22 replies to this topic

[thealtruismsociety]

Steve, on Oct 28 2009, 12:43 AM, said:

That is an interesting exercise, isn't it? I switched to first person midway through my 2007 NaNo for the main character and found it really changed the tone of the story (for the better in this case).

-Steve

I've never really written before not sure whats best. 3rd seem to allow me to tell the reader what EVERYONE was thinking, 1st only my main character seems to get that kind of reveal.

[Marguerite]

Thoth, on Oct 28 2009, 01:16 AM, said:

Afterthought: Perhaps Marguerite would like to chime in. She's a book editor.

No need. You (Thoth) have covered all the bases with your usual admirable efficiency.

Welcome, thealtruismsociety.
Best,
M

[Thoth]

thealtruismsociety, on Oct 28 2009, 01:47 AM, said:

I've never really written before not sure whats best. 3rd seem to allow me to tell the reader what EVERYONE was thinking, 1st only my main character seems to get that kind of reveal.

I've always thought the first person narrative (1PN) to be more immediate and so more exciting. The story unfolds to the character as it unfolds to the reader without an all-knowing voice in the background. The downside, I think, is that it can be frustrating. As a writer you may feel compelled to get every thought on paper, including the thoughts of all your characters. You may want to jump around to scenes that do not include your narrator. TV is always a third person narrative (despite the pretenses of shows like How I Met Your Mother, etc.) so we tend to feel comfortable in the 3PN but there is no reason you can't mix the two (other than points off in Writing Class) if you're careful. After all, how many 1PN detective novels begin with the narrative of a murder, details unseen by the detective?

No doubt about it, 1PN is more work than 3PN, but it pulls the reader along in ways that 3PN doesn't. A 3PN gives the writer more freedom to bounce around but that can lead to reader confusion and disinterest. First person tends to be more focused. When Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick (pub. 1851) the first person narrative was still considered experimental in the eyes of many mainstream American literary critics.

I hope my efficiency remains admirable in M's eyes.

Call me Ishmael, er,
- Thoth.