Point of View

My favorite point of view is first person because it works well both with my voice (chatty and introspective) and with my subject matter (romance, philosophy, being tossed into odd circumstances to which one must adapt). But I will use second or third person if it works better for the particular story, like if I am writing a myth or fairy tale those pretty much only work in third person.

I do far better writing in first person because it seems to me more like the character is telling his own story. And although I'm female, my first-person POV characters are almost always male.

In my novel I'm using third person, but when I switch focal characters, the way they think is the way the story comes out. I tend to use first person a lot more in my short stories, but occasionally third person.

Very occasionally I write in first person and never in omniscient third or second. (I will not even read a story written in second person. It grates on me like few things do.) I prefer third person limited with "deep penetration" (as OSC calls it).

Years ago I just couldn't read any book written in first person, don't know why. I guess my tastes have changed because now it doesn't bother me, and one of my WIPs is in first person. It's challenging, and fun to write.

I'll write a few short stories in first person, but I tend to prefer third person limited. I used to have hopping head syndrome in a bad way, and I found the best way to kick that habit was to be devout to 3rd person limited.

What puts me off writing 1st person is that there are no other words (I can think of) that you can use instead of 'I'. And after a while reading/writing 'I' did this, 'I' did that gets a bit tiresome.

Also...excuse my appalling ignorance, but what is 2nd person POV?

"You" is second person.

Consider it in terms of somebody-1 talking to somebody-2 about somebody-3 else; if I were to do this to you, I'd be the first person (somebody-1), you'd be the second person (somebody-2) and they'd be the third person (somebody-3).

I almost always write in third person. Most of my plots are of a complexity where it helps to be able to show different viewpoints than the protagonist's at times.

To me the story dictates POV. A complex novel requires third person POV so you can present the story from different perspectives for the different story arcs.

Having said that, I do intend to work on a first person POV novel once I complete my WIP, and I have used 1st person for stories. Anne Rice (one of my favs) manages to effectively use first person to tell complex stories, by having other characters tell their stories to the narrator.

In the end, whatever works for you...

diana

Hi Diana:

Glad you asked this question. I enjoy writing in second, sometimes third person, using multiple-character POVs to go with my multiple viewpoints. I avoid first person like the plague, because I can't stand listening to myself, and it could lead to a serious argument I will invariably find myself on the flipside of. LOL.

I guess it depends on the writer, how they choose to write the story, and which POV they feel makes it stronger. Try writing it in 1st person, then rewrite it in second and third. Shift the character POV. If nothing else, it's great fun on a rainy day, and you will probably discover you're the right track.

I use third person almost exclusively. There's only a couple of exceptions when I've used first for short pieces, and I've never used second. I'm not sure why, but it probably comes from how I've only read a couple of novels in first person and found I wasn't fond of the style.

Someday I might write a novel in first person to challenge myself, but for now I'll stick with what I know.

~DragonHeart~

There are more 3rd person novels published than 1st person, and way more of either than of 2nd person. 1st person novels are actually a fairly new invention, and I imagine some older editors might consider it an 'unprofessional' voice. It might depend on the genre you're working in too.

Diana Hignutt said:

To me the story dictates POV. A complex novel requires third person POV so you can present the story from different perspectives for the different story arcs.

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I dunno, I feel I'm accomplishing that quite well using rotating 1st.

Diana Hignutt said:

To me the story dictates POV. A complex novel requires third person POV so you can present the story from different perspectives for the different story arcs.

Having said that, I do intend to work on a first person POV novel once I complete my WIP, and I have used 1st person for stories. Anne Rice (one of my favs) manages to effectively use first person to tell complex stories, by having other characters tell their stories to the narrator.

In the end, whatever works for you...

diana

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I agree with this. If the story has an "epic" dimension - if it's larger than just one character, and if there are several principal actors who may be widely separated through parts of the story, then you'd better be good with 3rd Person.

RoseWrites said:

in my case, my novel is a nonfiction story..memoir, so would 1st person pov seem more ideal?

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A nonfiction memoir would lend itself to 1st Person. 3rd Person would seem presumptuous, because not only are you referring to yourself in the 3rd person (always a faux pas), but it may seem you are presuming to have intimate knowledge of the thoughts and feelings of others, when in fact you may not.

sunandshadow said:

1st person novels are actually a fairly new invention, and I imagine some older editors might consider it an 'unprofessional' voice.

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That doesn't sound right to me; some of the oldest novels I've read are in first person (although I'll admit to not having read particularly far back into history!). Certainly there were common in the 19th century.

I think the most recent development has been 3rd person limited POV, where it is understood that interpretations placed on events are those that would be made by the character who is the focus of the section those interpretations are stated in. AFAICT this convention really only developed towards the end of the 19th century, and earlier novels were more often written in omniscient POV if in 3rd person. I haven't heard any suggestion that this is thought of as unprofessional, though, as it is the way most modern novels are written.

I use third person limited exclusively (at least so far). Most of the books on writing I've read have recommended that novice writers avoid first person. Their reasoning is that first person need a 100% consistant voice and few new writers can do that effectively.

For myself, I suppose I could write a first person novel if the narrator was a middle-aged programmer who is a desk-bound analytic. I wouldn't be able to effectively write in the first person about a homeless woman, a daring adventurer, a criminal, or any number of personality types with which I have no experience. I wouldn't be able to create a consistant voice.

Third person limited, light penetration.

Roger J Carlson said:

I wouldn't be able to effectively write in the first person about a homeless woman, a daring adventurer, a criminal, or any number of personality types with which I have no experience. I wouldn't be able to create a consistant voice.

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I'll bet you'd surprise yourself. I'm not fond of 1st person, but for one story I needed to use it. It's a novelette about how and why one of my novel's villains became evil. I despised him when I started (I'd written the novel first, in which he was already evil), so the only way to portray him as a sympathetic character was to completely get into his mind. First person was the easiest way for me to do that.

azbikergirl said:

I'll bet you'd surprise yourself.

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LOL. I still think they'd all sound like middle-aged, desk-bound, analytic programmers.

Roger J Carlson said:

I use third person limited exclusively (at least so far). Most of the books on writing I've read have recommended that novice writers avoid first person. Their reasoning is that first person need a 100% consistant voice and few new writers can do that effectively.

For myself, I suppose I could write a first person novel if the narrator was a middle-aged programmer who is a desk-bound analytic. I wouldn't be able to effectively write in the first person about a homeless woman, a daring adventurer, a criminal, or any number of personality types with which I have no experience. I wouldn't be able to create a consistant voice.

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First person can also say "newbie". The new writer imagines themselves in different situations and writes in first person.

Os.

Azura Skye said:

Third person limited, light penetration.

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One could say that third person allows you to enter the minds of many characters. Its all about how you use it. A book that uses third person can delve into scenes with much greater depth. For example, a first person from the hero's POV just tells you what they want, how right they are etc. However, a third person can tell us about the situations of both the hero and the villain, and thus grant the story much more tension and drama - because they are both justified.