Lily

Okay, so when you're writing a story, which perspective do you like to use and for what purpose?

The reason I ask this is that currently I'm working on a short story and I can't decide whether it would be more affective to use first person or third person. The thing about first person is that I would be able to force my readers to envision themselves in that character's shoes, but at the same time, I'd be limited to that character's perspective. I know I could switch narrators, but then that would make the story inordinately long (it's pretty long already, and still growing). If I used third person, I would be able to get inside each character's mind at will, more or less, and make side comments about different things. Here's the plot:

Decades ago, scientists created six experimental communities. Everything in these communities would be ordered and decided before the citizens were put in it, ie: everyone would have the same eye color and hair color, everyone would have similar dispositions, careers would be distributed among families and would be passed down from parents to children, etc., etc., etc. The citizens would never know life outside the communities- they would never know that they were being observed by an outside universe. At least, most of them would never know, and those who thought they did wouldn't know for sure, they'd just get inklings of the existence of an outside world. The story revolves around the lives of two outcasts from the oldest of the 6 communities.

I could give more if it would help, but I don't want to give it all away otherwise no one will read it

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AdamR

I debate this same question much among my own writing. But I usually use the First Person. I tend to do this because the character in the story (whether it be sci-fi, action, drama, or adventure) represents myself. I am able to put down my thoughts and feelings in the way that I see them, and how I view the things around me.

I think this is something a good author should be able to do. Writing is an art that flows from the imagination, through the authors personal thoughs and experiences, and put down on paper to be given to the others around him.

However, if I do not use the First Person, I usually use the Third Person.

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JenJoyful

I feel more comfortable writing in the First Person and so I am more satisfied with the work that I've done in that perspective.

However, lately my stories have required me to use the Third Person (so many limitations in first person POV). I guess it's a good thing since I definitely need practice in the third person!

Willyshakespeare

The story sounds big and sprawling, which could make writing from a first person perspective problematic. I mean technically so. One person can only be in one place at a time and know only so many other people, etc...

But if you use what is called a "close third person" point of view, you can get much of the benefits of the first person--i.e., the feeling of immediacy, the empathy with the protagonist--and enjoy the added advantage of being able to tell the story using multiple points of view.

One thing you could do to ensure you get that close third person approach right is to write your first draft in first person--even if you have more than one character telling the story--and then go back in before the second draft and switch to third by changing all the I's to he's or she's, etc....

Another option is to do both. Write your main protagonist in first person, and write from other points of view in third.

JenJoyful

Well, I don't know if anyone here has ever read the "Fearless" series by Francine Pascal but I really like how she has handled POV. The main story is written in 3rd person, but every few chapters she has 1st POV inserted. She takes a character and lets us hear their thoughts, kind of like a diary entry. It works really well for that series.

Fantasia

To answer the thread question: I've used 'em all an equal number of times, but I think I write best when it's in first person.

As for Francine Pascal... gosh that name caught me for several minutes. I tried to remember where I last heard it and now I remember that it came from those Sweet Valley High books I used to love reading when I was a kid. Lol! Ah, the memories. "Fearless" seems very interesting though. I must check it out in Amazon.

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