dark+stormynight

I'm making the jump from writing NF articles and the odd short story to my first attempt at a novel. One of the most common warnings I've come across is that the first person point of view is to be avoided in almost all circumstances. But my best attempts at searching through the archives did not provide me with any reasons or other explanation for this warning.

It's probably fairly common for a new novelist to develop the story with himself in the lead role (what would I do here, how would I react to this, etc.) and that has been the most natural way for me to proceed. But having read many of the "don't do it" warnings, I spent the other night at the local megabookmart paging through several dozen books without finding one written in the 1st person POV. Can someone please take the time to explain why? It seems like an 'easy' way to write; is it hard on the reader in some way?

Please give me some basic reasons for not using 1st person.

I'm still early enough in the process that I can re-write the hundred or so pages without feeling like a complete moron, but I'd like to resolve this before I finish the damn book! And it will be a lot easier for me to get excited about re-writing existing chapters if I understand all of the horrible nastiness that I'll avoid using 3rd person.

Thanks!!!

mwd

First person is fine. There are plenty of books written this way. Yes, they're the minority since most novels these days are in third person limited, but if first person works for your story then you should use it.

That said, if the only reason you're using first person is that it allows you to write yourself into the character, then that's probably a weakness. You should be able to write characters that are different from you sometimes. Each one will contain some aspect of your personality, but they won't be "you" so much as a little piece of yourself translated into words.

The reason first person POV is discouraged is because a lot of writers don't know how to do it correctly. This is the same reason present tense is discouraged, and third person omniscient. These aren't the norm, so it draws extra attention to your writing. Do you want extra attention drawn to your writing? If you've done it well, yes, but if you haven't, people will be more likely to put it down. On the other hand if you've written a novel in third limited with mediocre writing but good story/characters, the reader is more likely to look past that and deal with it, since you're writing in a style that they're familiar with, so they'll give you more leeway. This is why they say "don't do it" ... it's not so much a case of "don't do it EVER" as it is "if you're going to do it, make sure you do it well", which is really the same for any slightly off-beat technique you use in your writing.

Straylight

mwd said it well.

It's not so much that you should avoid it forever, or that it's terrible or whatever. It's just very, very often a crutch that writers use to avoid characterization. They just write it like they would tell a friend the story, as themselves, without thinking about the character whose doing the talking.

If you want to do first person, great, go for it. Most of my stuff is in first. But make sure you know your narrator as well as you know yourself. Make sure you know his hopes, fears, ambitions. Know his little personality ticks, the strange phrases he uses. What does his shout when he stubs his toe?

Good first person means it's being told from the perspective of a fully realized character. If that's the case, then I personally find it the most engaging form of literature. Roger Zelanzy's Amber books (at least, the first 5) are a prime example of this. All the characterization is the subtle turns in the prose.

~SL

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dark+stormynight

Thanks for the replies. One quick add to my original post.

The most common comment I've read in other threads or articles about POV concerns "how limiting 1st person is." But they never explain in what way it is limiting. Sorry if I'm being dense, but can someone explain what I'm giving up (according to the 'common wisdom') by writing from 1st person POV?

cbrmale

I will take my advice one step further to 'don't do it ever'. While first person can be done well, or badly, it still grates when you read it. Mostly it is repetitive (I did this, I did that, I said this, I started, I stopped, I scratched my head, I, I, I). As a reader, I never relate to the 'I' character, and it may well be written third-person limited for all the personal empathy I will feel for the character.

Traiditionally, novels were written third person omniscient, the third person limited view is a more personal and focussed version of omniscient. To my knowledge, first person arose relatively recently. Even then, as you point out, the majority of fiction these days is written third person limited.

I have written short stories first person, but I always prefered my third person works and decided to stay with that style.

cbrmale

Limiting in two ways. First, you may want to tell a story from the view of another person for a while. I have done this a couple of times when I switch focus when the narrator is way out of the storyline. Secondly, you can draw back and use third person omniscient to describe people, places and things and then zoom up and use third person limited to resume the narration.

dark+stormynight

Another brief add-on....

One problem that I have noticed is that it becomes very easy to write the story as if I am inside of the lead character's brain. Several times I have caught myself dashing off a quick 10 page chapter with ALL of the action taking place via his description, with zero dialogue or interaction with any other characters. Suddenly the book has shifted from a novel to a long Op-Ed piece, particularly when the protagonist is describing the reasons for his recent acts or some future plan. It's almost as if the main character is on a cross country plane ride and is reliving the story in his mind, when my goal is to tell the story from his viewpoint as he is experiencing the action.

( at least three times recently, I've come very close to skipping the whole 'novel step' and just writing the story in screenplay format. For me that just seems SOOO much easier. the scary thing is that out here in Burbank, many of the people I've talked with actually consider the idea of a novel to be nothing but an interim step prior to the 'real work' - the screenplay)

Kane

A few months ago I read a 760ish page book written entirely in first person/present tense. At first I was thrown off, but within a few pages I adapted easily to the style. Before that I read another 760ish page book writted in the first person/past tense and was equally comfortable reading it after the initial first pages...

As in everything, there is an inherent amount of snobbery in writing, and the advice that you get will often be heavily biased due to the personal tastes of the advice-giver, rather than because it is 'right.' As long as you follow the rules of grammar, and spell correctly, then there aren't many aspects of writing that can be considered right or wrong. And even then, spelling and grammar can be altered to produce different results, or affect a certain style.

Write how you want to write, just do it well. Practice a lot, and you will find your voice--whatever that may be. But remember, that if you want people to read your books, many will do so with their snobbery and personal taste intact. But, you can't please everyone, so don't bother trying. Please yourself, and let those who appreciate your writing buy your books.

cbrmale

Kane's point is valid, the problem being that he was put off by the second novel (first person past tense). When submitting your work to an agent or publisher, if they get put off reading your work at first, they won't even bother going beyond half-way through the first chapter.

Publishing is a business, you need to know your market and what is and isn't commercially viable. It doesn't mean you should totally sacrifice your own voice purely for market reasons, but you should still consider commercial reality issues when making your decision.

FrankBlissett

You're doing just fine. That'll give you plenty of the story to flesh out during times you have a bit of block. Remember that it doesn't matter what it looks like when you first write it - you can always edit/rewrite till you get it looking good.

-Frank

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suzakugaiden

"(I did this, I did that, I said this, I started, I stopped, I scratched my head, I, I, I)."

John went to the store. John looked around for eggs. John bought the eggs. John went home and ate the eggs. John realized he forgot to cook them first.

You don't HAVE to write it like that. The same applies for first person.

Kane

As soon as I got used to reading that style, it was a very comfortable read, and it was very engaging all the way through the book. And seeing as the work is published, I'm sure there is someone out there willing to publish that style, no?

Talia_Brie

Personally I'm not a fan of 1st person. I think it can be done well, but it can also be done terribly poorly.

But, that's just me. That's not a rule, and there is no reason for my opinion to strike 1st person narrative from existance. Personally, I just don't use it, but it needs to come down to what's right for the story, I suppose.

I've just read God in Ruins by Leon Uris, and he uses it. He also tells the story from three or four different characters POVs (all using 1st person). It's confusing at times, but he pulls it off I think.

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cbrmale

You don't have to write third person like the example, but you can't write first person any other way. It has to be 'I', and unless you are really good and plan each sentence, you end up with multiplicities of I's. At least with third person you can vary between the name and a generic 'he' or 'she'. And the writer can sometimes take an omniscient view as well.

Mike C

One of my favourite authors, JG Ballard (thought by many to be Britain's greatest living novelist) often writes in the first person.

But as for the rest of us... if you think you can pull it off, do it. It is as limiting or as liberating as any other POV, but it's a lot harder to write to novel length.

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