Thread: I can't get started.

Or, more accurately, can't get very far. I'm getting frustrated. I'm agonizing over what point of view and tense to write my story in. I have written a couple thousand words in third-person omniscient. Now I'm half-convincing myself that first-person, maybe first-person present tense, would make the story more appealing. I want to just dive in, but the nagging feeling that "the other POV would be better" keeps me from letting go.

I know I'm being influenced by The Hunger Games, which I recently read and loved. It was written in first-person. My story shares a lot of similarities; young girl struggling to survive in a dystopian future. But that's not what makes me indecisive. I think the story had a good personal feel to it that maybe third-person can't give.

I don't know what I hope to gain from posting this. I'm mostly just venting my frustration, but hopefully someone will have some insight that will help me make a final decision and move on. I'm itching to get started.

I vote for third person limited POV past tense. It's simple, standard, and straightforward. Or second person objective POV future tense.

The most important thing, I would say, is to just run with what you have and finish it. You can fix it all up later (though POV is kind of a big fixing up, this is still just your first draft, after all). The most important thing is just to get it out on paper.

Decide where you want to end and start there...

Don't worry too uch about POV; they don't make your story better or worse. What changes things is how well you can write in First/Third person. I started writing my story (Freelancer - sci-fi) in first person, but realised after writing about a thousard words that I wasn't that good at writing in first person; I'm better at third person. So, I changed it. It instantly felt better, not because it was third person, but because I was writing in the style I was most comfortable in.

Basically, which are you better at? If you answer 'both', then it shouldn't matter. Anyway, different readers prefer different things. Have you read Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy? Half of it is written in the first person view of Batrimaeus, because it suits his character and allows him to add footnotes to make it feel like he's telling you the story. The other half is in third person, following Nathaniel. Sometimes, Batrimaeus and Nathaniel are together, so it is written in either style depending on the POV that Stroud wants to use - the one he he can better exploit. I find both styles just a good. The former is wittier and flows better, while the latter has more deep narrative and intrigue.

Make a choice not on what the reader will like, but what you can write better. You can make a really good first-person story. You can also make a really bad one too. It depends on how good you are at writing in first person. The reader will like a better-written story.

I only like third person. I hate even reading books in first person.

Make a choice not on what the reader will like, but what you can write better. You can make a really good first-person story. You can also make a really bad one too. It depends on how good you are at writing in first person. The reader will like a better-written story.

Agreed.

When I read this:

young girl struggling to survive in a dystopian future.

My thinking automatically goes to first person. First person gives details on someone's struggles that third person can't.

Originally Posted by CFFTB

Agreed.

When I read this: My thinking automatically goes to first person. First person gives details on someone's struggles that third person can't.

First person would be better. It's more personal. If you can write well in first-person, go with it. Unless your story is less focused on the girl's feelings and more centred on that which she is trying to survive from. If so, a third-person story would still do it justice. I can't really put it in context at the moment, though.

Originally Posted by CFFTB

First person gives details on someone's struggles that third person can't.

Omniscient third person can give the same details. Compare "I felt a chill run down my spine" to "Bob felt a chill run down his spine." In both cases, it's something you shouldn't know unless you're Bob (or omniscient), and the perspective ultimately doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by Cadence

First person would be better. It's more personal.

This may just be me, but first person does just the opposite when I'm reading. When I hear someone say, "I did this, this, and this," I can't put myself in their shoes; instead, it further reinforces the distinction between that person and me. I am not in the story (like I might be with third person omniscient). Instead, I'm just hearing someone recall what happened.

I would argue that third person could do a better job of showing a characters struggles. I imagine 1st person would involve a lot of "telling" of thoughts and feelings, whereas 3rd person would make me show more about their thoughts and feelings.

I am writing something in 3rd person and the character struggles with various things. I have wondered if it would be better in 1st person but I don't think it would.

Personally, I would just start writing and use whichever works best for that part. You may find yourself continuing that way, or switch up later - but at some point you'll realize which is the best for that story. I've done it and although it can be a major brain drain to make the changes later, it really doesn't take that long before you know what to use. Trust your instincts. I've found that usually works no matter what part of writing one is thinking about.

Thanks to everyone for some great insight! It's just what I needed to stop fussing over it and get to work.

I don't know what POV I'm better at. I've never tried writing in first-person. I'll keep going in third omniscient since I've started already, and see how it goes.

Cadence, you make a good point. It really shouldn't matter what POV I use, good writing is good writing. And Amen to your signature!

I find that third person can provide the reader with much more insight into the feelings, thoughts and personal struggles of multiple characters. I think first person and third person can be equally personal for the reader depending upon the story and whether the main focus is on one character or multiple characters. Ultimately, it's up to you--you know your characters and your story. If you feel that readers would benefit from knowing the thoughts/feelings of, say, your young-girl character's boyfriend, best friend, sister, then third person might be the way to go. However, if the main focus is on the struggles of the main character (the young girl) and other characters act more as supporting characters as opposed to main characters, then first person might work better. I hope this makes sense the way I've explained it.

I've always felt that point of view wasn't much more than a camera lens on a sliding scale. It is capable of incredible closeness on one end, and a wide, impersonal distance at the other. Beyond that, any greater insight one style claims over the other really has more to do with the author's skill and the power of his observations.

Thanks River and john. To be honest, I'm not sure what the focus of the story will be, whether it will focus on the girl's struggles closely or have a much broader scope. I'll have to produce something and flesh it out. Right now I have a general theme and an idea of the feeling I want to portray. I do like the idea of being able to closely examine the girl's feelings though, as well as having the ability to show things she may not be aware of. Really, I just need to write, and I'll learn more about what I'm good at and what I prefer.

Good advice Jeffors, thanks! I have definitely been too concerned with details like POV. But I have a good idea of what to do now, and I believe that once I get going, I'll be happy with it and less worried about whether I "got it right". Everyone's input has been a great help!