First Person Question

[Chasing the Horizon]

One of my next projects is going to be written in first person (which is new to me). It's basically the story of one person's career and how all the dramatic events changed her over the years. She returns as a main character in my fantasy series, so this is really just the first part of her story (my series is 3rd limited). What I'm trying to decide is whether the first person books should be written as if the character is recounting her story after it has all already happened, or if I should approach it as an account being written as the events happen (going to be past tense either way). The books span sixteen years, and the character's narrative voice would change significantly over that time if I used the perspective of 'writing as it happens'. Her voice would remain the same throughout if I used the other perspective.

So which is better? Would it take away from the drama and immediacy if she was telling it all from a later point in time, or would the shift in narrative voice be distracting if she tells it as it happens? Basically, which would you prefer reading?

(If both are equal, I'm going with a later recount, because it will be much easier to write)

[Sassee]

You could have her reading a diary. That would solve your problem of changes in viewpoint. Let her read an entry and then lose herself in the rest of the memory, filling in some of the blanks that the diary entries might not cover.

[Danger Jane]

I don't think a shift in voice would be distracting. I think it'd be very interesting if well done.

[Dawnstorm]

(If both are equal, I'm going with a later recount, because it will be much easier to write)

Both are equal. (But I like Sassee's idea a lot!)

[justpat]

The only problem with having her telling the story after the fact is that all your readers will know that she (likely) survives. But if there is no life-threatening situations in your book, then it doesn't matter.

[windyrdg]

I feel you must stay in the past tense. If you can find it, get a copy of Linda Crew's book, A Heart for any Fate. She does a masterful job. I just finished my first first person novel and studied and restudied her technique.

[Gillhoughly]

Read lots of different first person narrative books in different genres to help you figure out what will work best for telling the story.

Seeing how other writers solved the problem keeps you from reinventing the wheel.

I can't recommend using the diary device. Done to death and undeath, staked in the heart, buried, clawed its way up, staked again...you have to be really, really good to get away with it. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/images/icons/icon12.gif

[JoNightshade]

The only problem with having her telling the story after the fact is that all your readers will know that she (likely) survives. But if there is no life-threatening situations in your book, then it doesn't matter.

Uh, regardless of which first-person device you should use, a first person narrator should NEVER die. Not unless there are multiple first-persons in the story, and even then it's iffy.

[justpat]

Uh, regardless of which first-person device you should use, a first person narrator should NEVER die. Not unless there are multiple first-persons in the story, and even then it's iffy.

You would think that this would be an obvious rule, but I've seen it happen. (Actually, I've read it happen) I read a book where the 1st person MC died, and it turned out she was telling the story as a ghost. In another the MC just died and it never really explained how the story ever got told, even though it continued for another 2 or 3 pages after the guy died. These endings did come as a surprise since no one expects a 1st person narrator to die, but they both seemed cheap when it happened.

[justpat]

Oh, one I just thought of that wasn't cheap and worked really well is "All Quiet on the Western Front"

[blacbird]

I've seen variations on both these approaches done and done well in a variety of genres. So there's really no way to give sensible advice outside the context of the story you're writing.

caw

[Chasing the Horizon]

Thanks for the advice. :) Obviously she survives, since she's in my later series. One of my favorite first person books is The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, and that's written from the perspective of a recount. This particular character doesn't keep a written diary, so I can't use that device.

I think I'm going to do it as her telling the story to her brother, who she doesn't meet until a good number of years after all this happens (a reference to the series these first person books prequel). I'm not sure I'm skilled enough to do a slow narrative voice shift (and no-one thinks the same way when they're fourteen as they do when they're thirty). I'll be glad to do any decent work in first person, really.