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Posted by storymonger on Sep 10, 2015 in Characters | 39 comments
You know you’re a writer when… you often tell people that you’ve always preferred 3rd Person Limited to a 1st person POV.
And if you do, I will give you a high-five and tell you that I totally agree, bro. I love 3rd Person Limited—it’s my go-to POV for many reasons. Here are some ideas for maximizing the advantages of this powerful point-of-view:
The key to writing any POV well is understanding how it works.
If 3rd Person Omniscient puts the narration on the shoulders of a nameless, all-seeing observer, 3rd Person Limited is the tiny computer chip in the brain of the unwitting main character, relaying everything they see or feel to the projector screen in the dark room where the reader sits and eavesdrops.
Okay, so it’s not quite that shady, but you get the idea. I’ve always thought of 3rd Person Limited as a thinly disguised version of 1st Person, with all the closeness and intimacy of 1st Person, but without many of the disadvantages. (Such as the difficulty of handling multiple narrators, or the suspicion that many people harbor because of all the badly-written 1st Person chapter books they read in grade school.)
Fred paused from his trudge along the gravel road. If he hadn’t known better, he could’ve sworn that there was a hint of vengeful malice in the sound of the galloping hooves behind him. The reader is inside Fred’s head, confined to the limits of what Fred sees and feels.
Fred paused, a confused look drifting onto his face. If he’d turned around, he would have seen Clovis the Cow approaching at a gallop, jaws open in a maniacal moo of triumph. Poor Fred.
One of the awesome things about 3rd Person Limited is the ability to get inside a character’s head, have a good look at what they’re thinking and feeling. You experience the story right along with them.
I’ve read many stories in 3rd Person Limited that don’t take advantage of this. The perspective is locked to the viewpoint of a certain character, but the narration reads more like Omniscient in that we never really get up close and personal with their thoughts and feelings. This is like being handcuffed to a person who goes about their day without ever talking to you or looking at you. It gets lonely.
Give us raw emotion, internal monologue, sensations. Use all five senses.
Fred stopped again, scratching his head. Goshdarnit, those hoofbeats were sure getting close. Mebbe he should turn around. But nah, there weren’t nothing out here but cows, and cows didn’t hurt nobody. Aha, thought Clovis, the fool suspects nothing. Your cowish doom is upon you, villain, he cried in cow-language, in which he knew the farmer was ignorant. Finally, my brother will be avenged!
Kay. Anybody see what happened there? Anybody feel confused by anything other than the phrase “cowish doom”?
Once you’re locked into one character’s POV, don’t jump to another character’s POV mid-scene. It’s disorienting, it’s confusing, it’s just plain mean to your readers. They had just gotten all comfy in the first character’s brain, and you jerked them out and squished them into a different one. Quit doing that.
One of my biggest problems with a 1st Person POV is that it minimizes a sense of immediacy, of being involved in the story events as they occur. 1st Person is, by nature, an older version of the character recounting the story at some point in the future. (Unless you’re writing 1st Person Present, which makes no logical sense whatsoever. And yes, I promise that you can write a YA novel without using 1st Person Present. Just try it.)
Generally, you know that the 1st person narrator is not going to die. Otherwise, how could they be telling this story?
In a 3rd Person POV, we observe the story unfolding around us. The fate of any of the narrators is fraught with uncertainty. Just because we’re in Fred’s head doesn’t mean he won’t fall under the hooves of the cow avenger. Just because we’re in Clovis’s head doesn’t mean he won’t run across an ancient buried landmine and get blown to fragments just shy of wreaking his long-anticipated vengeance.
If you’ve never tried writing in this particular POV before, you should definitely give it a try! Get up close and personal, give us all the thoughts and feels, and take 3rd Person Limited to the limit.
Yes, I’ve been waiting this whole article to use that line. I have a problem.
photo credit: Outdo? Not Yet. via photopin (license)
Sydney September 10, 2015 Great post! Also, an enthusiastic high-five for 3rd person limited over 1st person. storymonger September 11, 2015 I will enthusiastically return that high-five!
Great post! Also, an enthusiastic high-five for 3rd person limited over 1st person.
storymonger September 11, 2015 I will enthusiastically return that high-five!
I will enthusiastically return that high-five!
andrewslaura95 September 10, 2015 I almost always use 3rd Person Limited. I used to think that I was using it … until I realized that I often headjumped mid scene. I’ve tamed that now. I think there are a lot of advantages to it. In my novel that I’m writing, I have only one viewpoint character; it’s quite a challenge to show everything just from her perspective, without drifting into Omniscient (showing things outside of her perspective that she couldn’t possible know) or doing head jumps every once in a while. I feel like the story is tighter, though, and much better than it would be using 3rd Person Omniscient, or 1st Person. I do have another story that I’m thinking about *maybe* writing in 1st Person Present (or Past, possibly), but I don’t know. I suppose there are good things about most perspectives … except 2nd Person. No. Just NO. storymonger September 11, 2015 Trying a new POV is always a good way to stretch your writing chops! And you never know, you could end up writing the next big 2nd Person runaway success, and then all the YA dystopias will be written in 2nd Person. 😉
I almost always use 3rd Person Limited. I used to think that I was using it … until I realized that I often headjumped mid scene. I’ve tamed that now. I think there are a lot of advantages to it. In my novel that I’m writing, I have only one viewpoint character; it’s quite a challenge to show everything just from her perspective, without drifting into Omniscient (showing things outside of her perspective that she couldn’t possible know) or doing head jumps every once in a while. I feel like the story is tighter, though, and much better than it would be using 3rd Person Omniscient, or 1st Person. I do have another story that I’m thinking about *maybe* writing in 1st Person Present (or Past, possibly), but I don’t know. I suppose there are good things about most perspectives … except 2nd Person. No. Just NO.
storymonger September 11, 2015 Trying a new POV is always a good way to stretch your writing chops! And you never know, you could end up writing the next big 2nd Person runaway success, and then all the YA dystopias will be written in 2nd Person. 😉
Trying a new POV is always a good way to stretch your writing chops! And you never know, you could end up writing the next big 2nd Person runaway success, and then all the YA dystopias will be written in 2nd Person. 😉
Sarah September 10, 2015 Great post! Third person limited is my personal favorite and this offers extremely useful tips on how to write it better! storymonger September 11, 2015 Thank you! Glad to hear it. 🙂
Great post! Third person limited is my personal favorite and this offers extremely useful tips on how to write it better!
storymonger September 11, 2015 Thank you! Glad to hear it. 🙂
Thank you! Glad to hear it. 🙂
Kyle September 10, 2015 1st person for the win. storymonger September 11, 2015 Well now you’re just being difficult. 😛 Kyle September 11, 2015 First person past tense like yeah. Only one perspective like yeah. Kyle September 11, 2015 In all seriousness, I do think it is dependent on the story. I really admire people who can use third without ever breaking “into” perspective (I believe this is what Orson Scott Card refers to as “Third Person Cinematic”, but it is probably best known for its use in gumshoe novels of the 40s and 50s–think Sam Spade), but there have also been stories that cannot be told in any person but First because First is the best. (Forever and always amen.) (Example: stories where, for various reasons, facial expressions or other emotional cues are not possible. Stories from the perspective of unusual narrators, like Mig’s story from the perspective of a house or The Art of Racing in the Rain, which is from the perspective of a dog. Neither of these tales could be told from anything but First. [Also Shannon]) But that said, my default when reading is to expect 3rd person limited, and finding first does generally throw me for a page and a half, especially if the author decides not to start with action, opting for vague narration. storymonger September 21, 2015 I would agree! Actually, a lot of my most cherished memories of stories come from novels that were written in 1st.
1st person for the win.
storymonger September 11, 2015 Well now you’re just being difficult. 😛 Kyle September 11, 2015 First person past tense like yeah. Only one perspective like yeah. Kyle September 11, 2015 In all seriousness, I do think it is dependent on the story. I really admire people who can use third without ever breaking “into” perspective (I believe this is what Orson Scott Card refers to as “Third Person Cinematic”, but it is probably best known for its use in gumshoe novels of the 40s and 50s–think Sam Spade), but there have also been stories that cannot be told in any person but First because First is the best. (Forever and always amen.) (Example: stories where, for various reasons, facial expressions or other emotional cues are not possible. Stories from the perspective of unusual narrators, like Mig’s story from the perspective of a house or The Art of Racing in the Rain, which is from the perspective of a dog. Neither of these tales could be told from anything but First. [Also Shannon]) But that said, my default when reading is to expect 3rd person limited, and finding first does generally throw me for a page and a half, especially if the author decides not to start with action, opting for vague narration. storymonger September 21, 2015 I would agree! Actually, a lot of my most cherished memories of stories come from novels that were written in 1st.
Well now you’re just being difficult. 😛
Kyle September 11, 2015 First person past tense like yeah. Only one perspective like yeah. Kyle September 11, 2015 In all seriousness, I do think it is dependent on the story. I really admire people who can use third without ever breaking “into” perspective (I believe this is what Orson Scott Card refers to as “Third Person Cinematic”, but it is probably best known for its use in gumshoe novels of the 40s and 50s–think Sam Spade), but there have also been stories that cannot be told in any person but First because First is the best. (Forever and always amen.) (Example: stories where, for various reasons, facial expressions or other emotional cues are not possible. Stories from the perspective of unusual narrators, like Mig’s story from the perspective of a house or The Art of Racing in the Rain, which is from the perspective of a dog. Neither of these tales could be told from anything but First. [Also Shannon]) But that said, my default when reading is to expect 3rd person limited, and finding first does generally throw me for a page and a half, especially if the author decides not to start with action, opting for vague narration. storymonger September 21, 2015 I would agree! Actually, a lot of my most cherished memories of stories come from novels that were written in 1st.
First person past tense like yeah. Only one perspective like yeah.
Kyle September 11, 2015 In all seriousness, I do think it is dependent on the story. I really admire people who can use third without ever breaking “into” perspective (I believe this is what Orson Scott Card refers to as “Third Person Cinematic”, but it is probably best known for its use in gumshoe novels of the 40s and 50s–think Sam Spade), but there have also been stories that cannot be told in any person but First because First is the best. (Forever and always amen.) (Example: stories where, for various reasons, facial expressions or other emotional cues are not possible. Stories from the perspective of unusual narrators, like Mig’s story from the perspective of a house or The Art of Racing in the Rain, which is from the perspective of a dog. Neither of these tales could be told from anything but First. [Also Shannon]) But that said, my default when reading is to expect 3rd person limited, and finding first does generally throw me for a page and a half, especially if the author decides not to start with action, opting for vague narration. storymonger September 21, 2015 I would agree! Actually, a lot of my most cherished memories of stories come from novels that were written in 1st.
In all seriousness, I do think it is dependent on the story. I really admire people who can use third without ever breaking “into” perspective (I believe this is what Orson Scott Card refers to as “Third Person Cinematic”, but it is probably best known for its use in gumshoe novels of the 40s and 50s–think Sam Spade), but there have also been stories that cannot be told in any person but First because First is the best. (Forever and always amen.)
(Example: stories where, for various reasons, facial expressions or other emotional cues are not possible. Stories from the perspective of unusual narrators, like Mig’s story from the perspective of a house or The Art of Racing in the Rain, which is from the perspective of a dog. Neither of these tales could be told from anything but First. [Also Shannon])
But that said, my default when reading is to expect 3rd person limited, and finding first does generally throw me for a page and a half, especially if the author decides not to start with action, opting for vague narration.
storymonger September 21, 2015 I would agree! Actually, a lot of my most cherished memories of stories come from novels that were written in 1st.
I would agree! Actually, a lot of my most cherished memories of stories come from novels that were written in 1st.
Rachel Lester September 10, 2015 Cowish doom. My goodness. 🙂 Excellent points. I tend to go back and forth between first and third. Not in the same work, but, you know. I’m not sure which I prefer. Both have their merits. Side note: Don’t know if you’d do something like this, but I’ve nominated your blog for the Liebster Award! You can find more information here: http://waterandpen.blogspot.com/2015/09/liebster-award-nomination.html storymonger September 11, 2015 Yes! Doom of cowness! They do indeed–nothing wrong with a well-written 1st Person story, it’s just a different tool with different strengths. Heheh, thanks! I don’t generally do these self-interview things, but I appreciate the nomination! 😉
Cowish doom. My goodness. 🙂 Excellent points. I tend to go back and forth between first and third. Not in the same work, but, you know. I’m not sure which I prefer. Both have their merits.
Side note: Don’t know if you’d do something like this, but I’ve nominated your blog for the Liebster Award!
You can find more information here: http://waterandpen.blogspot.com/2015/09/liebster-award-nomination.html
storymonger September 11, 2015 Yes! Doom of cowness! They do indeed–nothing wrong with a well-written 1st Person story, it’s just a different tool with different strengths. Heheh, thanks! I don’t generally do these self-interview things, but I appreciate the nomination! 😉
Yes! Doom of cowness! They do indeed–nothing wrong with a well-written 1st Person story, it’s just a different tool with different strengths. Heheh, thanks! I don’t generally do these self-interview things, but I appreciate the nomination! 😉
K.M. Weiland September 10, 2015 Totally agree. I prefer really deep third, so that there really isn’t much difference from first, aside from pronouns. But it still gives you just that little bit of distance from the narrator–which can sometimes be the only key to keeping him from being annoying. :p storymonger September 11, 2015 Yeah! There’s a subconscious annoyance, I think, with people who just won’t stop talking about themselves, even if they’re fictional.
Totally agree. I prefer really deep third, so that there really isn’t much difference from first, aside from pronouns. But it still gives you just that little bit of distance from the narrator–which can sometimes be the only key to keeping him from being annoying. :p
storymonger September 11, 2015 Yeah! There’s a subconscious annoyance, I think, with people who just won’t stop talking about themselves, even if they’re fictional.
Yeah! There’s a subconscious annoyance, I think, with people who just won’t stop talking about themselves, even if they’re fictional.
R.G. Nairam September 10, 2015 Though I end up writing in first person a lot, I don’t get first person present. It just doesn’t make sense to me. If I think about it too much I just see someone running along while writing down what’s happening in a notebook, which suggests an implausible amount of arms. I actually have really liked writing in third person (which I’m pretty sure was limited or was at least supposed to be–it’s been awhile), but for some reason I keep ending up writing in first. Maybe someday. storymonger September 11, 2015 BWAHAHA. Exactly. XD And you do 1st Person excellently. I have no problem with that POV, as long as it’s done well… I just have a hard time writing it myself.
Though I end up writing in first person a lot, I don’t get first person present. It just doesn’t make sense to me. If I think about it too much I just see someone running along while writing down what’s happening in a notebook, which suggests an implausible amount of arms.
I actually have really liked writing in third person (which I’m pretty sure was limited or was at least supposed to be–it’s been awhile), but for some reason I keep ending up writing in first. Maybe someday.
storymonger September 11, 2015 BWAHAHA. Exactly. XD And you do 1st Person excellently. I have no problem with that POV, as long as it’s done well… I just have a hard time writing it myself.
BWAHAHA. Exactly. XD And you do 1st Person excellently. I have no problem with that POV, as long as it’s done well… I just have a hard time writing it myself.
H.M. Wilson @ Plottinger Twist September 10, 2015 I’ve experimented with different POVs while writing, but I haven’t tried 3rd Person Limited yet!! I might need to switch styles in my current WIP… (Which, sadly, is in 1st Person Present. I don’t even know why! It just kinda happened? I think it originally started as an experiment & just continued.) storymonger September 11, 2015 Hey, I’ve read good stories in 1st Person Present! It can be done really well.
I’ve experimented with different POVs while writing, but I haven’t tried 3rd Person Limited yet!! I might need to switch styles in my current WIP… (Which, sadly, is in 1st Person Present. I don’t even know why! It just kinda happened? I think it originally started as an experiment & just continued.)
storymonger September 11, 2015 Hey, I’ve read good stories in 1st Person Present! It can be done really well.
Hey, I’ve read good stories in 1st Person Present! It can be done really well.
Lindsay September 10, 2015 “…Clovis the Cow approaching at a gallop, jaws open in a maniacal moo of triumph”? XD Great post. I really like third person limited. storymonger September 11, 2015 Thanks, Lindsay! 🙂
“…Clovis the Cow approaching at a gallop, jaws open in a maniacal moo of triumph”? XD
Great post. I really like third person limited.
storymonger September 11, 2015 Thanks, Lindsay! 🙂
Thanks, Lindsay! 🙂
Bree September 10, 2015 Great post! Just out of curiosity, where do you get the inspiration for the examples that you post? \:) storymonger September 11, 2015 Thanks, Bree! Um… I like cows? And Clovis is a funny name? :p I dunno, I usually just need an example and scrape one off the side of my brain and plop it down there.
Great post! Just out of curiosity, where do you get the inspiration for the examples that you post? \:)
storymonger September 11, 2015 Thanks, Bree! Um… I like cows? And Clovis is a funny name? :p I dunno, I usually just need an example and scrape one off the side of my brain and plop it down there.
Thanks, Bree! Um… I like cows? And Clovis is a funny name? :p I dunno, I usually just need an example and scrape one off the side of my brain and plop it down there.
Mirkwood September 11, 2015 I like to use 1st person most of the time, but you make good points about the advantages using 3rd person limited. storymonger September 11, 2015 I think that all POVs should be tried–even if it’s not really your thing, it’s great practice. ^_^ Mirkwood September 11, 2015 I used to write almost all my stories in 3rd person, and it worked well enough for me, but for some reason I ended up switching to 1st. Mostly because I like the immediacy with my narrator, but maybe it also is what works for the story. I’ve yet to try 2nd person, though. 😉 storymonger September 21, 2015 You reply to Mirkwood’s comment. You say, “It’s best that way. 2nd Person is the most confusing thing ever.” Mirkwood September 23, 2015 😉
I like to use 1st person most of the time, but you make good points about the advantages using 3rd person limited.
storymonger September 11, 2015 I think that all POVs should be tried–even if it’s not really your thing, it’s great practice. ^_^ Mirkwood September 11, 2015 I used to write almost all my stories in 3rd person, and it worked well enough for me, but for some reason I ended up switching to 1st. Mostly because I like the immediacy with my narrator, but maybe it also is what works for the story. I’ve yet to try 2nd person, though. 😉 storymonger September 21, 2015 You reply to Mirkwood’s comment. You say, “It’s best that way. 2nd Person is the most confusing thing ever.” Mirkwood September 23, 2015 😉
I think that all POVs should be tried–even if it’s not really your thing, it’s great practice. ^_^
Mirkwood September 11, 2015 I used to write almost all my stories in 3rd person, and it worked well enough for me, but for some reason I ended up switching to 1st. Mostly because I like the immediacy with my narrator, but maybe it also is what works for the story. I’ve yet to try 2nd person, though. 😉 storymonger September 21, 2015 You reply to Mirkwood’s comment. You say, “It’s best that way. 2nd Person is the most confusing thing ever.” Mirkwood September 23, 2015 😉
I used to write almost all my stories in 3rd person, and it worked well enough for me, but for some reason I ended up switching to 1st. Mostly because I like the immediacy with my narrator, but maybe it also is what works for the story. I’ve yet to try 2nd person, though. 😉
storymonger September 21, 2015 You reply to Mirkwood’s comment. You say, “It’s best that way. 2nd Person is the most confusing thing ever.” Mirkwood September 23, 2015 😉
You reply to Mirkwood’s comment. You say, “It’s best that way. 2nd Person is the most confusing thing ever.”
Mirkwood September 23, 2015 😉
Gemma Fitz September 11, 2015 3rd Person Limited is definitely my favourite POV, though I’m pretty open to experimenting with any and all POV styles and tenses. I agree 1st person present tense doesn’t really make sense, not to mention it’s really hard to write (I’ve tried) and I’ve only read one book ever that employed it and it wasn’t super distracting from the story. Also, just had to say, your sense of humour is amazing. xD
3rd Person Limited is definitely my favourite POV, though I’m pretty open to experimenting with any and all POV styles and tenses. I agree 1st person present tense doesn’t really make sense, not to mention it’s really hard to write (I’ve tried) and I’ve only read one book ever that employed it and it wasn’t super distracting from the story.
Also, just had to say, your sense of humour is amazing. xD
Hannah September 11, 2015 This was amazing! I’m planing on writing a book in 3rd person limited and this is really helpful. I definitely prefer 3rd over 1st. Though to seems a bit awkward writing it after we’ve just written a novelle in 1st. storymonger September 21, 2015 The transition can be weird! But like I said, 3rd Limited is very close, so hopefully it won’t take you too long to catch your stride. 🙂
This was amazing! I’m planing on writing a book in 3rd person limited and this is really helpful. I definitely prefer 3rd over 1st. Though to seems a bit awkward writing it after we’ve just written a novelle in 1st.
storymonger September 21, 2015 The transition can be weird! But like I said, 3rd Limited is very close, so hopefully it won’t take you too long to catch your stride. 🙂
The transition can be weird! But like I said, 3rd Limited is very close, so hopefully it won’t take you too long to catch your stride. 🙂
Emmarayn Redding September 11, 2015 3rd person limited is usually how I write, but I do like to explore other characters POV. Usually I’ll flip back and forth between two or three charaters POV’s, but if a scene is begun in one character’s perspective, it will be finished in that character’s perspective. Typically I’ll have one person to represent a particular group of characters, since my books often have large casts of characters in many different locations. But lately I’ve been delving into First pereson narrative, including first person-present tense. I’ve actually found it to be really fun and interesting, much to my surprise. I used to strongly dislike first person-present tense. I’ve also been trying out second person past-tense, which is also very interesting. It only works for certain types of stories though. storymonger September 21, 2015 3rd Person limited is a great way to explore other POVs! Because it has the closeness of 1st that allows for really great voice, but you can switch back and forth scene to scene without it being super confusing. Second person past-tense? That’s pretty cool. It could be fantastic if it was pulled off well.
3rd person limited is usually how I write, but I do like to explore other characters POV. Usually I’ll flip back and forth between two or three charaters POV’s, but if a scene is begun in one character’s perspective, it will be finished in that character’s perspective. Typically I’ll have one person to represent a particular group of characters, since my books often have large casts of characters in many different locations. But lately I’ve been delving into First pereson narrative, including first person-present tense. I’ve actually found it to be really fun and interesting, much to my surprise. I used to strongly dislike first person-present tense. I’ve also been trying out second person past-tense, which is also very interesting. It only works for certain types of stories though.
storymonger September 21, 2015 3rd Person limited is a great way to explore other POVs! Because it has the closeness of 1st that allows for really great voice, but you can switch back and forth scene to scene without it being super confusing. Second person past-tense? That’s pretty cool. It could be fantastic if it was pulled off well.
3rd Person limited is a great way to explore other POVs! Because it has the closeness of 1st that allows for really great voice, but you can switch back and forth scene to scene without it being super confusing. Second person past-tense? That’s pretty cool. It could be fantastic if it was pulled off well.
Victory Manning September 18, 2015 This may sound like a really weird question but…: In my currant novel I have a hero and two allies that are very different personalities(servant, visionary, and command man) and so they all think very differently(servant of the past, visionary of the future, and command man of the present). I don’t think I’m going to do it(just to be on the safe side), but I’ve often wondered what it would be like if I switched tenses with each characters’ POV… Intresting, or utterly confusing? Emmarayn Redding September 19, 2015 I’ve seen that done before, and it was actually really interesting. It was in a book called Horse Thief, and the main character was, of course, the horse thief. A lot of the book was told in first person from his perspective. But there were other angles of the story that couldn’t be told like that, so the author switched to third person from at least three characters perspectives. Each POV was separated by a chapter, and each had its own quirks and styles of narration. It made for a unique and well done book, in my opinion. 🙂 storymonger September 21, 2015 Hmmm… I think the best way for that to work is if you were going back and forth between separate timelines. I’ve seen that done to great effect before. Other than that, I think it would just be confusing. But you never know! Try it, and see if you can pull it off. 🙂
This may sound like a really weird question but…: In my currant novel I have a hero and two allies that are very different personalities(servant, visionary, and command man) and so they all think very differently(servant of the past, visionary of the future, and command man of the present). I don’t think I’m going to do it(just to be on the safe side), but I’ve often wondered what it would be like if I switched tenses with each characters’ POV… Intresting, or utterly confusing?
Emmarayn Redding September 19, 2015 I’ve seen that done before, and it was actually really interesting. It was in a book called Horse Thief, and the main character was, of course, the horse thief. A lot of the book was told in first person from his perspective. But there were other angles of the story that couldn’t be told like that, so the author switched to third person from at least three characters perspectives. Each POV was separated by a chapter, and each had its own quirks and styles of narration. It made for a unique and well done book, in my opinion. 🙂
I’ve seen that done before, and it was actually really interesting. It was in a book called Horse Thief, and the main character was, of course, the horse thief. A lot of the book was told in first person from his perspective. But there were other angles of the story that couldn’t be told like that, so the author switched to third person from at least three characters perspectives. Each POV was separated by a chapter, and each had its own quirks and styles of narration. It made for a unique and well done book, in my opinion. 🙂
storymonger September 21, 2015 Hmmm… I think the best way for that to work is if you were going back and forth between separate timelines. I’ve seen that done to great effect before. Other than that, I think it would just be confusing. But you never know! Try it, and see if you can pull it off. 🙂
Hmmm… I think the best way for that to work is if you were going back and forth between separate timelines. I’ve seen that done to great effect before. Other than that, I think it would just be confusing. But you never know! Try it, and see if you can pull it off. 🙂
Mallory September 21, 2015 “Maniacal” to describe a moo? I congratulate you on your most excellent use of one of my favorite words. How about a diabolical purr? I’d like to see where you’d go with that… I’m still learning about the different POV’s. I used to write everything in what I believe to have been 3rd person omniscient, and now for some weird reason I’m stuck writing everything in 1st person, which annoys me because of it’s many limitations. (…and because it’s popular. So I’m a snob. Go ahead and moo me to death;) Wait…I’ve got it, journaling. Journaling encourages the habit of first person POV in a writer such as myself. Maybe I should try writing different POV’s in my journal? Haha! This could get interesting… storymonger September 21, 2015 You silly. I’m a person. People don’t moo. Nothing wrong with writing in 1st person, but you should never be stuck! Definitely try to break outta that. 😉 And actually, journaling in different POVs could be very cool. Mebbe try it sometime!
“Maniacal” to describe a moo? I congratulate you on your most excellent use of one of my favorite words. How about a diabolical purr? I’d like to see where you’d go with that…
I’m still learning about the different POV’s. I used to write everything in what I believe to have been 3rd person omniscient, and now for some weird reason I’m stuck writing everything in 1st person, which annoys me because of it’s many limitations. (…and because it’s popular. So I’m a snob. Go ahead and moo me to death;)
Wait…I’ve got it, journaling. Journaling encourages the habit of first person POV in a writer such as myself. Maybe I should try writing different POV’s in my journal? Haha! This could get interesting…
storymonger September 21, 2015 You silly. I’m a person. People don’t moo. Nothing wrong with writing in 1st person, but you should never be stuck! Definitely try to break outta that. 😉 And actually, journaling in different POVs could be very cool. Mebbe try it sometime!
You silly. I’m a person. People don’t moo. Nothing wrong with writing in 1st person, but you should never be stuck! Definitely try to break outta that. 😉 And actually, journaling in different POVs could be very cool. Mebbe try it sometime!
healed1337 September 21, 2015 This is my preferred point of view for novels. It allows the same intimacy with main characters that 1st person does, but it’s less limiting. You can switch between a handful of characters (between scenes of course). I generally use 1st person for short stories though; it’s good to experiment with both.
This is my preferred point of view for novels. It allows the same intimacy with main characters that 1st person does, but it’s less limiting. You can switch between a handful of characters (between scenes of course). I generally use 1st person for short stories though; it’s good to experiment with both.
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