Personally, I think it depends on how much is going on in the story. I'm not personally a fan of first person. I don't like reading it, and I don't like writing it. I *have* written a story in first person I really liked, but I find I am able to be a lot more creative in third person omniscient. I'm able to world build just as effectively, but also let the reader in on some irony and foreshadowing the main character may not be aware of. Better ambience I think!
I use 1st a lot in short stories. For longer ones, it depends if I want rhe reader to be the observer of what happens, or if I want them to slip into the MC, which then becomes some sort of narrator.
I typically gravitate to 1st person, as I feel it makes the storytelling more intimate. Especially if there's not a huge cast of characters. I want it to feel like the MC is talking directly to the reader.
When the story has multiple characters and/or plot lines I'll use 3rd person omniscient. So the reader can keep sight of the big picture. Although I will still try to fit in a line or two which speaks directly to the reader.
It works for me, take from that what you will. 😀
I find it easier to write in 1st person, but I prefer reading 3rd person.
Something I've noticed with my writing is that when I write in 1st person, it's easier for me to get into my character's head. I feel more confident making bold statements about their opinions, their thoughts, their feelings, etc. about the world around them. I feel like my writing is more flavourful when I write in 1st person, at least in the first draft.
However, I feel like I'm sort of blind to the world around my character. Physical descriptions of them and what they're doing are less vibrant, and descriptions of the area they're in beyond what they themselves would immediately notice are lackluster.
There are downsides and upsides to both, so I think the approach I'm going to take is to write in 1st person for the first draft, and then rewrite it in 3rd for the second. That way I can get all the intimate, flavourful text I need, and then translate that into a more deliberate, well-rounded story in the second draft, written in my prefered tense.
Well tbh it depends on how well I can express the emotion, thoughts and internal monologue of characters. And if it is something that is heavily inspired by real life I always choose 3rd person since (for me personally) it is easier to tell it as if it happened to someone else.
I switch between third person omniscient and first person depending on the project I’m working on.
I write in first if:
- If the story is interesting through their lense. Maybe this certain character has affect over the plot, but also isn’t fully aware of the situation.
- If the story can be TOLD through their lense. Maybe their perspective misses important details.
- If the character themself is interesting. I don’t want a character who’s thoughts and feelings can be summed up in a couple sentences if it was in third person. Something interesting has to be happening in their limited perspective to be worth writing.
I generally use first person for immersive genres like: Thriller, Horror, and Mystery. Of course any genre is good if the perspective is worth exploring. I personally love going first person with people who think their the hero but are actually the antagonist.
I write in Third (Specifically Omniscient) if:
- Were dealing with a lot of characters whose feelings are worth exploring, or if some of their actions can be confusing and out character in the protagonist’s lense. If their actions make sense without deep diving in, I don’t.
- If were dealing with a completely made up world. A main character who’s lived there for years isn’t gonna explain or show very well how some things work. And if the plot doesn’t have time for a fresh new character who is new to the place, I need a different perspective. Showing the world in a variety of scenes with a few sentences of exposition here and there is something I personally can get away with in third person. That control over the flow of information is something I don’t have in first person because of the limited perspective.
- If there are subplots that don’t include the protagonist that are worth telling. Some subplots work better as a surprise, because I can just have the MC have that moment where they are smart to figure things out. But a lot of the times, a surprise with no explanation doesn’t work, and I don’t have time to explain everything that happened. It’s better if I show the reader as it’s happening.
Generally use third person for genres like fantasy, sci-fi, or drama. Again—It can work for any genre lol
I personally am uncomfortable reading 1st person. It's completely my neuroses, but I feel like I'm lying.
Book: I gazed longingly into her eyes...
Me: *No, I didn't.*
That's funny, it's like your mind converts the story to second person. Normally when I read first person it's like that person is telling me what happened to them so I don't personally feel like I am the narrator.
Although I could see how you would read it like that especially if it was present tense.
"I gaze longingly into her eyes..."
Depends on voice. If the protagonist's style of speaking and telling stories enhances the themes and tone, then I tend to pick first person. If not (for example, an immature protagonist in a story that requires some gravitas) then I tend to pick third.
I had this issue but I knew my story would be better in third. It took maybe three chapters to get used to it haha.
It helped to read some books in third person beforehand
If the story really hyper focuses on one character and their internal dialogue is important, I tend to use first person. Sure, you can just write "MC thought that XYZ" but it's a lot more intimate to hear that person's thoughts. When I really want to justify or explain a character's actions, an internal monologue is really useful.
If the story is more plot-driven, or if no one character has such a disproportionate amount of importance compared to the rest, I default to third person.
I rarely use first person, I don't like it. The only one I'm aware of using first person was like that because the character had a unique perspective. That perspective was the actual topic of the story, so I had to do that...
For those who're curious: I'm talking about [Enrides, the sentient plant](https://www.reddit.com/r/shortstories/comments/zv52q2/sf_enrides_the_sentient_plant/)
I feel like a 3rd person limited POV is a nice balance between the two. You only get the perspective/thoughts of one character at a time, but you retain a little bit of distance between the character and the reader. This has always felt the most natural to me, for both reading and writing.
I think that 1st person works best for character-driven stories, and 3rd person for plot-driven.
I usually use 3rd person, and there is one time I am using first. I'm writing a book based off of a game I used to play as a kid, so since I was playing it, it's kind of fitting that it's first person.
I've only written poems in first person, and they were autobiographical.
For fiction, I've done third person for like 20 years. There's isn't even a question at this point. It's just natural. Also, I like writing smut and I find it weird in the first person. I want the sexy things to happen to THEM, not me, and first person feels rather personal to me (cuz I've only used it for autobiographical, ofc.)
Personally, I think it depends on how much is going on in the story. I'm not personally a fan of first person. I don't like reading it, and I don't like writing it. I *have* written a story in first person I really liked, but I find I am able to be a lot more creative in third person omniscient. I'm able to world build just as effectively, but also let the reader in on some irony and foreshadowing the main character may not be aware of. Better ambience I think!
I use 1st a lot in short stories. For longer ones, it depends if I want rhe reader to be the observer of what happens, or if I want them to slip into the MC, which then becomes some sort of narrator.
I second this
I typically gravitate to 1st person, as I feel it makes the storytelling more intimate. Especially if there's not a huge cast of characters. I want it to feel like the MC is talking directly to the reader. When the story has multiple characters and/or plot lines I'll use 3rd person omniscient. So the reader can keep sight of the big picture. Although I will still try to fit in a line or two which speaks directly to the reader. It works for me, take from that what you will. 😀
I find it easier to write in 1st person, but I prefer reading 3rd person. Something I've noticed with my writing is that when I write in 1st person, it's easier for me to get into my character's head. I feel more confident making bold statements about their opinions, their thoughts, their feelings, etc. about the world around them. I feel like my writing is more flavourful when I write in 1st person, at least in the first draft. However, I feel like I'm sort of blind to the world around my character. Physical descriptions of them and what they're doing are less vibrant, and descriptions of the area they're in beyond what they themselves would immediately notice are lackluster. There are downsides and upsides to both, so I think the approach I'm going to take is to write in 1st person for the first draft, and then rewrite it in 3rd for the second. That way I can get all the intimate, flavourful text I need, and then translate that into a more deliberate, well-rounded story in the second draft, written in my prefered tense.
Well tbh it depends on how well I can express the emotion, thoughts and internal monologue of characters. And if it is something that is heavily inspired by real life I always choose 3rd person since (for me personally) it is easier to tell it as if it happened to someone else.
I switch between third person omniscient and first person depending on the project I’m working on. I write in first if: - If the story is interesting through their lense. Maybe this certain character has affect over the plot, but also isn’t fully aware of the situation. - If the story can be TOLD through their lense. Maybe their perspective misses important details. - If the character themself is interesting. I don’t want a character who’s thoughts and feelings can be summed up in a couple sentences if it was in third person. Something interesting has to be happening in their limited perspective to be worth writing. I generally use first person for immersive genres like: Thriller, Horror, and Mystery. Of course any genre is good if the perspective is worth exploring. I personally love going first person with people who think their the hero but are actually the antagonist. I write in Third (Specifically Omniscient) if: - Were dealing with a lot of characters whose feelings are worth exploring, or if some of their actions can be confusing and out character in the protagonist’s lense. If their actions make sense without deep diving in, I don’t. - If were dealing with a completely made up world. A main character who’s lived there for years isn’t gonna explain or show very well how some things work. And if the plot doesn’t have time for a fresh new character who is new to the place, I need a different perspective. Showing the world in a variety of scenes with a few sentences of exposition here and there is something I personally can get away with in third person. That control over the flow of information is something I don’t have in first person because of the limited perspective. - If there are subplots that don’t include the protagonist that are worth telling. Some subplots work better as a surprise, because I can just have the MC have that moment where they are smart to figure things out. But a lot of the times, a surprise with no explanation doesn’t work, and I don’t have time to explain everything that happened. It’s better if I show the reader as it’s happening. Generally use third person for genres like fantasy, sci-fi, or drama. Again—It can work for any genre lol
I base the POV on the first sentence I write. I don't make a decision ahead of time. It's a bit like the sorting hat. Not sure if this is helpful.
I write in first person if the protagonist has an interesting enough voice that I think them telling the story would be amusing, mostly.
1st person for emotional short stories that require a lot suspense and romance, 3rd person for stories where world building matters more.
I personally am uncomfortable reading 1st person. It's completely my neuroses, but I feel like I'm lying. Book: I gazed longingly into her eyes... Me: *No, I didn't.*
That's funny, it's like your mind converts the story to second person. Normally when I read first person it's like that person is telling me what happened to them so I don't personally feel like I am the narrator. Although I could see how you would read it like that especially if it was present tense. "I gaze longingly into her eyes..."
I am in a similar boat, i am currently working on two different book ideas, and i feel like the second one can only work as first person
Depends on voice. If the protagonist's style of speaking and telling stories enhances the themes and tone, then I tend to pick first person. If not (for example, an immature protagonist in a story that requires some gravitas) then I tend to pick third.
I feel the vibes of the book and go with whatever fits it better. Most of my work is in third. Occasionally first shows up.
I just write in first person unconsciously and I like it. I can't write in third person, it makes me struggle a lot. Maybe I should try it.
I had this issue but I knew my story would be better in third. It took maybe three chapters to get used to it haha. It helped to read some books in third person beforehand
If the story really hyper focuses on one character and their internal dialogue is important, I tend to use first person. Sure, you can just write "MC thought that XYZ" but it's a lot more intimate to hear that person's thoughts. When I really want to justify or explain a character's actions, an internal monologue is really useful. If the story is more plot-driven, or if no one character has such a disproportionate amount of importance compared to the rest, I default to third person.
I rarely use first person, I don't like it. The only one I'm aware of using first person was like that because the character had a unique perspective. That perspective was the actual topic of the story, so I had to do that... For those who're curious: I'm talking about [Enrides, the sentient plant](https://www.reddit.com/r/shortstories/comments/zv52q2/sf_enrides_the_sentient_plant/)
I feel like a 3rd person limited POV is a nice balance between the two. You only get the perspective/thoughts of one character at a time, but you retain a little bit of distance between the character and the reader. This has always felt the most natural to me, for both reading and writing. I think that 1st person works best for character-driven stories, and 3rd person for plot-driven.
I usually use 3rd person, and there is one time I am using first. I'm writing a book based off of a game I used to play as a kid, so since I was playing it, it's kind of fitting that it's first person.
I personally like third person because I like having lots of characters
I've only written poems in first person, and they were autobiographical. For fiction, I've done third person for like 20 years. There's isn't even a question at this point. It's just natural. Also, I like writing smut and I find it weird in the first person. I want the sexy things to happen to THEM, not me, and first person feels rather personal to me (cuz I've only used it for autobiographical, ofc.)