When writing, do you find it easier to write in 1st person or 3rd person?
I have started my novel in 3rd person but am starting to think that it would work better as 1st person. Have any of you changed your POV after you've started writing? Which one do you prefer to use? And, is one easier than the other?
Victoria
Thankyou for that very clear explanation. It has sorted a corner of my mind very helpfully.
:-)
David
Yes it's tricky alright! I too started in third person and converted to first. After three chapters of re-writing, I'm discovering serious hurdles. The first person is a Granny, she speaks for herself and relays other's stories as they are told to her. Fine as far as it goes, the result is one chapter in first person then a few in third. BUT what to do when your first person appears in a third person's story? Is it then 'I' or 'she/Granny' as perceived through that particular third? Also can Granny make first person remarks within the third person's narrative or would that confuse? It becomes knotty. I think the solution lies in clarity and consistency, the 'how' is another matter.
First and third p.o.v's each have their own qualities and limitations, I would like to include both as truth is altered by perspective and I'm hoping to make this a central theme of my story. Omniscience that includes varying perceptions.
You had questions: Is one easier than the other and which do you prefer? For me it's all down to character, if my character is clear, alive and 'real' then they are equally easy or difficult to write. The issues are with the story, is yours an internal story concerned with one person's perception/experience or are other character's views or feelings necessary to the manipulation of your reader's response? I think I need more help than you do!
I started with what I thought was an omniscient narator but when I posted my first page on a peer review site It was jumped on imediately by several people telling me my POV was all over the place. It turned out those commenting only really understood third person limited and wanted me to be writing in that. As I researched the various points of view I realised third limited was actually better for my story and then spent months going right through changing every sentence. I think it's quite natural for me to write in third limited now but I definitely want to try writing a truly omniscient narrative at some point.
As for first, I have tried. I wrote a stream-of-consciousness novel which hasn't yet made it beyond pocket novel in word count, but I still have plans for it. I found that very difficult, though. Describing what the main character sees all the time is exhausting and not very exciting for the reader unless there is action or tension involved. Second person is my least favourite by far but first is definitely behind omniscient and third-person limited.
For anyone wondering about the difference between third omniscient and third limited, it's essentially that an omniscient narrator can see anything and go anywhere popping in and out of heads at will. It sounds easy but it's extremely difficult to do well as head jumping can be very disorientating for the reader. Some would suggest you avoid head jumping altogether and always offer a strong narrative voice with opinions as to what the characters are thinking. Dickens and Austen did that really well but there are few authors who choose the truly omnicient route these days.
Third-person limited is the most popular POV and restricts the readers view to head jumping between just a few people, usually the main characters. The main rules here are to always stay with one character thoughout a paragraph and preferably a chapter if you can manage it. I never can. In fact, perhaps I should call my POV third limited, but not very!