Which Person Comes First?
Allison Winn Scotch on Jul 10 2008 | Filed under: CRAFT
A friend and I were recently chatting about first person vs. third person, and she asked me why I chose to write my first book (and incidentally, my second, though she hasn’t yet read it) in the first person. I thought it was a great, discussion-provoking question, so I wanted to address it here.
For me, writing in the first person is simply instinctual. I used to do a lot of acting, and my writing process is very similar to my acting process: I tend to slip into my characters, embody them wholly, and so it’s only natural for me to spit out their words as if they are coming directly from them. When I’m in full-blown writing mode (something I desperately need to get back into), I literally find myself woken up in the middle of the night or stopped mid-sentence with the voices of my characters. So, in that sense, first person is the obvious choice.
It also doesn’t hurt that first person, in my opinion, is so much easier to write in. I have complete admiration for authors who pen in the third-person because I just never seem to be able to quite get into the groove when I’m writing in the third person. Words and ideas just don’t flow in the same way. I raised this with my friend, Laura Dave, whose new book, The Divorce Party, alternates between two different third person voices (and is great!), and she concurred, saying that it was so difficult that she’d never tackle that task again. I mean, come on, writing a book is hard enough, and I don’t mean to imply that I’m not willing to challenge myself – I am – but I’m just not sure that I’m up for climbing that mountain.
One thing I am considering for my next book is alternating between two, or even-three, first person voices. This might prove a challenge, but a good challenge, a way to stretch myself without tackling something that is going to suck, as I suspect my third-person book might. But I’m curious to hear what perspective you guys write in and why. Is it instinctual or is there a rational choice behind the voice that you use?
Photo courtesy Flickr’s Lá caitlin
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I write fiction in first person, I think, because I transitioned from writing first person essays and a memoir to developing a novel. I became the voice of my main character — even though she is not me — I feel I speak for her, on her behalf.
When I read I prefer the contemporary women’s fiction written in first person. It speaks to me, and I feel closer to the characters and the action.
I would like to give third person a try, and perhaps even a story from multiple viewpoints. But I find that I can manage the layers in my work-in-progress the way I manage the people and events in my life, because we live our lives in first person. Great topic.
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My finished ms is written is first person with some third-person scenes in a secondary narrative. Writing the main story in first person was a way to develop intimacy between the reader and the main character. I chose a third-person POV for an “out of time” character who’s a main character in her own right. Writing those scenes in third felt right because I think the reader can still develop a strong sense of that character–and have empathy with her–but also feel a necessary distance.
People interested in less common POV choices might want to check out my interview here tomorrow with Lucia Nevai. She wrote her book, Salvation, in first person omniscient. We talk about that choice, and Lucia provides an excerpt of her novel so you can see that POV in action.
Thanks for the post, Allison!
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It’s a matter of instinct for me. When a story comes the voice is already there, sometimes it’s first person and sometimes it’s third. So like you the voice will stop me mid-sentence or wake me up, but it’s not always first person. Sometimes the third person voice tells me something that’s going on with the characters. So I write in both first and third person. I have a book that I started where 4 different characters speak in first person and that’s a very wonderful experience. Also, being able to write in third person I have more access to what is going on with everyone in the story and not only what my character knows.
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This post also has me thinking about my next story, which I’m pretty sure is going to feature a blind protagonist. I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of different POV choices for her. Seems like 3rd would be smart, so that the visuals aren’t lost to the reader. I don’t think I’d want to tackle omniscient…
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Well, for me it’s usually a no-brainer these days: I write in the first person, because the main character is, sort of, me. At least symbolically.
In the past I wrote third-person for more ensemble pieces, when “I” would be the collective consciousness, and I wanted to be able to shift perspective and scene on a whim.
Hmm.. I sense a blog subject coming. ^^
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My only experiences with POV have been my NaNo novels. Three of them have been in third, and this last year I tried first person with two narrators. I like the first person better. It seems more real, more intimate, and a little easier. Not sure why I didn’t do it before!
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Thanks for addressing this here, Allison. It seems first-person wins!
I did some “research” (sounds so much better than “Google’d POV”, right?!) and found an interview with Curtis Sittenfeld, who wrote Prep in 1st person and Man of My Dreams in what she called “close 3rd person.” She said (paraphrasing here) that she just tried it in the way that came naturally and it worked, so she kept with it.
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Many of my favourite books are written in the first person. One thing I’ve noticed is that 1st person books from twenty or thirty years ago have weathered far better than their 3rd person contemporaries. Head hopping and omnicient author style just don’t wash today.
However, many readers do not like first person. They say that it’s obvious the protag made it through unscathed, which serves as a spoiler, and also that they don’t like to be in someone else’s head. Yet the same people will say they love the close third because it puts them right inside the head of the character! You can’t win, can you?
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I had to chuckle as I read this, mainly because it felt like I was reading my own views on this subject.
I find it is much easier to write in first person, because like you said, it is instinctual for me. I mostly write personal essays and opinion columns and those are usually in third person, so my background in writing is another cause for my reliance on first person writing in fiction. My third person writing tends to be dry and not as flowy as my first person writing, but then again, I’m kind of a beginner and just learning what works for me and what doesn’t in fiction.
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I’ve been working on an article about this, thanks to some deep discussions with a student last month. I have used both third and first, and often alternating first, and once four first person voices (Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue) which I will probably not try again. It took an enormous amount of reading aloud to make sure I wasn’t muddying the voices.
There are very good reasons to choose one or the other. The first time I tried it, the narrator was a woman who sought redemption, and some of her acts are not particularly admirable. I gambled that the reader would more likely feel sympathy for her if they were in her head, and it worked out well.
Lately, it seems that sometimes first person in a commercial women’s novel signals “chick lit” which is a lighter coming of age story, often humorous, and often about a fairly young narrator, which is not the focus of my novels, so I used third for the upcoming Lost Recipe. In the end, I found I wanted to use more character voices for that piece, too, because it’s very much a communitiy tale, how communities form and mesh and support the members, and seeing that through multiple viewpoints felt like a more authentic way to show webs of connection. At least this time.
Great subject!
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I once posted a chapter from a WIP on my blog in both first and third person and asked readers which they preferred….it was unanimous, first person won the day. I think it depends of the type of novel, and the distance the author wants to provide.
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I just found this blog, it looks great. I hope it’s okay for me to comment here.
I started the novel I’m currently attempting in third person, against my instincts, because I knew I had at least two different characters in very different places whose stories needed telling, and I didn’t think I could do that with first person. Now I’m reconsidering. The transitions between voices will be a challenge, as will the modifications to a few of the scenes I’ve written, but I think I’ll probably do a better job overall in first. A friend of mine pointed out Wuthering Heights is done that way. I can’t think of others like that off the top of my head, so I was surprised to see so many comments here on multiple first person voices, or narrators. It’s good to know I’m not alone.
Most of the fantasy I’ve read, especially epic fantasy, is done in third. I suppose third omniscient is easier when you’re writing something with so large a scope. A notable exception is Stephenie Meyer — not just in the YA Twilight Saga, but also in The Host (okay, it’s sci-fi, but close enough) — I’ve decided part of the reason she’s so popular is because she does such a wonderful job with the first person voice. The stronger emotion of it shines brilliantly in her books.
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Welcome, Marcy!
I like first person because you can play around with the unreliable narrator aspect. But the same advantage can cut the other way and you’re limited in telling the story from only one POV.
I’m writing in third person for the story I’m working on now to allow me to open up POV’s. It’s not my natural writing style, and it was hard, hard, hard to finally get to the point where I felt like I could swap POV’s, keep the characters’ voices distinct while maintaining consistency in the overall narrative.
I love stories written in close third-person too. I think that takes a special talent. Rowling does a good job in that voice.
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Thank you!
Yes, each POV certainly has its challenges. No matter what my final decision is, I have a feeling I’ll have to just keep reminding myself that almost all rough drafts suck, and keep slogging through.
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I am a fledgling writer (still working on my first draft of something), and I find first person to be easier too. But, not having any formal education beyond high school, and no writing classes or higher level English, I am not schooled in all the various forms of POV. But, I recently read all three of the YaYa Sisterhood novels by Rebecca Wells, and at least two (maybe all three, I can’t remember) are written in first person vignettes told by a number of characters. This means she developed a first person voice for each character, and I actually listened to it on CD, narrated by the brillian Judith Ivey, and I can tell you that I felt like I actually knew each of those characters by the end of the books. Especially Vivi, a most difficult character to love and understand. She was so well developed that I felt I could see her right in front of me – I think she was the most vivid of all the characters, in all her flawed glory.
I think those books were a prime example to me of great first person writing.
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Thanks for this comment, Gail. I’m going to check these books out.
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