you want and you'll evolve.

 

[NaokoSmith]

If you're writing a story with a lot of background description: of landscapes, clothes, buildings etc, then third person may work better. Ditto if you switch PoV in the story.

First person can produce a clean cut story, as you often get the bare bones without extraneous detail which distracts from the plot development.

Second person can work well in audio stories. The intimacy of the voice speaking can be enhanced by the speaker addressing 'you'; audio is a genre where the fans are looking to be hypnotised into being in the moment with the vocal artiste. (See my blogpost on audio.)

 

[karaline]

I've never read a published novel that's second person. Plenty of pros write first person and I've read solid novels that successfully move between first and third.

I say write what you want and you'll evolve.

You should read Bright Lights, Big City. by Jay McInerney, its very good.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Yes, definitely agree with Noir re first person and the intimate, immediate nature of the writing. I find I put a lot of myself into my narrators, so first suits me best.

My immediate problem with second, is when I am being told what I feel or do - I immediately think, no, I don't feel that, no I'm not doing that.

Write what flows best for you, some writers get in close, others stand back some, so go whichever suits your voice best.

3rd is OK when there's 90% dialogue.

 

[SusanJillParker]

You should read Bright Lights, Big City. by Jay McInerney, its very good.

"There's nothing like the smell of fresh baked bread."

That's one of my all-time favorite books. Even the movie was good with Michael J. Fox.

 

[SusanJillParker]

3rd is OK when there's 90% dialogue.

In Spencer for Hire and Blue Bloods, Robert Parker was known for his masterful dialogue.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Second person is only good for technical manuals.

 

[SusanJillParker]

Second person is only good for technical manuals.

...And detective novels.

 

[oggbashan]

Second person is only good for technical manuals.

...And detective novels.

And is probably the most difficult POV for an amateur writer to use.

 

[Hypoxia]

1st person for intimacy.
2nd person for songs.
3rd person for clarity.
4th person for manuals.

2nd person is absolutely horrible to try to read as narrative. You want a story nobody will read? Write something other than songs or drama-ritual-game instructions in 2nd person present tense.

In a 3rd person story, 2nd person inclusions can work, one paragraph at a time, rather like thought balloons, where the 'you' is a specific character, not the reader. It's a way to delve deeper into that character. But it's really only a special effect. Do not overuse.

 

[sr71plt]

Not second person, not least because few people even know what second person constitutes--they point to examples that aren't second person. (Once you get a first or third perspective in there, you aren't in second person.)

Either first or third are fine; first is particularly good for erotica, as it's the more intimate of the two.

 

[JackLuis]

Welcome to the AH.

. For example if your main character has a deep dark secret....first persona may not work because the reader is in that characters head so how would it not be given away? -

Unless the deep dark secret is unknown to the protagonist, then 1st Per works very well.