First or third person approached?

To be honest I usually find the story just works better one way rather than the other.

I've written both close third and first. I find that first helps me draw in closer to the character. Sometimes I draft a bit in first and then convert to close third. But you're right that the voice has to be distinctive, I'd say in close third too but especially in first.

Voice is a matter of assuming the whole world view of your POV character. What do they notice? In THE STORY OF OWEN: DRAGONSLAYER, for instance, the MC is a musician and she sees in terms of music. For her, another character maybe talks like a brass instrument. What vocabulary does the POV character use? Do they have pet phrases? Are they maybe a gamer and see in terms of video game tropes? What sense do they depend on most? Are they optimistic or pessimistic? Are they bored or excited? How does that show in their observations?

I write mostly in first person, but also in third person a fair amount of the time. I write mostly in first because I love reading first person. I use third person when I want to tell a multiple POV story.

This I also found it a challenge to introduce scenes that my main character was not involved in is a common problems with those new to first person. If you keep at it, you soon realize that you rarely need to introduce scenes your POV character isn't involved in. This is really teh point of first. On the rare instances when you do want, not need, to have your POV character know what happened somewhere else, you just have someone who was there tell your POV character what happened.

Anyway, I think it's best to use the person you most enjoy reading.

I love what you said that you write first person because you enjoy reading it. I've been trying to give myself permission to write in first and this helped lol

I've done both, but prefer 1st. I agree with James's statement.

This I also found it a challenge to introduce scenes that my main character was not involved in is a common problems with those new to first person. If you keep at it, you soon realize that you rarely need to introduce scenes your POV character isn't involved in. This is really teh point of first.

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This approach can vary by story and the style in which you want to tell it. I usually write in first person though.

I tend to alternate between 1st and 3rd person depending on the project. I don't really know what it is about any particular story, some seem to be better in first, others in third.

An interesting thing though, in nearly all my recent projects (can't remember about the very early ones) I haven't felt the need to include scenes where the main character isn't present. I'm telling the story from his or her point of view, and they're not capable of remote viewing or telepathy*. I sometimes imagine events that are going on behind his or her back, generally this has a relevance to the plot and/or how other characters behave. But just like in real life, the main character may not know what's gone on elsewhere and what's causing certain events to happen or people to act a certain way. They may find out at some point, just like people do in real life.

*although that would make a really interesting story for someone else to write, and it technically would still all be from the main character's POV because these abilities would be part of the character

I'm sure this probably depends on genre and the kind of story you're writing. I tend to write character driven stories, so I stay with one character while considering what makes other characters behave as they do. If you're writing something more plot driven then maybe you do need to explain events that are not happening to the main character at the time.

In one of my current projects I'm telling it all through ficticious written communication (articles, blog posts, diary entries, facebook conversations, private message conversations etc) - it's a mish-mash of different points of view, because I wanted it that way. I'm not sure how well it works as a story though - I'll wait and see on that one. For me, it's an experiment.

I've mostly written third, in large part because I've mostly read third, but recently I've been working more with first.

A well-written first person is the most engaging by far, but a mediocre third person is well ahead of a mediocre first person. First person is invariably intrusive, so if it's not well done it ends up being like being poked in the side, whereas third person could very well be invisible.

It's sort of like if, during a movie, I turned to you and said "I don't think the camera(s/men) they hired are very good." Unless they kept dropping the camera, all of the shots were shakey, out of focus, or for some reason turned orange you would think it was a very weird comment to make. You might notice it if the shots were exceptionally good or exceptionally bad, but if they were just average, then you wouldn't pay it any mind. That's third. First is more like the main character, you can't get rid of or ignore him if he's just not all that interesting.

I mostly write in first person, love to tell the story from the main character's POV. I think it appeals to readers more and I can actually be that person for some time. I just like such impersonation.

For picture books, third person or omni often works better. This is because the narrator can be a toddler and may not have the language necessary to narrate his story. (It's also because the adult reading to the child takes the narrator's voice while the child being read to identifies with the character.)

It depends on the story. Which POV works better? I started one in first that I had to switch because the first person narrator had reason not to explain stuff to the reader. Confused readers toss books.

Other work has stayed in first for the most part, but not everything comes tome in first person to start with.

...a mediocre third person is well ahead of a mediocre first person. First person is invariably intrusive, so if it's not well done it ends up being like being poked in the side, whereas third person could very well be invisible.

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This. I thought for a long time that I disliked books written in first person. I finally realized it was that I had read a lot of books in a row where it wasn't done well. Too many 'I's and unattached body parts in a book make it like spending time with the worst sort of whiny, narcissistic person, no matter how interesting the plot.

Religion0 said:

A well-written first person is the most engaging by far, but a mediocre third person is well ahead of a mediocre first person. First person is invariably intrusive, so if it's not well done it ends up being like being poked in the side, whereas third person could very well be invisible.

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I don't know that I'd use the word "intrusive", but I certianlt agree with the point. Someone said that first person is the easiest, most natural POV to write, but the toughest one by far to write well. I agree with this completely.

Unlike third limited, first person is either good, or it's nearly unreadable. Third can be brilliant, or simple, or invisible, or, as you say, mediocre, and the story and characters can still carry it.

In first, the character and the story are the POV, and if it isn't done extremely well, there's nothing to carry it.

This, I think, is why so many agents and editors warn new writers about using first person. Unless you read a lot of it, and on a regular basis, writing it well is darned near impossible.

The percentage of first person in teh slush is far, far higher than the percentage published, and most of it is pretty bad. That's being kind. Third person that's merely competent can still have a good enough story, and good enough characters, to be a bestseller. First that's written poorly simply has nothing going for it at all.

I write in both. As Usher said, I find the story I'm writing just seems to work better one way or the other.

I have no preference as a reader.