Over the past couple of years I’ve had the privilege of going on the most amazing ad
ventures. You guys wouldn’t believe the places I saw firsthand, the people I met, and what I experienced while on those journeys. Or maybe you would, if you’ve ever read a 1st person POV novel.
2011 was an exceptionally good year for me and my adventurous nature. I was a tribute in The Hunger Games and survived to tell my kids about it. My sister was murdered in Dublin and I went to find out the truth behind it, only to discover that I can see through fae glamour to what’s beneath, and that I can do a bunch of other neat tricks(this was a favorite of mine). I got to be a half-angel, a kickass shaman, a girly girl who wears too much pink and carries a tazer with her, and a shape shifter. Those are only the things I remember right now.
This is exactly why I love 1st person POV so much. I get to be the character, experience what he/she is going through, go to the places they go, and do things I never thought possible.
Some of you might remember I posted about tone and first lines two weeks ago. I received a comment from one of our regular commenters, bwtaylor75, who asked why I preferred my POV. I took it as a challenge. He wrote a post of his own wherein he stated why he dislikes 1st person. I’m writing this not to prove him wrong, only to share my view.
The first three paragraphs of this post do a pretty decent job at starting my reasoning for why I write my POV. Yes, I read 3rd person as well, I’m busy with such a novel right now, but there’s a little something extra special for me in 1st person POV.
They say ‘write what you know’. Then they say ‘write what you don’t know’. I once read ‘write the story you want to read’ and that’s exactly what I’m doing with every novel I write, have written, and will write. And what I want to read is 1st person POV.
This might be a little selfish, but I write 1st person for me. I get to be this character I’ve put together and decide to torture by having her make bad decisions, sending her into situations that most likely won’t end well, and I enjoy every second of it. If I’m going to spend between 65k and 80k words with her, I’m going to make sure that not a second of that time is wasted.
I don’t write it because it’s easier, never that, each POV offers its own challenges and difficulties. I write it because of the reasons mentioned above and because it works for me. It’s my preferred POV.
I’m going to say that, and you can disagree if you want, if you think writing 1st person POV is limiting, you’re not doing it right. There are ways to make it work and you have to find the one that works for you.
This once again comes down to personal preference. If you as a reader find 1st limiting, that’s okay, read something else. If you as a writer find it limiting, it’s okay, writer another POV. It’s as simple as that.
You say 1st POV has its limits. Yes, my main character can’t be everywhere and see everything BUT THAT’S PART OF THE FUN AND MYSTERY. I say 3rd POV has its limits. No, sometimes I don’t get to the bones of who your main character is BUT I GET TO EXPERIENCE OTHER THINGS AND VIEW YOUR WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE. We work around the obstacles both provide and make them work to our advantage. How’s that for compromise?
And I dare anybody to say writing 1st person is easier than 3rd because I’ll say to you WHAT! Both of these POVs have their own challenges and we write the one that will work best for our stories. Mine just happen to be 1st. Yours is 3rd.
Taylor, you’re a kickass guy and I always love reading your comments, but I respectfully disagree with most of what you posted about the limiting light of 1st person. I know you won’t take this wrong, and we’re having fun with this discussion. My POV isn’t one dimensional, and saying it is, is like saying the person sitting next to you experiences and sees the world in black and white with no shades of gray at all. Conflicting emotion, circumstances, external and internal situations, and problems. Those things create the shades. We as the writers have to do right and make sure those things are done correctly. Maybe you just haven’t been reading the right 1st person POVs.
I’m just saying, have your thinking be as wide as the ocean. No limits. In YA especially, our main characters are MCs for a reason. Yes, he/she is that important. We wouldn’t have a story otherwise.
So why do I write 1st person POV? Because I get to be somebody else for a while. I write it, and read it, for the adventures it sends me on. A little selfish? Maybe. But they also say we should write for ourselves, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Why do you write what you write?
For writers, ideas are prevalent when we open our minds to them. Every time we come into contact with another human being, watch a TV show or movie, read a book, or let our minds wander, ideas pour in whether we realize it or not. And for every story that is told, there are a thousand other ways it could have been told–a thousand more ideas.
A few weeks ago my mom stayed for an impromptu dinner at my house. Even though we live fairly close to each other, it’s difficult to get together as much as we’d like with our busy lives and all. When we do get together, there’s a lot of catching up to do. Mostly I talk about my family since taking care of them is where my pride lies. Sometimes I’ll tell her a bit about my work. Oddly enough, even though writing is a huge part of my life and claims an hour or two of my time each day, I never bring it up. I guess I’ve been so trained over the years that my family isn’t really interested. I’m sure you’re no stranger to the lack of eye contact when the topic of your latest story comes up.
Since as long as I can remember, I’ve had an overactive imagination. My husband would call it obsessive worrying. The TV show Parenthood so eloquently called it “catastrophizing.” But you, as a writer, will understand. Tell me right now you’ve never heard a bump in the night and started imagining what it could be. A burglar? The creepy neighbor next door who, you’re pretty sure, hates you because you turned off your lights last Halloween instead of handing out candy and in turn, you both got egged? Or maybe a wild bunch of Javelina (I live a wooded area) who have been eyeing your beloved Spot for the last month and are finally here to drag him off to Animal Farm for good. (Where was he that afternoon last month, anyway?)
Courtney Koschel has been writing since she could hold a crayon. She has worked as a journalist, editor, technical writer, and technical editor. Young adult fiction is near and dear to her heart, which is why she writes YA and all of its glorious sub-genres.
Tonia Marie Houston is a mother, writer, poet, bookworm, and blogger. When sheís not chasing her three spider monkeys, she spends her time revising a young adult novel about life after death and second chances. Though she began to pursue her career later in life, she hopes to inspire and motivate other writers to put their best book forward.
This native Texan now lives with her Scottish hubby in North Ayrshire, Scotland, where she wanders the moors in search of William Wallace. She has been a guest blogger on Writer Unboxed and is currently working on the sequel to her YA supernatural novel, Touched by Darkness.
Jamie Raintree writes what she likes to call everyday fairytale love stories, featuring the little moments in life that are truly magical. She lives in Arizona with her husband and daughter and is currently editing her second novel.
Jani Grey is a South African ambivert, writer, reader, optimist, and bacon enthusiast. When her boss isnít looking she writes, revises, or edits YA Urban Fantasies in between work. Sheís sneaky like that. Sheís a NaNoWriMo addict and is currently working on two NaNo novels.
Rebecca Fields is a modern gypsy, roaming from place to place in search of ñ well, sheíll let you know when she finds it. Writing has become a way for her to share her adventures, both real and imagined. Along with her on her journey are her son and an assortment of rescued animals.
