First Person [Welcome to my perfumed garden]

What do you think about it? Does it improve the story you're reading - or not? Does it draw you in or leave you cold?

I'm working on the structure for my book - it leaps back and forth a bit, betwen time frames and dimensions and, I originally planned to write it in 1st person but I changed my mind.

My only other experience writing in 1stP was in a fic, A Child of God - which was originally planned to be all 1st P from the POVs of three characters - 3 voices. It didn't really work like I thought it would, seemed needlessly stylistic and was, quite frankly, really hard to do, so I abandoned it in favour of a 3rdP narrative with 1stP inserts. It was my experience with ACOG that led me to abandon the idea for my novel - and because I thought I'd need to know more about the motivation and secret doings of 3 other characters and it just wasn't doable in 1stP but now - I'm nhaving second (third?) thoughts.

While I've been working on the house, we've been spending our evenings in the bedroom with only terrestrial TV for company so I've been doing a lot of reading (*g*) - re-read 3 of my favourite books, Kerouac's On the Road, Donna Tartt's, The Secret History and a new favourite, The Gargoyle by Andrew Davison. What makes them so great, imo (apart from the obviously fabulous writing) is their ability to completely draw you into their world so that you emerge, regretting the end, utterly absorbed; they create worlds that go on living in my imagination for a long time after I've come to the end of the last page and they're all written in 1stP - so now I'm wondering how much of the magic is down to the 1stP voice?

It has made me wonder if I shouldn't go back to that single voice in my own novel. The more I think about it, the more doable it is - but should I do it? Do people, on the whole, like to read 1stP, or is a standard, 3rdP narrative an easier, more enjoyable read?

So, I was wondering how you all feet about 1stP?

Good thing? Bad thing? Irritating? Wonderful? - I'd really like to know.

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I have tried to write in the first person and have had limited success. I think it depends on how naturally the voice speaks in the body of work. A friend of mine has written several stories in the first person and done quite well. I read either narrative.

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I think I agree with what you and everyone else is saying, if you have a real handle on the character and their voice, it's a joy. When I was doing it in the fic I mentioned, I was having a fine time with Blair and Naomi but Jim consistently eluded me and that was why I had to give it up in the end.

Putting it into the context of my novel, I've been thinking about it a lot and I think it's going to work well.

Of course, that means I've got to go back and re-write everything I've done so far - which is more than a bit of a bugger. ::Will suffer for Art:: *g*

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Good luck - I'm trying to figure out a plot for mine

first person *can* work well, but it's a balancing act between getting the voice right and attracting the reader. almost always, what attracts the reader is that they have some sense of identification with the characters in the story. sometimes first person can be hard to pull off if the narrator is too odd, or has too 'strange' a life experience for most people to identify with.

for writing, i agree that first person has to flow. when i work on the time-travel story, it's from Chris' point of view, and it's remarkably easy to channel. but i've tried other first person stuff that i just *can't* get a handle on. so when i write, i write in the voice that the story speaks to me in. it's *usually* 3rd person omniscient, with a tight focus.

-bs

I've been thinking about it all day and I've pretty much decided to go with 1stP - I think, with this novel it'll work very well. The central character's a bit of an oddball but I'm sure people will be able to see through his eyes and the best way to drag them into his rather starnge world is to be there with him, seeing through his eyes.

Some voices, I agree, can be difficult. When I was doing COG, Blair and Naomi flwed beautifully, Jim, much less so - I think in this novel, I'll find the central char a much easier prospect.

Thanks for your thoughts - everyone's been really helpful in making the decision.

I love a well-written first person. A larger than average number of my favourite novels are in first. I do think it's harder to do well, however, and that's possibly why there exists a notable prejudice against the PoV.

I used to enjoy writing in it as well, although these days I seem to prefer a very tight 3rd person present.

It will certainly make it much harder to write (and I'll have to go back and re-write everything I've done so far, *and* look again at my carefully constructed structure)but the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it'll be right for this book.

3rdP is the obvious one and it's been easier working with, but it lacks the immediacy I'm lookinjg for so...

::Sigh:: i foresee a lot of work ahead. (o:

Thanks for your thoughts.

I always think 3rdP is easier to read; maybe because it's how we're taught to read when we're tiny? ::shrug::

1stP involves the reader having to work harder - and if you don't like the person doing the talking it makes it uncomfortable. At that stage I start internally editing and arguing with the writer... it gets messy *g* But like you, most of the books I love are written in 1stP, and for some of the same reasons that I don't like it... I enjoy having to work harder at understanding; I like falling in love with a person rather than a story about that person told from someone else's perspective; I love knowing what someone is feeling and thinking rather than what they appear to be thinking.

Sorry - I'm obviously in a waffley mood today. ::rolls eyes::

Will people like Angel? I think so, he's very sweet and loveable but with a darkly machiavellian side which, having thought about little else all day (roll) will come across better in 1st P I think. Thinking about the character in The Gargoyle - he's not a nice person at all, really dislikable at first, despite your feeling sorry for his hideous predicament. But he softens and so do you. I loved the way Davison developed him in his own voice and that's what I'm going to try for in this book.

I've mused on it lots and I feel quite chipper about how it'll change the structure and character of the book now. I have a fair bit of re-writing to do but it'll be worth it, I hope.

Thanks so much for your input hon - it really has helped; everyone has.

I like the intimacy with the characters allowed by the 1stP. I like it when each character can speak his own voice . And I also like a lot dialogues.

YES! That's exactly what I love most about 1stP and there's a lot of dialogue in this book - the character has a few intimate friends and he argues a lot with ghosts. I think it'll work well in 1stP.

Thanks so much for your thoughts. You hit the nail right on the head. *g*

I read a lot of detective fiction and that's pretty evenly divided between first and third. I'm comfortable reading both...

I've always written in third, but with the original novel project, I've been havi ng a *terrible* time hearing my protagonist's voice, and so that character has been eluding me. But I was at writing class Sunday, and one of the instructors suggested writing him in first, and it's been amazing - it's opened up the style and tone of my writing so that it finally feels like the book I want to be writing. I'm not quite sure why it feels that way, but I am going to go with it - it feels like a gift from the muse, or something!

Oh yes indeedy. The more I thought about it (and I thought about little else for the past 24 hours. *g*) and how a change of voice will affect the structure, the way I deal with the story - the more I like it.

I nmight try re-writing one of my chapters 1stP tonight and see how it goes.

I'm really glad it's working for you. I have a com for original-fic (and non-fic) writers if you ever feel like you need the company? (o:
http://community.livejournal.com/scribblers_nook/

I like it -- not all the time, natch, but when it's well done, it's very good. I really like it when it's an unreliable narrator :)

They don't come more unreliable that my narrator I don't think. I think the boy will do good as the only voice. I think I've made up my mind to try 1stP anyway. Thanks for your input. (o:

I think it depends on the writer and the story. The reason 1stP works for mystery and suspense is that there are things our protagonist doesn't know and the story is about they're slowly finding out and us with them. Depending on the complexity of your story, one person's perspective is or is not enough to convey the information you need the reader to have. Moving between 1stP's of different narrators can either be a wonderful way of giving two different versions of events (like Rashomon) or it can give the reader mental whiplash. If they identify too much with one character, it can be annoying to wade through the POVs of either characters and sometimes I know I skim to get back to the person I'm interested in.

You also then need to have a good grasp of each character so that their voices are distinct and interesting. But if you can do that, the complexity of different narrative voices can give a depth to your story that one person's POV can't.

But ultimately it's not about what works best for the reader (who will struggle along if the story grabs them) but what works best for the story. Does this story want o be in 1st POV? Then you should write it that way.

PS. Have you done something to the font size in the comment box? It's literally the size of ants on my screen and I can't see it well enough to know if I've made spelling errors, whereas the lj default works fine for me. *ssratches head*

the character doesn't know, which was what was making me think twice - but you're right, he learns with us, it's all good. I wouldn't try to do this story in more than one voice - way too complicated! It was hard enough when I was writing Child of God and that was fic; 3 voices the readers already knew well. I really wouldn;t attempt that with this novel - it's one voice or 3rd voice.

I do think, after much contemplation (o: - that 1stP will work pretty well. It'll mean doing a lot of work on the structure and re-writing about 20,000 words but I think it'll lift the story out of the trench it's digging itself into at the moment.

As for the comment size - nope, it's fine for me and - I think - everyone else, but I've had that very problem happen occassionally on other LJ's. It's just one of those bizarre LJ thangs that happen sometimes.

Oh, it completely depends on the work in question. What I love about it is the opportunity it affords for unreliable or unaware narrators, who IM0 are always more fun....

I did once write a novel with 8 different first-person narrators, which might have been going it a bit but was great fun to do.

OTOH, it is a fact that if you ask on litfic mailing lists you will get replies from people hwo say they don't read novels in first person. Must restrict their reading somewhat!

Cor crikey! That must have been... fun she said with a wry smile. The thing that made the fic I was writing in all 1stP so hard was that, while 2 of the voices came throug beautifully, the third didn't want to cooperate with the muse at all and it was making it hard and not much fun.

The more I think about this the better I feel about doing it in one voice.

replies from people hwo say they don't read novels in first person.
Never? They're mising out on some quality writing, imo.

Thanks muchly for your input - everyone's been a real help.

I really love 1stP... sometimes. :-)

As a reader, it can be fabulous *if* the author really *gets* the character. I think that it makes bad characterization much more obvious. But I feel like you get closer to the character when you are all the way there in their head with them. I do think that well-done 1stP can pull you into the story in a way that can't be achieved with 3rdP.

Which is perhaps why I like to write it, as well... and I'm sitting here scratching my head trying to determine whether I can articulate why sometimes things need to be in 1stP and sometimes 3rdP is all that will do. I don't think I can. :-)

...than in original fiction. I'm not sure why that is? Probably because we all feel we know the fic character so well, it's easier to see and much more jarring when the voice isn't perfect. With someone's created character, a character we donlt already know, 1stP helps us get to know them much more intimately - or something. (o:

The more I think about it, this book, being about one man's worlds, inner and outer - is going to work so much better in 1st. I'll have to work on the structure - things the reader would have been let in on behind the main Char's back 0 that'll have to be re-thought, but it'll be well worth the work I think.

Thanks for your helpful imput!

I like both and will write both, although I think most of my first person stuff is pretty short - longer, plotty things I tend to write in third person limited. But I think if you can hear the character's voice it can be very powerful. The times I've used it, it's just come right through, I haven't had to really work at hearing the character's voice in my head at all.

I saw that someone had commented above about first person being best if you liked the character, and also if you wanted the reader to know what the character knows. I'd just put the example of Lolita against that: the story is told in first person, and yet Nabokov does an amazing job of making the reader understand that his first person narrator is unreliable. I think it's really hard, but when things like that work, it's an incredible experience.

I mean, I can forsee some difficulties - there is one particular instance where the reader is supposed to know something the main character doesn't, but as i think about it, I think I can deal with that differently, in fact, the more i do think about it, the better it all feels. I think switching to one voice will lift it right out of its - not doldrums, it was working just fine in 3rd - but it could become something really special in one voice - and his perspective on the metaphysical stuff will be interesting to experience. (o:

You do have to know that voice well - but that's a learning experience too, you grow to know him through the writing. I'm quite excited my the prospect. (o:

Of course, now I have some 20,000+ words to re-write but that's OK (no, it's not but I don't have much choice I don't think)

edited because the typos are being hyper like toddlers on Tang today.

Although I love virtually any well-written story, I find more and more I really like 1st person. It can be the whole story through one pair of eyes, or it can be more than one POV taking turns.

What I like best about it is. when it's done right, I'm *in* the character's head. I can feel the emotions, the doubts, the reactions. 3rd person can describe it, but 1st person lets me *feel* it.

Great question.

me too. I think, for that total-immersion experience, there's just nothing to beat it.

1st person lets me *feel* it.
EXACTAMUNDO! Yes; nail right on it's purty li'l head.

I really am starting to feel that this story will work so much better through a single pair of eyes. It'll be harder to do but well worth it in the end.

Thanks for your thoughts. very helpful.

Weeeellll, to be honest, I don't enjoy reading first person POV and I never have. The only exception in my reading history is Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, where he narrates throughout. In fanfic, seeing "I watched as..." on screen is the fastest way to get me to back-button out of a fic, no matter who wrote it.

The one dissenting voice. *g*

What is it you don't like about it? I only just noticed that my favourite reading experiences are all 1stP so it hasn't exactly screaming out at me all this time. (o:

In fic, I agree, it's much harder because we all already know those voices so well and it's never going to be perfect, I don't think. The one and only time I attempted it in fic, I could hear Blair and Naomi just fine (though whether my interpretation of their voices worked for the reader is open to debate) but I struggled desperately with Jim - and that was why, in the end, I dropped my plans to do it all in 1st. And so often the voices just aren't right and, yeah - a badly done 1stP is way harder to read than when the voices are wrong but it's in 3rdP because there's that anonymous narrative voice to guide you through the horrible dialogue. *g*

But with original fiction, I love a 1stP voice, when it's done well, of course. But when it *is* done well, it lifts a story and draws you in like nothing else, imo.

I'll stand up and admit it - I'm easily intimidated when it comes to discussing literature (hangover from school days when I wasn't considered intelligent enough / good enough at English to do eng. lit at O'level despite it being the one subject I would have given my arms, hands, and eyes to do).

Personally, I hate any sort of writing where the style of the writing is the first and last thing that hits me when reading a story (whether it be FF or pro).(I may be being harsh but it kinda strikes me that the person is going look at me, I can do this shiny sort of wrting, I'm a Writer!) Ist person obviously does this straight away, but then that's uncultured me. I actually read a Robin Hobbs a few months back- didn't realise before I bought it 1p is the pov she uses always. Until the story began to wind itself up, I found it a slog but once the story got going, then it was enjoyable enough. There are other styles that bug me more though (over descriptive, use of present tense). If a story is good enough then I'll read it - but it needs more to drag me in and keep me in. And yeah never, ever tried to write in it!

Welcome to my perfumed garden

First Person

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Yeah.

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I like the intimacy with the characters

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I hear that!

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heh!

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Well there's certainly lots...

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8 different first-person narrators...

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I'm much less fond of 1stP in fic

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Yeah. ::nods::

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I find more and more I really like 1st person.

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Heh

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May