Narration

[LBW66]

Whenever I start a novel it is always a struggle to decide on 1st person narration or 3rd person omniscient. My novels are geared to the 12-16 age range. Anyone have opinions on how to make that decision?
Laura

[Toothpaste]

You aren't going to like my answer, but whichever one you feel works best for your story!

[LBW66]

You're right! :)
I do know that it's a question of what works best. I'm wondering what process other writer's go through in determining what works best. I flip through books, dwell, try it both ways and when it's a coin toss I post here.

[Soccer Mom]

I just start composing my story in my head and see how I hear it. Sometimes I can hear the MC telling me his/her story. I go with first person. Which do you prefer reading? Start with one and just run with it. I actually wrote thrity pages on a novel, changed my mind, and rewrote them as a different POV. (Okay, I confess to having done it twice. And I've gone back and changed tenses too. ) So you aren't set in stone if you start it one way and change your mind.

[Harper K]

My reflex is always to begin writing in first person. It's only been in the past few years that I consciously stop myself to ask if it's truly the best POV for the story. I had great fun writing in 3rd-person omniscient for a novel draft a few years ago, but overall I couldn't maintain enough interest in the story to spend time revising it. The novel I'm working on now (3rd draft) is in 1st person, though I did have a moment of misgiving about the POV during the second draft. I finished the chapter, opened a new Word document, and started rewriting the chapter in 3rd person. I rewrote about 2000 words that way before realizing they didn't have the same flair. I went back to 1st person with a sigh of relief.

If you have a beginning in mind, or a pivotal scene that you know will happen at another point in the story, try writing those from several POVs - 1st person, 3rd person limited, and even 3rd person omniscient.

I will say that for contemporary YA, 1st person tends to be popular (with an ever-increasing number of books written in 1st person present tense). That's what I preferred to read when I was a teenager. For YA fantasy, 3rd person seems to prevail, though 1st person is becoming more popular for YA urban fantasy.

[RainbowDragon]

3rd person limited is good for facilitating surprises. . .

[Shady Lane]

I'm a first person present myself. It's just what I'm comfortable with, and the stories I think of are the ones that would do best written this way.

If it helps, I'm also within your age range. My favorite books are usually in past or present first person. None of my favorites are in third. I find it restraining.

[Dancre]

third limited all the way, at least for me. toothpaste is right, do what works for you. have you thought of third limited?

kim

[LBW66]

Thanks for all the replies. I've been sorting through the choices, and finally asked my 11 year old daughter who thinks first person would work for this story. Since I do not plan to get into other character's heads, first person is probably the best way to go. My last novel needed to be in 3rd limited because there were two MC's and both perspectives needed to be shown.

I find that I prefer to read books in 3rd person limited, but since adolescents and teenagers tend to be fairly self involved : ) (IMHO) I think they would better connect with first person if they identify with the MC. Although when I plowed through my kid's extensive collection of books the majority were written in 3rd person, but I've read that 1st is more appealing to publishers.

Today will be spent re-writing the opening and I'll see how it feels. It's hard for me to separate myself from the narrator with the constant use of "I". I truly admire YA writer's who can really capture the essence of being the age of their MC in first person.
-Laura