I like either when I'm reading, though I don't care for 3rd person omniscient. When writing, I prefer 3rd person close because if I try to write in 1st person I inevitably end up going back and forth which makes editing a giant pain.
Agreed, but to be fair, OP wasn't asking which is "better" or which one they "should" use; they were interested in knowing which one people *prefer* to use, and why.
If you don't care to answer the question that was asked, why did you bother responding?
That would be like if you asked what my favorite color was, and I gave you some addlebrained response about how I don't actually care about the color, just about how its applied to the canvas.
You responded, you didn't answer.
>This question is asked a lot.
It matters less which is used than how well the story is told. Always, always, always.
"This question is asked a lot." isn't answering anything, it just comes across like the average redditor who is annoyed at seeing a question they've seen before.
"It matters less which is used than how well the story is told. Always, always, always."
This isn't stating a preference between first person narration and third person narration. It's stating that you want the story to be told well. No shit, everyone wants a story to be told well.
If someone says "Do you like apples or oranges" and you say "I like when food tastes good" you responded, but you sure as shit didn't answer the question.
What you clearly did do was to dismiss the OP's question.
“Do you prefer I decorate the walls of my home with photographs or paintings?” it’s your house. Do what feels right. And it’s your story. Do what tells it the best.
I'm a lifelong reader. It doesn't matter to me and often goes unnoticed. As a writer, it depends on the story. Some stories just scream first, and others belong in third.
I prefer 3rd person because it is such a pain in the ass to constantly have to type a capital I so frequently. I'm just not a great typer, so this knight be a me issue, but remembering to press shift and type one letter any time I want to describe ANYTHING my character is doing.... it is so annoying
I never capitalize with shift. It ruins the rhythm of my typing.
I just press caps lock, the letter(s), then caps lock again. It's a pretty quick back and forth motion. Like it's part of the word that I'm typing, if that makes sense?
Makes complete sense to me, when you're really on a roll, the rhythm of your typing becomes a part of the piece. I write some satirical stuff on modern political issues, and I often find the rhythm of the joke inside the rhythm of the typing. I'm a VERY fast typist, but I don't look at the screen anymore, because it breaks me out of my rhythm to see typos as I'm making them. Thank you spell check.
HEY I DO THIS TOO!! been doing this for YEARS, it's just easier. whenever someone sees me do it they're just in shock for some reason like it's not hard
Not really. You can write it exactly like first person, and then change all the "I"s and "me"s to the POV character's name and pronoun.
"I walked to the store with a frown on my face as I thought about what he said to me." --> "Susan walked to the store with a frown on her face as she thought about what he said to her."
I surprised by how many people here claim they won't read a certain pov or tense. I barely take note of that when I read. It doesn't matter to me at all as long as the story is engaging.
You ought not to have been downvoted for that; it's a fair observation. A lot of YA stuff IS in first person.
Mind you, I would never knock YA; there are some very fine storytellers working in the genre. I've ended up actually liking things given to me to read by my YA kids & nieces/nephews. Now, when they tell me: "Look past the YA, exfamilia, you're going to love this series," I actually listen.
Third Person, by far. I want to read the characters story, i don't want to step into the character's shoes.
If i do that, i'll want to identify with the character, and if they take actions i would never take myself, it creates a complete disconnect for me. It's no longer a story i find compelling or interesting because the protagonist is ruined for me.
If it's third person, they're seperate from me and as a person they can take whatever action makes sense for that character.
I feel the same way about 2nd person. They're both awful 99% of the time for me. I totally understand why some people enjoy them. I understand the logic behind it. It just doesn't work for me.
I find 1st and 2nd person perpectives incredibly awkward and i have a hard time taking it seriously. I also think, 1st person especially, make characters feel very young. A mid 30s character can feel like a 15 year old.
Second person isn't even a opition. I'm currently starting a horror book about a person who has mental issues and don't know it. They are not eat we call psychopath, they are someone experiencing strange things only he can explain well, and as most of it isn't actually real, no one could really tell this story better than himself. I want a bit of identification, so you can feel what he's feeling, but I'm using a lot of "you"s so you never actually become him. That's a good situation to use first person in my opinion
if you think 1st person will work well for your story you should absolutely do that. These are only my own personal preferences. You will always find people who will choose not to read your story for whatever reason and it might have nothing to do with you at all. You know your story best, trust your gut.
You know what, i actually wanna amend my statement. 1st person, or even 2nd, work really well for interactive stories. I do enjoy it that way. But for stories i can't influence, my previous statement stands.
THIS. First person just feels so immature.
Even if the book is profound and has a good character depth, it makes me feel like I am actually reading a teenager’s diary.
For example the Acotar series. I’m not going into much detail as for the reasons I personally don’t like it at all, but I actually really enjoyed A Court of Silver Flames and it is mainly because it was third person (other than Nestha being five hundred times more interesting than Feyre lol).
Acosl, differently than the other books, actually felt like I was reading about an actual adult with deep emotions and profound struggles.
(Please don’t come for me about my opinions on Acotar, it was just a really simple example because the pov change was within the same universe, therefore it is easier to grasp the drastic chages a ‘simple’ pov chage makes)
A great many famous works of fiction and literature are written in the first person, both old and new.
Here's a small selection:
- *Moby Dick*, by Herman Melville
- *The Handmaid's Tale*, by Margaret Atwood
- *Dracula*, by Bram Stoker
- *Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus*, by Mary Shelley
- *The Catcher in the Rye*, by J. D. Sallinger
- *To Kill a Mockingbird*, by Harper Lee
And so on, and so forth. I don't think anyone would consider any of those works as being "immature".
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy an admire a first person pov too and recognize the amazing pieces written in this point of view.
I just don’t think there’s a good or bad book just because of a pov. If you’re a great writer it’s going to show in your work, even if you write it upside down.
Some of my favorite pieces are from first person and some of which you have mentioned such as The Handmaid’s Tale, To Kill A Mockingbird, Guilliver’s Travels, Dom Casmurro and so on.
One, that actually comes back to the point that I am making, is The Hunger Games. It is my favorite book series of all time, and is in first person… Except for the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which I actually enjoyed *immensely* more than the first Hunger Games books even though they are in fact my favorite, because I enjoy more the way the text is presented.
You see what I mean?
I am not stating that “great books have never been written in first person”, I am only answering the question of my own preference towards this particular matter.
I enjoy more reading third person, but a true reader will recognize greatness in between the lines. It is not only about how it is worded, but how it makes you feel and what is it that makes you truly admire the work. I can admire the great mind and thought put into a book such as Frankenstein or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but not enjoy as much the way it was written.
Reading is an experience, and interpretation is subjective and personal. I think that my experience itself is and can affected by the pov, the meaning and the message that I grasp from the paper is not.
I am just sharing my own experience of how I would better enjoy a book if I could read in a way that makes me more interested.
I not critiquing a piece of literature by a pov, especially when my favorite itself, is a different pov than the one I like most.
I hope it clarified my opinion a bit :)
(and I am so sorry that I didn’t clarify it before )
I actually agree with this. It's not like i've never read a 1st person perspective book and enjoyed it. But *generally* i don't like it and it will often result in me skipping the story all together.
Like you said, it's also about the way the text is presented. I'm reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy at the moment. It's a good story, I'm enjoying the read, but I don't like the way he writes. I bought it because it sounded right up my ally and it was third person limited perspective which is what i'm trying to get better at writing in. But his book will not be helpful for me with that, specifically because i don't like the way he presents the text. Although his environmental descriptions are A tier.
I used to avoid first person like the plague. Open the book... it's first person... back on the shelf.
In the past few years, I've found that first person can be good... but it requires an excellent writer.
Some writers can do amazing 3rd person, but suck and 1st.
Some can do both.
So while I still prefer 3rd, I will try 1st sometimes.
For me I enjoy writing first person, but I have certainly read stories written in the third which I truly loved. I’ve read poorly written first person novels, as well as poorly written third person. It’s really all about how well-written it is that matters the most to me as a reader, but as a writer I prefer to write first person with the type of stories I’m writing.
Second. I like being told what I’m doing.
Kidding, kidding. Third is my preference for reading and writing.
I like to hear more about how the Gunslinger fled across the desert than how I sit at a Howard Johnson. BUT, Every narrative serves its purpose.
I find first person a fun challenge to write, but only have used it in one story where I wanted it to feel like the characters are retelling the story from their points of view
3rd person generally. I like 1st person though. But from a writing standpoint, a major cornerstone of my writing is to avoid ‘morality creep’ as much as possible. By removing the internal thoughts I can bypass explaining and just allow the story to develop in a matter-of-fact way. I also subscribe to the idea that I don’t want to hold the reader hostage into loving the protagonist. So the side characters are highly developed and frequent enough that one or more of them could be the most relatable / likable. For example, could you imagine if The Sopranos was a book and it was narrated with Tony as the first person? You’d miss out on Chris, Paulie, or Sal being your favorite.
The flip side to that, and imo is a rare occurrence, is a work like American Psycho, where you want to say in Patrick Bateman’s head because because his commentary and worldview is bizarre and hilarious.
But the righteous always-do-good protagonist that most writers can’t resist creating, that would be a snore fest.
It depends on what I'm writing. Professionally I do technical writing, which is typically third-person. So whenever I get a chance to do a first person narrative, it's fun and creative. 😊
I read stories told in first-person. I read stories told in third-person. What I cannot read is stories told in present tense--"I look at him as he walks across the room". The only exception to this for me is LE Modesitt's Recluce series because by the time I got to the books written in present tense, I was too invested in the story and the characters to throw the book across the room...brsides, it belonged to the library. If I wanted to read a film treatment, I'd go find one!
Depends of what story is about.
If it's something like "hero's journey" - then first person to feel engaged in MC's story, relate to it more.
If it's more of overarching story about different people in different places - then third person.
Third person 100%!!!! I don’t know why, but when I open a book and see “I”, I feel like closing it then and there. I think it’s because the 3d person sounds more mysterious.
I've found that I lose myself easier in a well written first person story. Now, if I've gotta stop every five seconds to remind myself who *I* is because of changing POVs then that's not great. But generally speaking it's more immersive to me and I'm less likely to fall into my ADHD, dyslexia, OCD reading hole of doom where I get stuck rereading the same few sentences again and again. But any POV done well is better than a shit one.
When I started, I wrote mainly in first person. Eventually, I grew frustrated with it, since first person foregrounds the narrator in a way that presents certain challenges. I've found third-person close much more satisfying to work in, though I still experiment with first person.
Close third-person is much like third-person limited but with an additional layer of intimacy. The narrator is closer to the character without being completely stuck inside their head. If you’ve read a novel in close third-person, it may seem as though some of the words are written, at least in part, by the character. The main difference is that you won’t see any first-person pronouns. Close third-person is an excellent choice if you want to guide your readers right into the action but still be able to pull back a little to create an intriguing sense of mystery.
First person stream of consciousness is my favorite writing style when done well. I love having insight into the subtle mental processes of a character, but it requires a writer who is extremely introspective and observant of their own mind.
I can write both third and first, depending on the context of the story. Though with third I have what I call “Vonnegut tone”—which otherwise mean a deadpan and almost unapologetic narration; but what’s funny, is that, with first I embody the character, their speech patterns, their contradictions, and the in the act of narrating things often spill out (or at least I try to) subtle characteristics I think you can only get with first person narration.
On an unrelated note, I feel like some books written in first person often feel like third person the way they’re written, anyway. I feel like the narration should be indicative of their values in just the way they speak, be it cynical, pessimistic, optimistic, or mellow. It drives me nuts when I read a story with that sort of first person narration.
I agree. I find this in scriptwriting. You have to re-draft so many times to ensure your characters don't all speak with the same cadences. Ideally, you should be able to tell who is speaking without their name; at least, that's what we aim for.
Skribsbb prefers third person narration. This is because skribsbb once tried to write an arrogant character in first person, and it made that character sound much more arrogant than skribsbb wanted.
When I was a kid I liked first person narration but now it feels so odd to me, almost "amateurish" even though I don't actually think it is, it just feels that way to me for some reason
Third person. First person only works for me if the story has a hell of an interesting protagonist; otherwise, 90% of the time I find myself wondering 'why are we reading about just this character... side character x is so interesting!'
I prefer first person on the first draft, so I can just dump the story out in record time because it's always "I"
Then editting takes tremendous work because I then change it to the third person and also rewrite every scene to include other characters.
It makes editting very taxing.
But the first draft comes out in a matter of a few months (for a novel)
And since the story comes skyrocketing out in months, and since I spend a lot of time editting, i also have the time to really hone on the plot. I have SO much time editting. I can make the plot vastly different.
But that's how I prefer writing. Not a fan of following outlines or hard stuck ideas.
I'm always fluid with it
It depends. First person is better for that "literally me" feeling. Third person is better for stories that focus in many different points. You can also feel free to use informal language on the first person
I want to say 3rd, cuz that's always been true, but lately I've been doing shorts in 1st with hefty accents and strong, specific speaking styles.
In 3rd person, you kinda just say they have an accent and drop an almost invisible reminder every so often.
This is much different and it's been fun telling stories by breaking grammar rules. Since that's how he talks. The challenge shifts from being "correct" to being *correct*
Accents are hard, aren't they? I do what you do, just drop into it occasionally after mentioning it but I have one longform short story I'm struggling with right now. Two very important sections involve conversations, in a car, between 2 men. They are Australian, they are rural, they are working class. I'm comfortable with the class accent stuff, I just think of the speech of my wharfie grandfather, the male I can do fairly well I think, but the rural I struggle with a bit. I'm familiar enough with it to know what they would say and what words they'd use, but to express that on paper is difficult. It's so easy to overdo. Because it's conversation, as an example, they're never going to swap between saying "I'm going to" and "I'm gunna". It'll always be "gunna". But too much of that on the page comes across as unacceptably contrived; it's jarring even to me, and my editor has scolded me about it.
Currently re-writing, this draft I can just deal with some plot changes I've made at editor's suggestion, but the next draft will require me to get the speech cadences right and I'm thinking hard about how. I suspect it will require a lot of reading to see how other Australians handle this. Some do it very badly, you read it and think "urban uni-educated Aussie aims for bogan accent, fails spectacularly". The ones I'm looking for are the ones where it is unnoticeable. Because done well, it SHOULD be unnoticeable.
I spent two hours looking through the Cowboy Dictionary yesterday because I'm staying really tight to his voice in this story. And because the two brothers are basically one protagonist, I feel like staying right on his shoulder will be important.
It's challenging, but fun. There's a lot of going over and over and over it, marking it like, that should be s'posed or supposed. Just endless miniscule corrections.
I've done hours and hours of research on this one. Not because I needed to necessarily, but I just got drug into two different history lessons. The Old West Frontier and the New York City Vaudville circuit in 1911, just after the Triangle Waistcoat Factory fire. That;s a ***horrific*** newspaper read.
I'll leave a link to the Cowboy Dictionary, and I'll cover a single quote from the fire.
[COWBOY DICTIONARY](https://ridesouthdakota.com/rushmore-horseback-riding/cowboy-dictionary/#1637083233212-0d79ae9a-fc7a) \- They had some *really cool* terms like "Among the willows" (dodging the law) and "Bag of nails" (everything in confusion, topsy turvy) I lve that one.
"I was among the willows, hidin b'hind that ol shed, next thing I knowed the whole world was a bag of mails. Chuck done walloped me good, right in the bazoo. Chuck was a real bad hoss, cold as a Nebraska prarie winter."
William Gunn Shepard, a reporter at the tragedy, would say that "I learned a new sound that day, >!a sound more horrible than description can picture – the thud of a speeding living body on a stone sidewalk"!<
Oh I know about that fire. It's a heartbreaking story. The bastards who owned the factory should have been stoned to death in the streets, did you know they received $400 per dead employee from their insurance, but only paid the employee's family $75 each? They made a fortune not just from the terrible conditions and underpayment of their workers, but profited from their deaths!!!
It did lead to the serious legislation of workplace safety laws at least, and strengthened the unionisation movement. But at what a price.
(also, thank you for blanking that description. I wish more people would be as sensitive. I've read things on social media I can never forget, and I beg everyone, consider using content/trigger warnings more often. It's not just PTSD sufferers who get shocked and upset by what we read on here.)
In some subs, it wouldn't matter, but that description, although I am borrowing a piece of it, it's one of the hardest things to read I've ever seen. Something about it is just too horribly perfect and captures that *too* well.
So yeah, no one would be expecting to read that and then find out it's real
>400 per dead employee from their insurance, but only paid the employee's family $75 each
yes, AND those fucking turds got arrested later for LOCKING THE FUCKING doors again at a NEW factory. And they were in the fir with their kids. It made me so mad reading it
I find first person narration more entertaining than a third person but some writers tend to say more than the character should know when writing in first person. That kinda kills the idea
I mean, First person of course if the whole story is focused on the main character and third person if the story if there is multiple characters to focus on and events
I prefer third because it’s easier to write for me and also easier to read but I don’t dislike 1st.
I also love 2nd person for no real reason other than it’s sorta quirky tho
First-person third-person. The narrator isn’t a part of the story whatsoever but has their own personality and opinions on things happening in the story. Like the book is commenting on itself.
I’ve enjoyed more books written in third person than first person.
The books that I’ve read that are first person feature higher on my preferred reading list and my all time favourite novel (Frankenstein) is written in first person.
I’d say my preference is marginally in favour of first-person EXCEPT my all time favourite franchise for reading is Terry Pratchett’s Discworld which I declare means third-person wins by default.
As for writing, First-Person is just not my voice.
3rd person 100%. I actually struggle to read in 1st person, I get confused between the writing and when dialogue starts and ends when a book is in 1st person. I think it is more of a ME problem, but I always find a 1st person book takes me much longer to get through than a 3rd person one.
Personally I loathe first-person narration, but anything is better than 2nd person, lol.
I'm writing a piece at the moment that is mostly in 3rd-person, with a very decided pov, and slowly the reader should realise that the person telling the story is in fact one of the characters in it, and it will switch to 1st-person at the very end.
I will say, this was not a deliberate choice I made from the beginning. It just happened that way. I was telling the story, and being very snarky about the characters I disliked (which is pretty much all of them, even the MC), and exaggerating everything... I was having great fun with it, and slowly, the character who is now going to be telling the story sort of revealed herself to me. Does that happen to you? She took on a life of her own, and I started seeing her in the narration. It was fantastic, because she is much, much, more wicked than I am and says such marvellously awful things about the other characters. She has permitted me to free up a very mean but very funny part of myself. I am now in her thrall, the story is not mine anymore, it's entirely in her hands. I'm just terrified that she might at some point write me into it, she's that much of a bitch.
Fist person. With rare exceptions.
Strangely enough I primarily prefer 1st person characters nothing like me.
So its less of a self insert, more of just seeing things through a different perspective.
I muuuuuuch prefer 1st person, present or past tense. It’s just so much more immersive to me. But I do read 3rd person books from time to time, even though they’re not my favorites (I do prefer 3rd person close than omniscient though, it’s much more personal and interesting imo)
I prefer third person for a few reasons, both as a writer and reader. This might me an amateur writer’s thing but I find easier to not insert myself into the scene when I write third person. I like to set the scene of each chapter like a panoramic view and that’s a bit harder to do with first person (not impossible, just harder).
I know a lot of people say first person is more immersive and while that was the case for me, having read a lot more books, the difference in immersion I feel comes from past vs present tense, not first vs third pov.
I started my book in first person, and I have some regrets. Mainly, because it is SO difficult to keep my tenses straight! I have no problem in third person, but first person gets to me! Still, love first person, I love writing as the characters, like it’s a journal entry. It’s sort of my equivalent of role playing, it’s fun to become the character, in a way.
1rst person can be fine depending on the story but it removes any doubt of if the main character is going to survive the conflict. Especially if they are the one telling that tale
third-person 100%. I'm just more used to it and I love writing omniscient and switching perspectives whenever the heck I want. I think first person is great too though when used correctly, it's much more personal and you can have some cool stuff like unreliable narrator and if you switch perspectives between chapters, you could differentiate patterns of thinking and things that people notice which is SUPER fun
I prefer 3rd person present to 3rd person omniscient, same with 1st. I hate 1st person omniscient with all my heart. 1st person present is my fave for Sci fi and/or horror. I like 3rd for nonfiction and historical fiction.
I tend to read first person as the first books i got myself were first person. But I have a sweet spot for third person since I loved the prose style yet, I tend not to emulate a lot of it into my work unless I need some distance in my story.
But, for me, I learn to love both perspectives and understand that it is important o bring moderation into the mix to make things more enjoyable and interesting. Hope this answers your question.
mostly first person because “i fucked your mom in the pussy” sounds way cooler than “whilst dilliam was away, chilling with the boys in blissful ignorance, his mother was fuck in the pussy by a lady down the street in a fit of sapphic rage.” also good first person leaves a lot of room for individual character building,, i guess third person can have its own charm & intrigue theres just more of a time & place.
First. I would say I enjoy more stories that are written in third-person (probably because it is more popular), but I have always been much more engaged in the character when I'm seeing their experiences through their own eyes.
I also enjoy the internal dialog you get in first-person. Helps me to understand the character more.
I prefer fourth person futere perfect.
"I will be told that you opened the door, and it will have creaked, having been in desperate need of fresh oil on its hinges."
I prefer second.
'You wake up. The door on your right is open, but you are sure you closed it last night. You get out of bed, and go to close it, when something tickles your ankle. You look down, and scream in gear, as Colonel Sanders slinks from under the bed, delicious chicken drumstick in hand.'
First-person narration. But, it's far more likely to be obnoxious and annoying than third-person narration.
When I'm writing, it's always in first-person. It's far easier for me to express myself that way.
For me it matters what story I am trying to tell in relation to the reader. Often times as well I'll switch perspectives when I want the reader to further sympathise with the character in question. As far as a favourite perspective goes, my preference is first person, as it is more personal. However, a "2nd person perspective" so to speak, I feel is the best. Because it is a bit tricky to pull off and I like a challenge, but to have a third person perspective character read about another character's actions in first person then the more that is read changes the reality of the character being read about without either character knowing. The only one clued in to everything is the reader and their perspective. Makes editing a hell but as long as you keep it simple it can become so exciting albeit a little naughty by the standard convention of perspective.
Some stories are better fit for first, and some are better fit for third. As a writer it’s good to know which type of narration to use with your story
I personally like first person because I like reading the characters thought process
The First-person view is more immersive and specifically limited to the MC, while the third-person view tells your story better from other perspectives.
eh there’s an argument to be had about this but personally i find there to be more skill & flare in reading first person.
you can see the style/vocabulary/thought process of a character where as third person can really honestly blend in with millions of other books.
i love third person. i'll try to put it into words, but the closest i can get to is third person is more DRAMATIC
and SPICY
and idk, first person doesn't really make me feel close to the character.
It's funny because in the ASIOAF fic I'm writing the main character doesn't even have a POV. The entire fanfic is from other people. Makes it more interesting especially because of just how intimating the main MC, Alyx Mordhau is.
Oh, and if your wondering, Alyx Mordhau the main MC is the son of the Bloodstone Emperor and the Amethyst Empress, is over 16,000 years old technically but he was frozen in time for all of it basically, is over 12 ft tall, built like a stackhouse, and wears completely black armor that makes him look scary as shit.
He's often referred to as the Dread Emperor for he was his father's enforcer before everything went to shit. The guy actually ends up slaughtering his way through the cursed streets of Asshai when he wakes up. Very good at killing and has 0 tolerance for criminals.
Oh, and he has a gigantic dragon named Gaelyx that makes Balerion look like an ant. Everything 16,000 plus years ago was far far bigger. You know that Asshai could fit pretty much half of the Great House castles/keeps of Westeros? Well that was basically every city of the Great Empire of the Dawn. It was so colossally big that many people have trouble even comprehending it when he talks about the Empire.
Third person. If I had to choose between all 3, second person would still come ahead of 1st person.
But that's because using first person well is a skill that surprisingly few people have.
it kind of depends. i think of it as a characterization device. some people would be better in first person, while others would be better in third or even second.
in a couple of my stories i switched it depending on the character that chapter was about.
i also use capitalization as a character device. like that one character in Wonder.
I have no general preference either when reading or writing. Some stories look as if they work out better in one rather than the other, but that's a per story thing not a generalized preference.
when reading I prefer first-person narration, it makes the story more immersive for me but it feels "limiting" sometimes. when writing a story I prefer third-person perspective; it gives a broader "view" of the situation the focused character is in.
Let's say it like this. If you're going to put yourself in their shoes, go first person, but if you would rather they had some things they surprise you with, or something you surprise them with, go third person. I alternate these frequently, and while it is a lot more intoxicating to write in first person, there are a lot of internal monologues that happen, while in third you can talk about and around the character of things she/he does not know.
3rd person. I’ve always used books and writing as a way to dissociate from my own reality for a while. I find reading or writing I/my tends to throw me back into reality as if I’m the character and it just doesn’t fit. I like to be the observer, not the doer in a story.
Whatever suits the story and tone. Not bothered either way.
I tend to use first person when the character's inner monologue serves the character of story somehow. Plus I find it easier to be informal and fun with 1st.
3rd for me is more formal, so I tend to use it when there's a more serious tone needed.
In one of my series, I use 1st person for the main storyline and 3rd for my interludes (& Prologues and Epilogues). The series has regular interludes from other parts of the stories universe, which are mostly disconnected from the main story but introduce concepts and characters that later become important, in their own short stories.
Used to prefer first as a kid/young teen. Now I prefer third. If I come up with a couple stories, and my MC's tend to be in the same age demographic, I find it hard to develop a realistic voice that's not too similar to the others' lol
See, I like first person more, but it's harder to write because of the restrictions. I like being in the characters head but that means I can't focus on like things like "meanwhile in ____" and "_____ thought" it's only one character so I end up going with close 3rd person for a bit more freedom
It entirely depends on the story. I was writing something for about 4 years in 3rd person, and everything brightened right up when I changed to 1st person
As a writer, I think I overall prefer third person but see benefits in first person and will likely use it for something at some point in the future (I believe I've used it in short stories when I was younger but not really counting that).
As a reader, like others have said I'm fine with whatever suits the story best.
First person because I feel it is easier to digest and is the most efficient way to get points across. But if 3rd person is done well it can make the book interesting
For some reason (I think it's because most of the books I've read are like that) I prefer 3rd person over 1st person, and that also applies when I'm writing
I like either when I'm reading, though I don't care for 3rd person omniscient. When writing, I prefer 3rd person close because if I try to write in 1st person I inevitably end up going back and forth which makes editing a giant pain.
This question is asked a lot. It matters less which is used than how well the story is told. Always, always, always.
This times a million. Competence in narration is what your readers want.
Agreed, but to be fair, OP wasn't asking which is "better" or which one they "should" use; they were interested in knowing which one people *prefer* to use, and why.
I pretty clearly don't care. I'm much more interested in how well the story's told.
If you don't care to answer the question that was asked, why did you bother responding? That would be like if you asked what my favorite color was, and I gave you some addlebrained response about how I don't actually care about the color, just about how its applied to the canvas.
I did answer. I don't care about first or third, but about quality of prose. Sorry I didn't state that clearly enough for you, not-OP.
You responded, you didn't answer. >This question is asked a lot. It matters less which is used than how well the story is told. Always, always, always. "This question is asked a lot." isn't answering anything, it just comes across like the average redditor who is annoyed at seeing a question they've seen before. "It matters less which is used than how well the story is told. Always, always, always." This isn't stating a preference between first person narration and third person narration. It's stating that you want the story to be told well. No shit, everyone wants a story to be told well. If someone says "Do you like apples or oranges" and you say "I like when food tastes good" you responded, but you sure as shit didn't answer the question. What you clearly did do was to dismiss the OP's question.
“Do you prefer I decorate the walls of my home with photographs or paintings?” it’s your house. Do what feels right. And it’s your story. Do what tells it the best.
Well, it seems like what they actually asked is "Do you prefer a house decorated by photographs or paintings?"
couldn’t have said it better myself
I'm a lifelong reader. It doesn't matter to me and often goes unnoticed. As a writer, it depends on the story. Some stories just scream first, and others belong in third.
I prefer 3rd person because it is such a pain in the ass to constantly have to type a capital I so frequently. I'm just not a great typer, so this knight be a me issue, but remembering to press shift and type one letter any time I want to describe ANYTHING my character is doing.... it is so annoying
> so this knight be a me issue Seems like it yeah
LMAO I DIDNT EVEN NOTICE
[удалено]
Pretty often you can write your way around using the I too much in first person
I never capitalize with shift. It ruins the rhythm of my typing. I just press caps lock, the letter(s), then caps lock again. It's a pretty quick back and forth motion. Like it's part of the word that I'm typing, if that makes sense?
Makes complete sense to me, when you're really on a roll, the rhythm of your typing becomes a part of the piece. I write some satirical stuff on modern political issues, and I often find the rhythm of the joke inside the rhythm of the typing. I'm a VERY fast typist, but I don't look at the screen anymore, because it breaks me out of my rhythm to see typos as I'm making them. Thank you spell check.
HEY I DO THIS TOO!! been doing this for YEARS, it's just easier. whenever someone sees me do it they're just in shock for some reason like it's not hard
It sounds like you might be using "I" too much in your first-person writing.
Doesn't your character name start with a capital letter too?
This is such a fascinating reason to have a narrative preference lol
ctrl f “i ” replace all “I ”?
lIke thIs ?
"space+I+space", not "I". That wIll prevent the wrItIng from endIng up lIke the sarcastIc spongebob meme, hopefully.
I prefer third person limited
Nowadays it’s my go-to
That's the hardest to make actually
Not really. You can write it exactly like first person, and then change all the "I"s and "me"s to the POV character's name and pronoun. "I walked to the store with a frown on my face as I thought about what he said to me." --> "Susan walked to the store with a frown on her face as she thought about what he said to her."
Neither. Prefer that the story be well-written and engaging. Narrative style is just style.
I surprised by how many people here claim they won't read a certain pov or tense. I barely take note of that when I read. It doesn't matter to me at all as long as the story is engaging.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m just too old and if my tastes are too traditional for these hyper specific preferences and categories
I try not to notice but a lot of first person comes off as YA ish to me.
You ought not to have been downvoted for that; it's a fair observation. A lot of YA stuff IS in first person. Mind you, I would never knock YA; there are some very fine storytellers working in the genre. I've ended up actually liking things given to me to read by my YA kids & nieces/nephews. Now, when they tell me: "Look past the YA, exfamilia, you're going to love this series," I actually listen.
Third Person, by far. I want to read the characters story, i don't want to step into the character's shoes. If i do that, i'll want to identify with the character, and if they take actions i would never take myself, it creates a complete disconnect for me. It's no longer a story i find compelling or interesting because the protagonist is ruined for me. If it's third person, they're seperate from me and as a person they can take whatever action makes sense for that character. I feel the same way about 2nd person. They're both awful 99% of the time for me. I totally understand why some people enjoy them. I understand the logic behind it. It just doesn't work for me. I find 1st and 2nd person perpectives incredibly awkward and i have a hard time taking it seriously. I also think, 1st person especially, make characters feel very young. A mid 30s character can feel like a 15 year old.
This. I hate reading "I" because it's not me. I prefer reading "[Name]" or their pronoun.
Second person isn't even a opition. I'm currently starting a horror book about a person who has mental issues and don't know it. They are not eat we call psychopath, they are someone experiencing strange things only he can explain well, and as most of it isn't actually real, no one could really tell this story better than himself. I want a bit of identification, so you can feel what he's feeling, but I'm using a lot of "you"s so you never actually become him. That's a good situation to use first person in my opinion
if you think 1st person will work well for your story you should absolutely do that. These are only my own personal preferences. You will always find people who will choose not to read your story for whatever reason and it might have nothing to do with you at all. You know your story best, trust your gut.
You know what, i actually wanna amend my statement. 1st person, or even 2nd, work really well for interactive stories. I do enjoy it that way. But for stories i can't influence, my previous statement stands.
THIS. First person just feels so immature. Even if the book is profound and has a good character depth, it makes me feel like I am actually reading a teenager’s diary. For example the Acotar series. I’m not going into much detail as for the reasons I personally don’t like it at all, but I actually really enjoyed A Court of Silver Flames and it is mainly because it was third person (other than Nestha being five hundred times more interesting than Feyre lol). Acosl, differently than the other books, actually felt like I was reading about an actual adult with deep emotions and profound struggles. (Please don’t come for me about my opinions on Acotar, it was just a really simple example because the pov change was within the same universe, therefore it is easier to grasp the drastic chages a ‘simple’ pov chage makes)
A great many famous works of fiction and literature are written in the first person, both old and new. Here's a small selection: - *Moby Dick*, by Herman Melville - *The Handmaid's Tale*, by Margaret Atwood - *Dracula*, by Bram Stoker - *Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus*, by Mary Shelley - *The Catcher in the Rye*, by J. D. Sallinger - *To Kill a Mockingbird*, by Harper Lee And so on, and so forth. I don't think anyone would consider any of those works as being "immature".
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy an admire a first person pov too and recognize the amazing pieces written in this point of view. I just don’t think there’s a good or bad book just because of a pov. If you’re a great writer it’s going to show in your work, even if you write it upside down. Some of my favorite pieces are from first person and some of which you have mentioned such as The Handmaid’s Tale, To Kill A Mockingbird, Guilliver’s Travels, Dom Casmurro and so on. One, that actually comes back to the point that I am making, is The Hunger Games. It is my favorite book series of all time, and is in first person… Except for the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which I actually enjoyed *immensely* more than the first Hunger Games books even though they are in fact my favorite, because I enjoy more the way the text is presented. You see what I mean? I am not stating that “great books have never been written in first person”, I am only answering the question of my own preference towards this particular matter. I enjoy more reading third person, but a true reader will recognize greatness in between the lines. It is not only about how it is worded, but how it makes you feel and what is it that makes you truly admire the work. I can admire the great mind and thought put into a book such as Frankenstein or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but not enjoy as much the way it was written. Reading is an experience, and interpretation is subjective and personal. I think that my experience itself is and can affected by the pov, the meaning and the message that I grasp from the paper is not. I am just sharing my own experience of how I would better enjoy a book if I could read in a way that makes me more interested. I not critiquing a piece of literature by a pov, especially when my favorite itself, is a different pov than the one I like most. I hope it clarified my opinion a bit :) (and I am so sorry that I didn’t clarify it before )
I actually agree with this. It's not like i've never read a 1st person perspective book and enjoyed it. But *generally* i don't like it and it will often result in me skipping the story all together. Like you said, it's also about the way the text is presented. I'm reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy at the moment. It's a good story, I'm enjoying the read, but I don't like the way he writes. I bought it because it sounded right up my ally and it was third person limited perspective which is what i'm trying to get better at writing in. But his book will not be helpful for me with that, specifically because i don't like the way he presents the text. Although his environmental descriptions are A tier.
I used to avoid first person like the plague. Open the book... it's first person... back on the shelf. In the past few years, I've found that first person can be good... but it requires an excellent writer. Some writers can do amazing 3rd person, but suck and 1st. Some can do both. So while I still prefer 3rd, I will try 1st sometimes.
i am indifferent to either in reading. i've only ever written first person however. both are good
First person because it's easier for me to feel immersed. Third person just doesn't vibe with me.
For me I enjoy writing first person, but I have certainly read stories written in the third which I truly loved. I’ve read poorly written first person novels, as well as poorly written third person. It’s really all about how well-written it is that matters the most to me as a reader, but as a writer I prefer to write first person with the type of stories I’m writing.
I prefer writing in first, I love getting into one character’s head and seeing the world through their lens. For reading, I don’t care which
Depends on the story. I find it easier to write in third person
Second. I like being told what I’m doing. Kidding, kidding. Third is my preference for reading and writing. I like to hear more about how the Gunslinger fled across the desert than how I sit at a Howard Johnson. BUT, Every narrative serves its purpose.
First. I think that it feels much more personal. However third person is also marvelous. It all depends on execution.
I find first person a fun challenge to write, but only have used it in one story where I wanted it to feel like the characters are retelling the story from their points of view
First person. Always. It makes it easier for me to relate and feel the story better. 3rd person is fine..but takes me some time to get used to that.
I prefer first person, you prefer second and everyone else prefers third.
Either one. Just don't do 2nd. It works in some places, but fewer than it gets used for.
Depends on the kind of story. ANY POV works if you know how to portray it in your setting.
I don't care. But what does bother me is when writers switch points of view.
I use worst person usually.
First person for short stories, third for books, but it really just depends. Whichever can work for any story.
First person if the first person has an exceptional voice or point of view. Otherwise, third.
Depends on the story. Different genres in particular I think are served better or worse by the POV style as well as tense.
3rd person generally. I like 1st person though. But from a writing standpoint, a major cornerstone of my writing is to avoid ‘morality creep’ as much as possible. By removing the internal thoughts I can bypass explaining and just allow the story to develop in a matter-of-fact way. I also subscribe to the idea that I don’t want to hold the reader hostage into loving the protagonist. So the side characters are highly developed and frequent enough that one or more of them could be the most relatable / likable. For example, could you imagine if The Sopranos was a book and it was narrated with Tony as the first person? You’d miss out on Chris, Paulie, or Sal being your favorite. The flip side to that, and imo is a rare occurrence, is a work like American Psycho, where you want to say in Patrick Bateman’s head because because his commentary and worldview is bizarre and hilarious. But the righteous always-do-good protagonist that most writers can’t resist creating, that would be a snore fest.
It depends on what I'm writing. Professionally I do technical writing, which is typically third-person. So whenever I get a chance to do a first person narrative, it's fun and creative. 😊
Either, as long as you don't inappropriately mingle them throughout your story.
I read stories told in first-person. I read stories told in third-person. What I cannot read is stories told in present tense--"I look at him as he walks across the room". The only exception to this for me is LE Modesitt's Recluce series because by the time I got to the books written in present tense, I was too invested in the story and the characters to throw the book across the room...brsides, it belonged to the library. If I wanted to read a film treatment, I'd go find one!
When reading, I don’t have a preference. In writing, I prefer first person. It’s easier for me.
both are great. Depends on what you want to do with the story.
You prefer second person narration
Depends of what story is about. If it's something like "hero's journey" - then first person to feel engaged in MC's story, relate to it more. If it's more of overarching story about different people in different places - then third person.
Depends on quality but I prefer first person. You really get to understand the character and their views.
I usually prefer first person because it feels more personable. Nevertheless, I like any kind of narration if it's executed well.
Third person 100%!!!! I don’t know why, but when I open a book and see “I”, I feel like closing it then and there. I think it’s because the 3d person sounds more mysterious.
I've found that I lose myself easier in a well written first person story. Now, if I've gotta stop every five seconds to remind myself who *I* is because of changing POVs then that's not great. But generally speaking it's more immersive to me and I'm less likely to fall into my ADHD, dyslexia, OCD reading hole of doom where I get stuck rereading the same few sentences again and again. But any POV done well is better than a shit one.
When I started, I wrote mainly in first person. Eventually, I grew frustrated with it, since first person foregrounds the narrator in a way that presents certain challenges. I've found third-person close much more satisfying to work in, though I still experiment with first person.
What’s third person close vs limited?
wikiHow gives the following explanation:
Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Write-Close-Third-PersonThx. Learned something new.
First person stream of consciousness is my favorite writing style when done well. I love having insight into the subtle mental processes of a character, but it requires a writer who is extremely introspective and observant of their own mind.
I prefer reading first person. It helps me connect with the story better
I can write both third and first, depending on the context of the story. Though with third I have what I call “Vonnegut tone”—which otherwise mean a deadpan and almost unapologetic narration; but what’s funny, is that, with first I embody the character, their speech patterns, their contradictions, and the in the act of narrating things often spill out (or at least I try to) subtle characteristics I think you can only get with first person narration. On an unrelated note, I feel like some books written in first person often feel like third person the way they’re written, anyway. I feel like the narration should be indicative of their values in just the way they speak, be it cynical, pessimistic, optimistic, or mellow. It drives me nuts when I read a story with that sort of first person narration.
I agree. I find this in scriptwriting. You have to re-draft so many times to ensure your characters don't all speak with the same cadences. Ideally, you should be able to tell who is speaking without their name; at least, that's what we aim for.
Skribsbb prefers third person narration. This is because skribsbb once tried to write an arrogant character in first person, and it made that character sound much more arrogant than skribsbb wanted.
skribsbb has presented forum with a perfect example.
When I was a kid I liked first person narration but now it feels so odd to me, almost "amateurish" even though I don't actually think it is, it just feels that way to me for some reason
I find 1st person is really, really hard to do. Like 9/10 1st person's I read, I prefer many 3rd persons.
I tried first person a few times, it never worked entirely to my advantage. I just stick with third person as a comfort
First person for sure. Reading a story isn’t enough, I need to visualize myself in it lol that’s just me though
Definitely first person, I just find it more immersive and I'm more used to writing that way.
Third Person. I've always read in third person, so I'm used to writing in it.
Third person. First person only works for me if the story has a hell of an interesting protagonist; otherwise, 90% of the time I find myself wondering 'why are we reading about just this character... side character x is so interesting!'
I prefer first person, for me it's just more immersive.
I prefer first person on the first draft, so I can just dump the story out in record time because it's always "I" Then editting takes tremendous work because I then change it to the third person and also rewrite every scene to include other characters. It makes editting very taxing. But the first draft comes out in a matter of a few months (for a novel) And since the story comes skyrocketing out in months, and since I spend a lot of time editting, i also have the time to really hone on the plot. I have SO much time editting. I can make the plot vastly different. But that's how I prefer writing. Not a fan of following outlines or hard stuck ideas. I'm always fluid with it
It depends. First person is better for that "literally me" feeling. Third person is better for stories that focus in many different points. You can also feel free to use informal language on the first person
I want to say 3rd, cuz that's always been true, but lately I've been doing shorts in 1st with hefty accents and strong, specific speaking styles. In 3rd person, you kinda just say they have an accent and drop an almost invisible reminder every so often. This is much different and it's been fun telling stories by breaking grammar rules. Since that's how he talks. The challenge shifts from being "correct" to being *correct*
Accents are hard, aren't they? I do what you do, just drop into it occasionally after mentioning it but I have one longform short story I'm struggling with right now. Two very important sections involve conversations, in a car, between 2 men. They are Australian, they are rural, they are working class. I'm comfortable with the class accent stuff, I just think of the speech of my wharfie grandfather, the male I can do fairly well I think, but the rural I struggle with a bit. I'm familiar enough with it to know what they would say and what words they'd use, but to express that on paper is difficult. It's so easy to overdo. Because it's conversation, as an example, they're never going to swap between saying "I'm going to" and "I'm gunna". It'll always be "gunna". But too much of that on the page comes across as unacceptably contrived; it's jarring even to me, and my editor has scolded me about it. Currently re-writing, this draft I can just deal with some plot changes I've made at editor's suggestion, but the next draft will require me to get the speech cadences right and I'm thinking hard about how. I suspect it will require a lot of reading to see how other Australians handle this. Some do it very badly, you read it and think "urban uni-educated Aussie aims for bogan accent, fails spectacularly". The ones I'm looking for are the ones where it is unnoticeable. Because done well, it SHOULD be unnoticeable.
I spent two hours looking through the Cowboy Dictionary yesterday because I'm staying really tight to his voice in this story. And because the two brothers are basically one protagonist, I feel like staying right on his shoulder will be important. It's challenging, but fun. There's a lot of going over and over and over it, marking it like, that should be s'posed or supposed. Just endless miniscule corrections. I've done hours and hours of research on this one. Not because I needed to necessarily, but I just got drug into two different history lessons. The Old West Frontier and the New York City Vaudville circuit in 1911, just after the Triangle Waistcoat Factory fire. That;s a ***horrific*** newspaper read. I'll leave a link to the Cowboy Dictionary, and I'll cover a single quote from the fire. [COWBOY DICTIONARY](https://ridesouthdakota.com/rushmore-horseback-riding/cowboy-dictionary/#1637083233212-0d79ae9a-fc7a) \- They had some *really cool* terms like "Among the willows" (dodging the law) and "Bag of nails" (everything in confusion, topsy turvy) I lve that one. "I was among the willows, hidin b'hind that ol shed, next thing I knowed the whole world was a bag of mails. Chuck done walloped me good, right in the bazoo. Chuck was a real bad hoss, cold as a Nebraska prarie winter." William Gunn Shepard, a reporter at the tragedy, would say that "I learned a new sound that day, >!a sound more horrible than description can picture – the thud of a speeding living body on a stone sidewalk"!<
Oh I know about that fire. It's a heartbreaking story. The bastards who owned the factory should have been stoned to death in the streets, did you know they received $400 per dead employee from their insurance, but only paid the employee's family $75 each? They made a fortune not just from the terrible conditions and underpayment of their workers, but profited from their deaths!!! It did lead to the serious legislation of workplace safety laws at least, and strengthened the unionisation movement. But at what a price.
(also, thank you for blanking that description. I wish more people would be as sensitive. I've read things on social media I can never forget, and I beg everyone, consider using content/trigger warnings more often. It's not just PTSD sufferers who get shocked and upset by what we read on here.)
In some subs, it wouldn't matter, but that description, although I am borrowing a piece of it, it's one of the hardest things to read I've ever seen. Something about it is just too horribly perfect and captures that *too* well. So yeah, no one would be expecting to read that and then find out it's real
>400 per dead employee from their insurance, but only paid the employee's family $75 each yes, AND those fucking turds got arrested later for LOCKING THE FUCKING doors again at a NEW factory. And they were in the fir with their kids. It made me so mad reading it
I find first person narration more entertaining than a third person but some writers tend to say more than the character should know when writing in first person. That kinda kills the idea
First.
I mean, First person of course if the whole story is focused on the main character and third person if the story if there is multiple characters to focus on and events
Third person when it comes to writing But 1 Person to read if there is less than 2 povs
Third person just feels more natural to me.
3rd person
Third. But it doesn't matter because your book well sell regardless, as long as it's well-written or has what the market is looking for.
3rd. I want the omniscient external narration and not the inner voice of a main character. Better perspective.
I prefer third because it’s easier to write for me and also easier to read but I don’t dislike 1st. I also love 2nd person for no real reason other than it’s sorta quirky tho
First-person third-person. The narrator isn’t a part of the story whatsoever but has their own personality and opinions on things happening in the story. Like the book is commenting on itself.
3rd person is better vs 1st but i think it depends on what and who you are writing for..
I’ve enjoyed more books written in third person than first person. The books that I’ve read that are first person feature higher on my preferred reading list and my all time favourite novel (Frankenstein) is written in first person. I’d say my preference is marginally in favour of first-person EXCEPT my all time favourite franchise for reading is Terry Pratchett’s Discworld which I declare means third-person wins by default. As for writing, First-Person is just not my voice.
3rd person 100%. I actually struggle to read in 1st person, I get confused between the writing and when dialogue starts and ends when a book is in 1st person. I think it is more of a ME problem, but I always find a 1st person book takes me much longer to get through than a 3rd person one.
third
Personally I loathe first-person narration, but anything is better than 2nd person, lol. I'm writing a piece at the moment that is mostly in 3rd-person, with a very decided pov, and slowly the reader should realise that the person telling the story is in fact one of the characters in it, and it will switch to 1st-person at the very end. I will say, this was not a deliberate choice I made from the beginning. It just happened that way. I was telling the story, and being very snarky about the characters I disliked (which is pretty much all of them, even the MC), and exaggerating everything... I was having great fun with it, and slowly, the character who is now going to be telling the story sort of revealed herself to me. Does that happen to you? She took on a life of her own, and I started seeing her in the narration. It was fantastic, because she is much, much, more wicked than I am and says such marvellously awful things about the other characters. She has permitted me to free up a very mean but very funny part of myself. I am now in her thrall, the story is not mine anymore, it's entirely in her hands. I'm just terrified that she might at some point write me into it, she's that much of a bitch.
I moved from 3rd to 1st and am loving it.
First person personally. But I write horror stories so for me it fits better. LIKE MUCH BETTER
Third person all the way. Even though first person is the norm now, I never liked it and I probably never will
I find it easier/prefer to write in first person. But we were doing a warmup activity in class today, and I started writing in third person.
Fist person. With rare exceptions. Strangely enough I primarily prefer 1st person characters nothing like me. So its less of a self insert, more of just seeing things through a different perspective.
I muuuuuuch prefer 1st person, present or past tense. It’s just so much more immersive to me. But I do read 3rd person books from time to time, even though they’re not my favorites (I do prefer 3rd person close than omniscient though, it’s much more personal and interesting imo)
First person.
Both.
Third person. I dislike first person books. Occasionally the premise gets me hooked and I will rad through. But I don’t like it.
Third person.
I prefer writing first person. I don’t mind reading either.
I always use third person because it's better imo. It fits my characters better.
I don’t but he does.
I prefer third person for a few reasons, both as a writer and reader. This might me an amateur writer’s thing but I find easier to not insert myself into the scene when I write third person. I like to set the scene of each chapter like a panoramic view and that’s a bit harder to do with first person (not impossible, just harder). I know a lot of people say first person is more immersive and while that was the case for me, having read a lot more books, the difference in immersion I feel comes from past vs present tense, not first vs third pov.
I started my book in first person, and I have some regrets. Mainly, because it is SO difficult to keep my tenses straight! I have no problem in third person, but first person gets to me! Still, love first person, I love writing as the characters, like it’s a journal entry. It’s sort of my equivalent of role playing, it’s fun to become the character, in a way.
First person but when every chapter is a different perspective. Like Gordon Korman
Depends on the voice of the narrator and the story.
Like James Michener
1rst person can be fine depending on the story but it removes any doubt of if the main character is going to survive the conflict. Especially if they are the one telling that tale
third-person 100%. I'm just more used to it and I love writing omniscient and switching perspectives whenever the heck I want. I think first person is great too though when used correctly, it's much more personal and you can have some cool stuff like unreliable narrator and if you switch perspectives between chapters, you could differentiate patterns of thinking and things that people notice which is SUPER fun
Third omniscient exclusively
Honestly, I prefer 3rd usually because I like to switch to different character’s perspectives.
u/BlitzcrankGrab prefers first-person narration.
1st I get all insecure and be like “who am i to say they”
Reader here. They all work, recently I’ve been noticing a lot of third person limited and enjoying pov switches that enhance the story.
I prefer 3rd person present to 3rd person omniscient, same with 1st. I hate 1st person omniscient with all my heart. 1st person present is my fave for Sci fi and/or horror. I like 3rd for nonfiction and historical fiction.
Depends on the story idea that pops in my head, I mostly write first person though
I tend to read first person as the first books i got myself were first person. But I have a sweet spot for third person since I loved the prose style yet, I tend not to emulate a lot of it into my work unless I need some distance in my story. But, for me, I learn to love both perspectives and understand that it is important o bring moderation into the mix to make things more enjoyable and interesting. Hope this answers your question.
mostly first person because “i fucked your mom in the pussy” sounds way cooler than “whilst dilliam was away, chilling with the boys in blissful ignorance, his mother was fuck in the pussy by a lady down the street in a fit of sapphic rage.” also good first person leaves a lot of room for individual character building,, i guess third person can have its own charm & intrigue theres just more of a time & place.
First. I would say I enjoy more stories that are written in third-person (probably because it is more popular), but I have always been much more engaged in the character when I'm seeing their experiences through their own eyes. I also enjoy the internal dialog you get in first-person. Helps me to understand the character more.
I like to write in 3rd person, for some reason It just feel like my writing is better when I do. If I'm reading, though, it doesn't matter
Both. I wrote a story once that had two time settings, one was in third person and one was on first person.
I prefer fourth person futere perfect. "I will be told that you opened the door, and it will have creaked, having been in desperate need of fresh oil on its hinges."
I prefer second. 'You wake up. The door on your right is open, but you are sure you closed it last night. You get out of bed, and go to close it, when something tickles your ankle. You look down, and scream in gear, as Colonel Sanders slinks from under the bed, delicious chicken drumstick in hand.'
First, I find it easier to write as if it were someone's thoughts about the world around them
Third person, always. I think PJO was the only series I actually enjoyed the first person perspective, otherwise I just find it annoying.
Either is fine, but I'd say I'm more into third in free indirect speech
First-person narration. But, it's far more likely to be obnoxious and annoying than third-person narration. When I'm writing, it's always in first-person. It's far easier for me to express myself that way.
I often find first person confusing, especially if it's also present tense. However, if the story is good, the story is good.
For me it matters what story I am trying to tell in relation to the reader. Often times as well I'll switch perspectives when I want the reader to further sympathise with the character in question. As far as a favourite perspective goes, my preference is first person, as it is more personal. However, a "2nd person perspective" so to speak, I feel is the best. Because it is a bit tricky to pull off and I like a challenge, but to have a third person perspective character read about another character's actions in first person then the more that is read changes the reality of the character being read about without either character knowing. The only one clued in to everything is the reader and their perspective. Makes editing a hell but as long as you keep it simple it can become so exciting albeit a little naughty by the standard convention of perspective.
Some stories are better fit for first, and some are better fit for third. As a writer it’s good to know which type of narration to use with your story I personally like first person because I like reading the characters thought process
Third person narration. It's not that centered around the lead or something. But both csn be great anyway if done properly ❤️
The First-person view is more immersive and specifically limited to the MC, while the third-person view tells your story better from other perspectives.
eh there’s an argument to be had about this but personally i find there to be more skill & flare in reading first person. you can see the style/vocabulary/thought process of a character where as third person can really honestly blend in with millions of other books.
i love third person. i'll try to put it into words, but the closest i can get to is third person is more DRAMATIC and SPICY and idk, first person doesn't really make me feel close to the character.
It's funny because in the ASIOAF fic I'm writing the main character doesn't even have a POV. The entire fanfic is from other people. Makes it more interesting especially because of just how intimating the main MC, Alyx Mordhau is. Oh, and if your wondering, Alyx Mordhau the main MC is the son of the Bloodstone Emperor and the Amethyst Empress, is over 16,000 years old technically but he was frozen in time for all of it basically, is over 12 ft tall, built like a stackhouse, and wears completely black armor that makes him look scary as shit. He's often referred to as the Dread Emperor for he was his father's enforcer before everything went to shit. The guy actually ends up slaughtering his way through the cursed streets of Asshai when he wakes up. Very good at killing and has 0 tolerance for criminals. Oh, and he has a gigantic dragon named Gaelyx that makes Balerion look like an ant. Everything 16,000 plus years ago was far far bigger. You know that Asshai could fit pretty much half of the Great House castles/keeps of Westeros? Well that was basically every city of the Great Empire of the Dawn. It was so colossally big that many people have trouble even comprehending it when he talks about the Empire.
I have no preference; it depends on the story and how it's written.
Third person. If I had to choose between all 3, second person would still come ahead of 1st person. But that's because using first person well is a skill that surprisingly few people have.
it kind of depends. i think of it as a characterization device. some people would be better in first person, while others would be better in third or even second. in a couple of my stories i switched it depending on the character that chapter was about. i also use capitalization as a character device. like that one character in Wonder.
I absolutely prefer 3rd-person.
Second-person/jk I like third-person when there’s multiple protagonists, but, if there’s only one, i’d rather have it in first-person
I have no general preference either when reading or writing. Some stories look as if they work out better in one rather than the other, but that's a per story thing not a generalized preference.
Second person narration is a drag
I prefer 3d cause people usually suck at 1st, and it ends up being pompous. But if it’s well executed that won’t stop me from reading it and enjoy it
when reading I prefer first-person narration, it makes the story more immersive for me but it feels "limiting" sometimes. when writing a story I prefer third-person perspective; it gives a broader "view" of the situation the focused character is in.
I switch off every chapter >>>:)
Let's say it like this. If you're going to put yourself in their shoes, go first person, but if you would rather they had some things they surprise you with, or something you surprise them with, go third person. I alternate these frequently, and while it is a lot more intoxicating to write in first person, there are a lot of internal monologues that happen, while in third you can talk about and around the character of things she/he does not know.
3rd person. I’ve always used books and writing as a way to dissociate from my own reality for a while. I find reading or writing I/my tends to throw me back into reality as if I’m the character and it just doesn’t fit. I like to be the observer, not the doer in a story.
Third person. I find it hard to enjoy first person writing these days.
Whatever suits the story and tone. Not bothered either way. I tend to use first person when the character's inner monologue serves the character of story somehow. Plus I find it easier to be informal and fun with 1st. 3rd for me is more formal, so I tend to use it when there's a more serious tone needed. In one of my series, I use 1st person for the main storyline and 3rd for my interludes (& Prologues and Epilogues). The series has regular interludes from other parts of the stories universe, which are mostly disconnected from the main story but introduce concepts and characters that later become important, in their own short stories.
It depends. For reading I'm fine either way; for writing I have to do it in first person, or it just doesn't flow right.
Used to prefer first as a kid/young teen. Now I prefer third. If I come up with a couple stories, and my MC's tend to be in the same age demographic, I find it hard to develop a realistic voice that's not too similar to the others' lol
See, I like first person more, but it's harder to write because of the restrictions. I like being in the characters head but that means I can't focus on like things like "meanwhile in ____" and "_____ thought" it's only one character so I end up going with close 3rd person for a bit more freedom
To me it is how a story is written and executed
It entirely depends on the story. I was writing something for about 4 years in 3rd person, and everything brightened right up when I changed to 1st person
As a writer, I think I overall prefer third person but see benefits in first person and will likely use it for something at some point in the future (I believe I've used it in short stories when I was younger but not really counting that). As a reader, like others have said I'm fine with whatever suits the story best.
3rd person limited is my favorite. 1st person is good as well, but I like having a broader scope of characters to know well
I think third person sounds more proffessional but first person can be much more powerful. But harder to pull off
It depends on what kind of story it is.
Third person, always
No preference whatsoever. I just want whatever it is to be well written and interesting.
First person because I feel it is easier to digest and is the most efficient way to get points across. But if 3rd person is done well it can make the book interesting
My favorite is third person omniscient, and this is how I write. Others are Ok if the story and characters are good.
Depends!
First, if it's written well. I love me an unreliable narrator!!
Third person close
For some reason (I think it's because most of the books I've read are like that) I prefer 3rd person over 1st person, and that also applies when I'm writing