Opinions?

[Anton25]

know this depends on the story… but what narrative do you prefer using? First person, third person omniscient, or limited third p..?

 

[TheRedChamber]

For a long time, limited third was my go-to. These days, I'm writing a lot more in first when the story demands it. I'm increasingly also willing to use first person present for shorter stories. Funny how you start to get a sense of what is going to work and not as you write more. The PoV kind of sorts itself out somewhere in the planning process.

 

[lovecraft68]

I began writing erotica in first, felt it put the reader in the action better, but on the side I was working on a full length novel and using third person because I can't recall seeing an entire mainstream novel in first.

I grew more comfortable with third because I could keep the characters motivations, lies, etc from the reader, and somewhere around 2016 I gave up first entirely.

I did do a story a couple of months ago in first because it was told as a confession, so I felt first worked for that, but otherwise I've grown to dislike it

 

[SimonDoom]

My default is the third person limited POV, in a free indirect style, which allows me to give the story much the same kind of intimate perspective that the first person POV allows, while giving me the narrator the flexibility that the third person POV allows.

"Free indirect" means that the narrative gets melded with the POV character's perspective, so I can narrate what the character is thinking and perceiving without peppering the narration with "he thought" or "he saw."

But I like to mix it up. I use first person POV too, if it seems right to me.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

I write in two styles. First Person Present, and Third Person Past Omniscient. Technically, I think I prefer Third Person Close over TPO, but I only learned the difference after I started writing.

 

[Anton25]

For a long time, limited third was my go-to. These days, I'm writing a lot more in first when the story demands it. I'm increasingly also willing to use first person present for shorter stories. Funny how you start to get a sense of what is going to work and not as you write more. The PoV kind of sorts itself out somewhere in the planning process.

I am still struggling. Thinking about the punch at the end. Narrative is so important! Do you know the ending when you start writing?

 

[Anton25]

I write in two styles. First Person Present, and Third Person Past Omniscient. Technically, I think I prefer Third Person Close over TPO, but I only learned the difference after I started writing.

Do you know the ending when you start writing?

 

[Anton25]

I write in two styles. First Person Present, and Third Person Past Omniscient. Technically, I think I prefer Third Person Close over TPO, but I only learned the difference after I started writing.

Do you know the ending when you start writing?

 

[Anton25]

My default is the third person limited POV, in a free indirect style, which allows me to give the story much the same kind of intimate perspective that the first person POV allows, while giving me the narrator the flexibility that the third person POV allows.

"Free indirect" means that the narrative gets melded with the POV character's perspective, so I can narrate what the character is thinking and perceiving without peppering the narration with "he thought" or "he saw."

But I like to mix it up. I use first person POV too, if it seems right to me.

Do you know the ending when you start writing?

 

[SimonDoom]

Do you know the ending when you start writing?

Yes. I plot my stories, with varying degrees of detail. Before I actually start writing, I know generally what the end will be, and usually before I am far into the story I fast forward and write the end and then go back to pick up the story. I like to know where the story is going as I write.

 

[Anton25]

I began writing erotica in first, felt it put the reader in the action better, but on the side I was working on a full length novel and using third person because I can't recall seeing an entire mainstream novel in first.

I grew more comfortable with third because I could keep the characters motivations, lies, etc from the reader, and somewhere around 2016 I gave up first entirely.

I did do a story a couple of months ago in first because it was told as a confession, so I felt first worked for that, but otherwise I've grown to dislike it

Do you know the ending when you start writing?

Yes. I plot my stories, with varying degrees of detail. Before I actually start writing, I know generally what the end will be, and usually before I am far into the story I fast forward and write the end and then go back to pick up the story. I like to know where the story is going as I write.

better than ‘ Then I woke up..’!

 

[Anton25]

I began writing erotica in first, felt it put the reader in the action better, but on the side I was working on a full length novel and using third person because I can't recall seeing an entire mainstream novel in first.

I grew more comfortable with third because I could keep the characters motivations, lies, etc from the reader, and somewhere around 2016 I gave up first entirely.

I did do a story a couple of months ago in first because it was told as a confession, so I felt first worked for that, but otherwise I've grown to dislike

 

[Anton25]

Interesting! Do you know the ending when you start writing?

 

[samhasstories]

For erotica I write in first person, pretty much exclusively, at least so far. For other stuff it varies, and I don't quite know based on what. My unconscious writing brain just kind of picks a character and perspective when I put pen to paper and I generally don't question that guy.

 

[Anton25]

Does your unconscious brain know the ending..?

 

[samhasstories]

Does your unconscious brain know the ending..?

If he does he doesn't share that information with me.

 

[ronde]

know this depends on the story… but what narrative do you prefer using? First person, third person omniscient, or limited third p..?

I write in both and I don't have a method for deciding which. Some stories just seem to read better in first and others in third.

Interesting! Do you know the ending when you start writing?

I always have an ending in mind before I start. It's not a hard and fast ending, but without an ending, I can't effectively write the characters and the plot.

 

[Anton25]

If he does he doesn't share that information with me.

Haha

 

[KachinaDoll]

Mostly first person but if the story is complicated and I want to show the thoughts and emotions of multiple characters then I might choose third.

 

[AchtungNight]

Mostly third limited, with character that fits the story. Sometimes they tell me they prefer first.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

Do you know the ending when you start writing?

Generally, I have an idea, which clarifies over time. That said, I have several unfinished series, so.... Lol

 

[TheRedChamber]

I am still struggling. Thinking about the punch at the end. Narrative is so important! Do you know the ending when you start writing?

Yes, generally I don't start writing until I've got a pretty good outline of everything in my mind. It might be more accurate to say I know 'an ending' - if something better strikes me while I'm writing then I'm not averse to changing, but I don't like to start writing a story until I'm pretty sure I can execute it properly. That said, I've relaxed this somewhat recently and might scribble down a couple of thousand words of a beginning if it's taking up head space and I'm pretty sure it's fixed in terms of narrative.

 

[HopelessDreams]

I normally write 3rd person omniscient because I typically do like to get into the heads of multiple characters. Also, none of the characters resemble myself closely; they're not intended to be self-inserts, though of course some relatability is necessary.

I've written 3rd person limited when I wanted to hide all the other characters' thoughts in order to create suspense, and to put more focus on the main character's perspective.

I would probably only write 1st person if I was writing a same-sex story (so that I wouldn't have to worry about potential ambiguity from using the same pronouns for more than one major character). It might also be useful if I want to obscure the gender of the narrator, or if I don't want to bother choosing a name for the narrator.

(I do have the basic outline—including the ending—planned out before I start writing.)

 

[EmilyMiller]

know this depends on the story… but what narrative do you prefer using? First person, third person omniscient, or limited third p..?

Mostly first person past.

Sometimes third person past limited. Often for more serious works (when I say serious, it’s still me, not Chekov).

For short strokers addressing the reader directly first person present.

Em

 

[MillieDynamite]

I have no particular passion one way or the other. What I really like is multiple first-person accounts in one story. Diaries, journals, letters, and so forth. The way that Dracula was written. It's call epistolary. Love that from of story telling.