1st or 3rd Person - Pros & Cons!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- 1st vs. 3rd person? Which is better? Neither! They each have their own pros & cons, and I'm going over what they are. Though, at the end of the day, it's all a matter of personal preference, the story, and mastery of skill.
I realized in hindsight my examples between 1st past and 1st present... sound the same said out loud lol. Whoops. (walk vs. walked!)
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I’ve always highly prefered 3rd person over 1st person writing, mainly because I always find it hard to believe that the main character would remember all of the details and had that beautiful language skills for the descriptions :D
RIGHT!!!!. LOL...I noticed that too...first Person Always uses great,detailed description and certain words that They just Dont speak like that In Reality..thats More for 3rd person.
John Watson in the Sherlock Holmes books is a great first-person pov, since he is a writer in the story. So he would naturally give detailed description to the events unfolding.
@@edwardmoreno60 absolutely. That's a fine example
They don't have to remember. They could misremember. That's where the fun comes in.
@@MAFion i see people doing this and they overdo it. i see the alure, i really do. misremembering leads to conflict. conflict leads to ...stuff happening... then there's the big reveal.
but really it just frustrates ME.... and it's probably because of how i was trained to think (law studies, law enforcement, history major, forensic science, biology, psychology.... my brain is a catch-all. every detail is important. i am a nasty person to know if you're a hardcore liar or narcissist. however i am pretty handy if you are bad at keeping track of your stuff.)
i don't often find too many stories where misremembering is done well. it's right up there with the person running upstairs to hide from the bad guy... after a while i'm screaming at the book right before i throw it.
I greatly prefer 3rd person since my writing style deals heavily with detailed descriptions and atmosphere-building, and I can reliably keep that style as opposed to 1st person where I’d have to have a rather specific type of character providing the voice in order to keep up the style. However, if I’m writing a story where the main character especially goes through a lot of inner turmoil and change, I like 1st person because the struggle really becomes personal that way. Still, I tend to go with 3rd over 1st.
I like your comment! I am writing a book and the character Lynne Madison is going to go through a lot of trauma and abuse and i just could NOT decide whether to write in 1st or 3rd..but when you said it provides the character's turmoils and what not to become more personal, it was like something clicked in my head. "Ah that totally makes sense!" I decided that I want the character's traumas to be personal to the reader. Anyways! Thanks for that! 😄
YES, SAME
I actually feel that third person can connect me better with the characters, and first person limits my eyes so to speak. My current story has a character going through a lot of trauma too, and it's in close third person. :P I think it can be done just as well in both POVs though. :)
@@SysterYster You have to be your character, not to connect to your character. IMO.
@@legzzzzz Well, certainly when you write the character. But not when you read about them. I don't need to *be* my friends to be able to like them. But I need to be able to connect and understand them. Same with reading for me. But when I write, I need to be in their heads and emotions 100%.
Two PoVs, both alike in dignity, in fair authortube where we lay our scene...
You are a legend
Fave comment I’ve seen in forever 💕
Omg, this is gold!
I cannot express how much I love this comment
ahhhhh! (that's my literal reaction!)
I think that 1st vs 3rd is more of a personal case, depending on the writer's writing style and the overall story. Neither of the povs isn't superior in general but can in some cases be superior option.
As an author working my debut novel, I always enjoy hearing your craft advice. POV is often something I struggle with so hearing some things that clarify the difference between the two is very helpful.
What are you going to call your book?
@@donovanjones4170 The Betrayer's Wrath.
@@katrinaglover5367 That's cool. I'm working on mines too. There's nothing like books that can make u time travel and once u return back to Earth, it feels like time ran.
I like first person for factions. That is, real life events that happened to you that you write about as though they were fiction.
@@katrinaglover5367 Skme advice, you probably shouldn't disclose the name of your book or too many details especially in its early stages. Your book is like a seed, if you say to quickly, the birds can easily steal.
I think first person is more realistic. Being in somebody’s head is the best way to be immersed in a story. That’s why I like YA fantasy. Adult fantasy is almost always in a dry third person narration.
ccbib Same. I like both and I'll read and love both, but I prefer first person, both in reading and writing.
I used to write in 3rd only but I recently realized for the genre I write, thrillers, I feel first is better for that because it feels more natural. In my current project I do first person past because my character is telling her story after the dust settles.
I'm a third-person writing serial head hopper and I feel personally attacked.
Can I say that a lot of fanfic writers are unfairly biased against 1st person? There are some FUN advantages to 1st (Hyperbole sounds better in 1st), speaking as someone who used to only write 3rd
I may be wrong but fanfic writers usually are very attuned to what is poplar and what readers want so I would hazard a guess that it's just not in favor for the readers (myself included).
I mean that's true, but on the other hand as a fanfic reader I think I'm rather biased against first person in fics, since I can recall exactly one time I saw a good first person fic when the source material wasn't also a book in first person.
First person in fanfic and original fic are different beasts. In a fanfic you're usually following a character/characters from the original work, therefore it's way easier to mess up their voice if you're writing in first person. People don't want to read or write fanfic that is OOC. First person fanfic tends to be extremely OOC.
If you can get the voice right and the plot is deeply psychological, it can be fun. My favorite fic is 1st person because the humor, realizations, and inner turmoil shines so much brighter than a 3rd person story ever could.
I'm both a fanfiction writer and an original writer. There is a reason that we hate writing most of our fanfictions in first-person and that's because most fandoms were written in third-person or are movies/tv shows show a third-person point of view. Books like Twilight and The Hunger Games are written in first-person, though, and so most people don't mind writing in first-person for fanfictions of those fandoms. But writing a fanfic from the view of Harry from Harry Potter? You're just going to come across as if you're a new writer.
For original stories, though, we don't have to bother with making our works sound good in a fandom that's not written in a different point-of-view. We can simply write it however we want (so long it's written well, mind).
I kind of think 1st/3rd (and past/present) pick themselves. Whenever I'm brainstorming a new project I feel like the story tells me how it wants to be written. I just go with it.
the weird part is I read a lot of first-person books, not even on purpose, but I naturally write in third-person so that's great.
Love your outfit here! Also, the next time someone asks me what POV they should use, I'll direct them here. :)
omg yeah that green goes so good with her hair and lipstick!!!
One "pro" to both 3rd person limited and 1st person past is that switching between the two for a scene (like using a different camera shot in filming) can go a long way toward selling that scene, moving the story along, or easing the reader into another character's POV.
in my opinion it also depends on whether you focus on internal, emotional and character driven stories or rather on external, physical stories that revolve around a 'bigger' problem. If the characters struggle a lot personally and there's a lot of internal tension within or between the characters, I think it's easier to feel and relate to that in first person. but if the story is about say a big war or about politics or just if there's a lot going on around the character, I think it's better to use 3rd person because it gives more possibilities to describe what's happening and who's doing what without being limited to the knowledge or vocabulary of one person. I hope that made sense...
Oh wow, you're actually right i never thought about that, thank you for this !!!
That makes so much sense!!
I like to write in 3rd POV, when my characters are solving a mystery, or going to a roadtrip, or DOING something like you said what is "happening around them"..... Because it is so much easier and fun to see how my sweet pies are solving some mysteries and enjoying their hippie-hood. It gives me "The Big Brotha" vibes and I can do whatever I want to do with them, it's like playing sims..... and to be honest, I'm realizing...sometimes I can relate more to my characters when they are written in 3rd pov, which is oddly strange, like they are somewhat far away but still in my ❤, single touch away😂..... and also, 3rd pov makes more mysterie aswell and keeps that "over-melanholic-descriptions" bottled away
In 1st POV I like to write when;
deep pov about love and other drugs, more like psychological monologues works best in my opinion when you are using 1st pov.
Basically yeah, I tend to think that "Character-Driven" sometimes works best when using 1st POV, and "Character-is-already-driven-away-in-da-anotha-dimensia" when using 3rd POV
I'm always surprised when people say they dislike reading 1st person. I love it! I tend to like characters much more when their story is told from 1st person POV
I don't comment too often; just thought I'd say I continue to love your channel, and appreciate all the great food for thought you provide us.
Thank you.
I tend to just gravitate toward first person because that's how I see my stories--always through the characters and never from an outside perspective. I used to write in third person a lot when I was little, but now it just seems weird to me. I don't have strong feelings for either perspective, first person is just how I see things.
I don't know if I'm weird or not, but I always feel disconnected in 1st person. Because it says "I, me" and I am not this person that I have to read as "me". It weirds me out. 3rd person always feels more real and personal to me. But with more than one person. :) Like, my MC for example, you are in his head a LOT. And it's written in 3rd person. People have told me how good the introspection is. I mean, this is why I think 3rd person is just as close as 1st, only you can be close to more than one. It's all about how it's written. And, the difference between 3rd person writing and a movie is that in movies we rarely get the inner side (thoughts, feelings) we only see what the do, their visible reactions to things, and what they say. In a book, you also get their bodily reactions, their thoughts, the motivations they don't speak of.
you missed a golden opportunity for "prose & cons" lol
I really wish there was more of a place in fiction for 2nd person. Although it's a webcomic and not a novel, I am so impressed by the use of second person in Homestuck as a stylistic choice to turn the reader into the voice in the characters' heads. There was a short story on LeVar Burton Reads called "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience TM" that used 2nd person to a similar effect. I would love to see more acceptance for that kind of experimentation in publishing.
Jamaica Kincaid's Girl, Italo Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveller..., and more. I'm on submission with my agent with my book that's heavy use of second person!
I personally like to stick to 1st person, but if I ever stray to 3rd I will usually write in 3rd person limited. I agree that neither one is better than the other. Thanks for the video!🙂
I agree with you! Though the book I'm working on is in third person limited, I was really surprised at how much intimacy you can really achieve in this POV. I hope to try the other POV with short stories after I've finished my first draft
I have a strong preference for third person, and pretty much always have. Most of what I read is third person (I'm a fantasy reader) and most of what I write is as well. Every once in a while a character will come to me in first person, and that's fun. But it isn't usually a project I finish. The reason I prefer third is that if I'm directly telling a story from a character's perspective, I feel like I can't describe things they wouldn't. Character x is upset and unlikely to notice that xyz happened. Sometimes that's great, but sometimes you want the reader to know. Also useful for world building when the character is used to the world. (that bit is DEFINITELY from consuming so much fantasy.)
Gurrrll when's the makeup vid gonna drop I need tips! Fabby advice as always, love your vids! x
I thought I was smart until I watched this video, wow was I confused. It is great information but really above my head.
RoseKindred same
Hop to another one.
We’re not gonna talk about how she said “the next pro” and I got an ad that said
*”millions of children are on the brink of death”*
We see you st Jude.
Alexaaaa where are you? Come back already I’m writing my debut novel and I need more content from you🙏🏻 everyone is waiting❤️
I used to favor third person, but switched for a couple of reasons. First, I've done quite a bit of ghostwriting of trope romances and I've grown comfortable with it. Second, my hero, James Patterson, writes in first person and it's hard to argue with his level of success.
I struggle with reading 1st person POV. I normally don’t read YA and recently read a book in 1POV and it led me to see the character as self absorbed because everything every other character did was about them. There’s a war going on and the protagonist is wondering why the man she loves is ignoring her. I found myself saying “There is a WAR coming! He’s a little preoccupied!” Lol
Exactly why first isn't so interesting to me.
Well, we live in a first point of view. But, maybe it wasn't done right.
@@sharonefee1426 Very, very often, it's not done right. Living in a first POV doesn't mean we have to only be thinking about ourselves. Many of us think about others more. If my daughter is sad, then she's sad. But often, it would be, "I feel a pain in my heart that my daughter is sad." Feeling bad for someone you love who is sad shouldn't need to be explicitly said if it's established that you love that person. If my daughter glances over at our dogs, then she glances at them. But "I saw her glance at the dogs" is along the lines of what I so often see. All that I, I, I is very self-absorbed.
"I feel a pain in my heart that my daughter is sad. I saw her glance at the dogs."
"My daughter is sad. She glances at the dogs."
Both are first POV, but one of them is clearly all about the narrator, whereas the second shows the narrator focused on someone else instead of herself (using female pronouns since the "I" in this case is me).
@@authoralysmarchand4737 So the problem is not the point of view, the problem is how it's written. I don't know, we say: I feel, i see, I think... But again, it's all about doses. You can write "my daughter is sad." but unlike what many authors online say, I think filter words can be used sometimes. For example "I noticed her arrival" is a bit different from "she arrived (suddenly)."
@@sharonefee1426 The vast majority of the time, though, it IS written in a very self-centered manner. It's very easy to do that, and it's uncommon to find someone who doesn't. So you're going to have many people, like myself, who aren't going to bother dropping $20 on the hope that a first-person book will fall in the minority.
"I noticed" Tell us what she did that made you notice she'd arrived.
"I noticed her arrival" vs. "she arrived (suddenly)": She walked through the door.
That's both not self-centered AND shows what happened that made you notice. Telling vs. showing.
I highly recommend everyone try writing at least one long story in second person. Not necessarily to try to publish, but it is a phenomenal writing exercise. Of every writing project I’ve ever done, the novel I wrote in second person helped me hone my realistic dialogue, internal conflict, and character development. 10/10 recommend!!
I see almost more similarity between 3rd person limited and 1st person than 3rd person omniscient and 3rd person limited. I've never written an omniscient story in adulthood. I'm currently writing one in first person and another in third limited, and while the effect of first can be more immediate, I find my writing approach to the two quite similar. The key element for me is having a perspective that is limited to a single observer.
I prefer 3rd, mostly because I like splitting the attention between two or three main characters. Different characters have different views, different reactions, different thought processes, and I really like delving into those when I'm writing. I find that it's just easier to do that in 3rd limited than 1st. As long as I can remember whose head I'm in, and wait to show another character's internal thoughts until it's their scene. But I also like 1st for writing short fiction, because there are less words, less characters, and you can get more intimate with what you do have there.
I WAS JUST LITERALLY THINKING ABOUT THIS LAST NIGHT OMG
i always write in 1st person. its no option for me, even though i do like a lot of 3rd person books. what i do is i write in present, 1st person but i switch between the POV of different characters
Isn't that what's called 3rd person limited/close? You see more than one character's inner thoughts and feelings, but each scene or chapter is limited to this one character. Unless if you use "me and I" instead of their names of course? Would that be called something else? 1st person omniscient perhaps?
@@SysterYster you're talking about a couple different things here--there's multiple first person narrators, which is I think what OP was talking about. The difference between that and multi-PoV third person is whether they're written in first or third person, as the name implies.
I'm pretty sure you'd just call that first person multi or something like that. If you told me about something called "first person omniscient" I would assume it to be something like a Snicket narrator, where most of the story is functionally third-omniscient but there's a first person narrator telling that story in the text itself.
Also, third close doesn't require multiple PoVs to work; Harry Potter, excluding the prologues, is third limited with one PoV while A Song of Ice and Fire has a rotation of characters telling the story, all in third limited.
@@sarcomeresarecool Yeah, first person multi sounds legit. Is that the term that's used? I kinda don't write in first person so I don't know about them as much. XD
Yeah, omniscient wasn't right. I just didn't know what to call it. :P
Yeah, I know that. There are many third person stories with only one POV. Though generally, I prefer more than one POV. It's more interesting to me. But I have never read a story with multiple first person POVs. They must be super rare!
Back in a college Creative Writing class I wrote a story in 2nd person. And it definitely was a challenge. (Though the next part of that assignment was much easier; rewrite your story in a different point of view!) But you are right in that you basically never see 2nd person. I can only recall seeing it in 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books.
This goes hand in hand with what tense. Which I still don't know. So while I write, when I read what I wrote, I notice I switch between tenses. But I'm also trying to save it til m first drat is done.
I've been watching your videos out of order for a little over a year, I just wanted to say your hair, makeup and the color of your shirt are ON POINT in this video, so pretty!
So timely for me! WIP #1 was third-limited, multi-POV. My new WIP looks like it's going to be first, dual-POV and I'm looking forward to the challenge. It was great to have a reminder of the pitfalls. :)
i love really attaching deeply with a single character in time so my favorite is first person present and that's pretty much how i always write my stories ^.^
Problem is, I like head hopping in books. I want to know not just what someone is doing, but why. If you have a scene where one person is trying to feel out another, or where there is a battle of wills, I want to see both sides of that conversation. I understand that it has to be done well, and it may take rewriting a scene dozens of times to get it right, having people reading to see if they are understanding what it going on, but I guess I like in-depth stories, to be in their heads, not just watching them do stuff.
Maybe I'm dense, but I read two to three paperbacks a week from a childhood up to third year college, and I just don't remember feeling different about a character based on 1st or third person presentation.
One thing I've noticed in fanfiction is that 3rd person is super popular, particularly 3rd person limited. I've always wondered about this trend hahaha. For some reason I'm not as into 1st person when I read ffn but it's fine when it's novels? I wonder if it's because I'm used to one thing in a certain genre so I just roll with that.
Anyway, this was a great video, as always ♡
In FF, first feels a bit Mary/Gary Stu.
Interesting, she just said the opposite. I think it depends if you add a new main character or not. I wrote a story where I added a new main character (which actually became more main than the original), and it was written in first point of view. But, as I didn't add any new main characters, it was in 3rd person (wrote three fanfictions in my life, one of them with a second person, but oh well)
This is a pet peeve but i've seen so many ff writers who do not know the difference between 3rd limited and 3rd omniscient.
@@anarchsnark I've seen many FF writers who don't know how to use punctuation. :D I try hard to see FF as a young writer starting out writing and using pre-established characters and worlds to dip their toes in. But when I was in school, by the age of 13, we were expected to have a firm grasp on punctuation, their/there/they're, etc. Unfortunately, most schools these days place no emphasis on spelling or anything, and the "correct" answers are usually copied verbatim from the text instead of your own words.
I personally love writing in third person more, though I've read first person POVs that were really good, like Frankenstein or yes, even Brightly Burning. Too many times though have I been trapped in a protagonist's head that I started to loathed the more the story went on. (Looking at you, Feyre.)
I've done both first and third and agree with all these points. I do have a love if first though!
Please do a video on 2nd person!!! I want to hear your thoughts!
I remember how jarring it was when I read my first 1st person fic after years of only seeing 3rd. Took me a chapter or two to get used to it, now I enjoy it just as much! It was only last year that I stumbled upon a certain fandom that pretty much only used 2nd and holy crap, that was weird! The biggest thing was that many of them didn't give the protagonist a name and just inserted (y/n) which is very distracting to the story/fic.
I would argue that reader-insert fic (which I think is what you're referring to?) is a different subject from using 2nd person POV as a storytelling technique.
Both are valid points of discussion though! I think reader-insert style fiction would be an interesting direction for wish fulfillment genres like romance, which is mostly where I would expect to see it used in fic. 2nd person used similarly to 3rd limited works well for shifting POV from the character themself to their inner voice. Great for exploring cognitive dissonance! Also fun in sci-fi contexts where AI and AR come into play. 😀
Literally started writing my new book yesterday, and I have only a google doc page. I started with third person but it feels so distant. This came at a perfect time!
Sometimes, first point of view can feel distanced, and so the other way around. There are some character you feel far from as they are in first point of view, and you can't get connected to them anyway..
If you plan on publishing you must first decide if you want fans or sales. In other words, either write what you like or write for the market. The former is more fun but the later gives you better publishing chances. Then, apply what she said.🙂
I definitely prefer 1st POV. I mainly read and write only in the POV.
I do not like 3rd at all. It takes a certain author and plot for me to read any book written that way, and for it to hold my attention. 😃
Please do a video on tenses! My comfort zone is third person past tense but for ~reasons~ my WIP needs to be in first person present tense, and I’m still struggling with it halfway through my second draft. Would love to hear your thoughts!
Something I love about third omniscient is how easy it is to create suspense and leave a cliff-hanger. When in limited or first, you're with that character the entire time. But in omniscient, you can have A find herself face-to-face with her mortal enemy, who has the upper hand, cut the end of the chapter. open the next with B figuring out something has happened and trying to find out what, while you know that A is in trouble and who knows what's happening while you're with B as B starts to panic and summon the alarms.
Twilight ruined first for me, to be honest. Bella was so unreliable that I can't read first person and trust the narrator. It also isn't as interesting. Listening to someone talk about themselves non-stop, since everything is I, I, I, gets boring. Third limited can still give that person's sole view, yet is more interesting since someone else finds this person interesting enough to tell me all about what's happening with that third.
I won't read anything in present tense. When a character is doing something stupid, I want to yell at them to stop being idiots. Quite often, there's something stupid going on, some absolutely moronic actions taken, and since we know enough to figure it out, the narrator, who told us that info, should know as well.
I love all of you video's! I just found them a few days ago, but I've been listening to all of them as I write. As a person that's always stuck in pre-writing I've found your information to be super helpful for moving past that and actually getting words on the page. Thanks for providing such invaluable insight!
I was very please with the presentation very well put together. How you explained both concepts of writing in first and third POV. helped me understand how to write and express my story. Thank you
Alexa has everything and anything that aspiring authors want to know. Love her! ♥
My personal preference is for 3rd person limited. On my writing journey I go with that and use 2 or no more than 3 POV’s. It just writes neater and cleaner for me.
I find 1st person present tense is great for reactive scenes, so exciting! Observing the setting and scene with the character.
Thanks, professor; I did not understand how to use the first person until I listened to your explanation. Keep up the good work, and God bless you.
It's funny bc I write in either, depending on the story, but as a reader I greatly prefer 3rd person. Of course, 1st person is fine for memoirs, autobiographies, and literary fic that's 1 individual's odd story - so I don't consider it a strike against those books. But I check tense before buying and I won't buy large novels in 1st person - historical, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. I've had bad experiences with many 1st person novels being immature YA or bad romance, so at this point I don't give them a chance. Plus, I get sick of being in 1 char's head, unless it's a super compelling char
I often prefer reading in first person but writing in third person because it is more my style and I get to go more in depth of the actual story and there’s no restrictions as I am able to talk about different characters however if a first person is properly executed they are very good
So essentially try everything and find what makes writing fun and inspiring.
not to act like I know everything but I want to share my experience with pov's etc.
I used to write always in the third person limited but (and I didn't realise then) I felt really bored and uninspired. It made writing feel like a job.
So when writing I would jump back and forth between all different types of pov and tenses (present, past etc.) until one night I was writing and I was trying a pov out and I started having a lot of fun with it and it was really enjoyable and inspiring.
It was First Person present though it was a challenge not to slip back into first-person past.
I personally prefer 1st but I don't mind 3rd. I think it depends on the genre. As you mentioned horror does seem to work better when I'm reading form the 1st person - I find myself peeking over my shoulder if I'm reading in the dark. While 3rd seems to work better for lengthier, detail-heavy, worlds.
Every time I seem to be wondering if I made the right decisions when it comes to my books and in general wondering about different things you always upload the video a few days later that related to it 😊😂
I'm struggling with my POV for my fantasy romance novel. I want to do third person close to get those beautiful fantasy descriptions of scene and setting, but it is primarily a romance and I feel like I can't get those deep emotional moments without 1st person POV. Any advice is welcome!
I feel pulled towards first person present tense for my next project, but I am starting to understand why it’s such a challenge. The allure of the immediacy is soooo tempting, though.
The Third-Omni can allow including more than one character's thought without head hopping. I've verified several times.
Hi, I have been researching omniscient pov for a while. I am trying to learn about omniscient pov/perspective. I am confused because I read that if your story is written in omniscient, then the omniscient narrator cannot be a character in the story. Is that true?
I am learning all I can about third person limited and third person omniscient in order to decide on which I should use for a story I'd love to write. In my research, I am getting confused about a few things regarding omniscient, which is the style I am actually leaning towards using:
1) So, in omniscient, the perspective is from the narrator, not a character, so, how does the story include the perspective of the characters? Should it?
2) In omniscient, can the characters wince, raise an eyebrow, clench fists, (show) thoughts and emotions through body language, facial expressions and sensations, or, should the omniscient narrator tell the thought or feelings, because the omniscient knows everything. When and why should an author/narrator show instead of tell, when writing in omniscient? Why would an omniscient narrator write Sally clenched her fists, instead of telling the reader she was angry?
3) Which is correct for omniscient? Sally blushed or Sally turned red or Sally felt her cheeks get hot? Because it's the narrator's pov and perspective and knows all, I'd think the narrator can describe Sally using any of the examples. But I'm not sure and cannot find info on correct use of these types of things. Any insight, or rules of thumb I can follow? I understand that in third person limited where the pov and perspective are from a single main character at a time, one should probably write Sally's cheeks got hot because she is experiencing it and cannot see the redness. Not sure what the rules are for omniscient.
4) Lastly, because the omniscient narrator knows all, why do I read instructions that it's still best to stick with one main character per scene or chapter, instead of switching to another character? I understand that rule with third person limited / multiple, but with a narrator being omniscient, I'd think it'd be ok say what a different character was thinking and feeling as long as it's clear to the reader. I am probably wrong but all I can find on the subject is warnings about head hopping, and I'm not sure if a narrator who tells or shows the thoughts or feelings of different characters is head hopping, since the narrator is not using the voice or perspective of the character (because the narrator is using his or her own pov/perspective.) Does this mean you can't write Sally was hot with anger. John could see Sally was fuming, but ignored her?
5) One more thing that I'm not sure of, you know how there is internalization / inner thoughts in third person limited? Can you do that in omniscient? Sally's face turned bright red. What were the boys doing making such a mess in the kitchen? where the thoughts are part of the narration? Can also be done in italics with a thought tag?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Tried first person present once just to try it out. Made it 10,000 words deep and noped the hell right out of that word doc.
First person past for the win.
I'm writing my first novel in 1st person and after writing two chapters I feel like I need to do it all over again. 😭 In my first chapter I felt my MC had to explain his anxiety a bit, from his perspective, not the narrator's. I honestly have no idea if it sounds properly. My mom liked it, but hell she's my mom, not an editor.
I started this person for my romance novel, then stopped few pages in and changed to first person cause it gave a quite unique feel to the book where I could go from very light scene to heavy scenes, all from this one person point of view.
Good video. I write some stories in first person POV and some stories in third person POV. I do not think one is easier than the other. Both have pros and cons.
First person also forces me to be patient with giving out info about things. Cos i like to want to have said everything at once doesn't matter what pov. But first person, as i love immersion, can torture me to avoid knowing too much . And not necessarily logical things hence I'm better of first person, asking myself these questions like a philosophy
this for real helped me figure out what my story is. just. now.
I just needed this...loved the video ❤ Keep posting, your videos are really helpful!
She said it's a personal choice. Is it a first personal choice, or a third personal choice?
I love this topic! It sounds like it might be boring, but it can be awesome!
Brilliant great cf of pros and cons. Now going to look at for your video how to avoid telling. Crafty stuff please. As for which I prefer I am using both 1st and third in my first novel. I suspect once I have taken it to a professional editor I will have to do one or the other but (apart from the obvious writing headache ) it seems to fit the book.
3 person comes naturally to me but I'm using it right now because even though it's kind of a thriller-romance I want to explore the two main characters equally, I don't want to choose one perspective
Wow, this is exactly the video I needed right now!
I'm writing in 3rd person close dual POV m/m romance. I've been told most romance readers prefer 1st person, but I can't feel it. I feel more confident writing in 3rd.
Dune seems to head-hop a lot and it's something I don't see often but I think Herbert did it so well and made it a pro
After this video I’ve decided to write in 2nd person future tense.
ill read ur book
I love omniscient third person/narration where the narrator actually is a character. Like Death in the book thief.
02:06 - Wow... Not only skipping second person but now also the much loved future tense? A travesty!
I actually thought that 1st person present and 3rd person past were the two most common ones. I can't recall more than one story I've read in 1st person past. They always feel a bit weird to me. Weirder than 1st person present does. But I kinda dislike reading any kind of 1st person. Maybe it's because they're in present tense most often and that's actually my issue. Hmm. Never thought about that before. I don't know. I need to think more about this. But I do know for sure that I have issues connecting with 1st person stories, but I love 3rd person.
I wrote a 100 page draft in a flurry of energy a while ago... didn't realize the entire story was written in the 3rd person until I started to read Game of Thrones again.
...good to hear I can probably still use a lot of it.
I don’t remember ever reading a book that was written on 1st person. If I did it was a very long time ago 🤔
I greatly prefer reading in 1st, but I would much rather write in 3rd, just like how I read fantasy but write contemporary. Just because you like something doesn't mean it will work the best for you.
one of my favorite series is Gone by michael grant, it’s written in third person omniscient so as you read you get to see points of view from tons of characters. but he does not head hop so it’s not confusing. it’s a beautifully written series but i definitely struggle more with writing in third person
3rd person gives me more space to add things when it comes to other characters as far as knowing what everyone else (besides the MC) thinks. I envision my writing as a movie, so I try to be descriptive without going overboard
I love writing in 1st for flash fiction, but I typically prefer 3rd for longer works
I'm loving these videos!! Thanks for doing them 🙂
But the videos are sooo long
just the video i was looking for!
I got lynched when I kept using the same sentence starter in school, so I have no problem with starting sentences with “I” too much.
YOU GOT LYNCHED?? UM, WHAT?!?!?! sorry, it's one of my spelling words and the definition I know is 'illegally hung'
UnicycleFish hyperbole. Also the meaning is to be killed as punishment (for a crime) without trial, typically by hanging. Not fully illegal at the time it was used. Illegal now, though.
Sorry, I have no idea how I didn't catch that XD
I started writing in 1st person past and found that it was too close for my taste, but when I started writing in 3rd person past, I appreciated my writing more.
I really like how we can emotionally connect with the 1st person but due to my story being fantasy/war/kingdoms as well as setting it up to have a second book.. I was going to have multiple POV.. I was going to have it be 1st person with dual POV, my two main characters, Alyx and Kieran. Due to them being on the other side of the country and both being immensely important. I want my reader to connect with them. I would title the chapters by number with the POV 'Chapter One Kieran'.. Does this make sense? Is this too crazy?
In my experience, 1st person tends to be the preferred vehicle for unskilled writers and self insertion. People who favor it, I find, are poor in their ability to create characters with any real depth, so instead they just put themselves in their story and write out their thoughts on it. You're basically reading the author's blatant "choose your own power fantasy with mary/gary stu". It's VERY hard for me to take a book seriously when it's written in first person. It could be from the amount of proof reading I've done seeing it used poorly. There's been an exception or two, but it's VERY rare. It's an instant shelf for me when I see first person.
I'm open to being surprised, but yeah... First person is such a turn off for me.
I stick to third person simply because it forces me to stay true to my characters and their motivations. It keeps their thoughts and motivations as their own.
that's rude lol
@@midnightcreature7583 +-+ It is... But it's true.
I really wish it weren't though. ;-; It's been so long since I've read a good book.
Sorry, but I can't stand the first person narrator. I don't even read books in first person.
I hate first-person PRESENT. Past can be entertaining if done well, however.
I’m that way with third person omniscient. I hate, hate, hate it. I like first person because it’s intimate. For example Jane Eyre only works in first person. You try to put that in third person and you lose everything.
i feel you. when i read books that are first person my brain automatically “””corrects””” it to third lol. i just don’t like it.
Have you read gone girl? It's an example of a book in first person and I feel that's what makes it so engaging
Loc Honey Gone Girl was one of the few first person novels I enjoyed. Most novels in FP are not as engaging and I personally feel waste words.
3rd person limited seems to not waste words as much based on books I’ve read.
Ive always hated first person pov because it feels annoying and it makes it nearly Impossible for me to relate to the character involved. Its just so hard, it takes me away from the story so bad i avoid it like the plague. It really is mind-blowing to see people actually like it, and even prefer it or say its better at making people relate to it!
Hi, thank you for the advice. I am writing a steampunk book in 3rd person and I am at the point where I am writing the first draft of the beginning. The inciting event involves my main character (who is driving a train) and my secondary main character (who is stood on the platform.) In a moment of nail biting suspense. The chapter involves quick head hopping switching between the two characters POV as someone jumps is stood on the train tracks and hit. Would you have any advice on how to make this not too confusing for the reader. Thank you.
Thanks for this! After watching your pros and cons, this validates that I chose the right POV for my story :)
I'm a first person. I talk to myself irl and I suck at describing things outside of myself. I've had tendencies to go to second person ngl
They say it's rare but I use it in first person yet it can be directe do the reader somehow. Like philosophical thoughts and concepts.
I prefer 3d person because you can use more writing tools / techniques like the bird's eye view / camera perspective and knowing everything about all the characters which is not possible in 1st person.
Personally, I pick the third person if I wanted to cover a group's story. But if the story is worthy of being slow-paced, then I would pick a first-person writing. I find it harder to write first-person accounts, than third-person due to my stories covering a huge group.
Oh, yeah, wrt that warning about reader preferences: I am absolutely one of those people in that I will open a book and if it's in first-person I will immediately close it and put it back down. I think I probably read a lot of it when I was a teenager-paranormal romance and modern fantasy were particular favorites of mine irrc-but I absolutely can't stand it now as an adult.
On the flip-side, it takes a lot more convincing by the narrative to get me invested in a story told in third-person omniscient than third-person limited. They both, on some weird level that I can't fully articulate, feel a bit like "cheating."
Third-person omniscient feels too much like a story that I'm being "told" in a traditional sense whereas first-person feels like a story I'm being "told" in a very literal, sit-down conversation sense, neither of which appeal to me as a reader. I want to be able to sink into the narrative organically rather than constantly being pulled out because it's a very literal "story" being fed to me.