what kind of point of view do you prefer?

McMich · Apr 15, 2012

I am about to start a new story and have everything planned out- just one last detail..... what point of view should I write from? I am on the fence and can see the story being told from both first person and third person.

So the question is- what point of view do you prefer in YA stories and why?

I have read close to 40 books this year and found that most are in first person. I don't mind books in either view, but I was wondering if there is a preference from others out there.

KateSmash · Apr 15, 2012

As a reader, I don't care. So long as it suits the character, the story, and the voice of the author, it's all good with me. Some stories require the narrative distance of third. Others gain a lot by being in first. Most YAs are in first nowadays (probably) because of the emphasis on voice. It is easier (I find) to have a super voice-y narrative in first person.

As a writer, I prefer third. It just works better for me unless I'm doing something super short.

missesdash · Apr 15, 2012

I think most writers are suited better for one or the other. It's not the kind of thing where you toss a coin or ask someone else. It depends entirely on your story and strengths as a writer.

totopink · Apr 15, 2012

I prefer reading first, but I usually write in third.
There will be one way that will come more naturally to you and I think you should run with that.

Smish · Apr 15, 2012

I don't much care as a reader. That said, most of my favorite books are written in first person, either past or present tense.

As a writer, I prefer first person, usually present tense. However, my current WIP just doesn't want to be written in present tense, so I'm trying to get used to writing in past tense.

Play around and see what works for you. When I first began writing fiction, I actually wrote third person, past tense, and realized it just wasn't my style.

Tasha&Kamali · Apr 15, 2012

I've learned that the story itself determines whether it will be written in 1st or 3rd. The key events of a story usually tell me which would work better.

I prefer (or at least, am more comfortable) reading and writing 1st, though.

Sage · Apr 15, 2012

I prefer first, but I write in both (and past and present tense too). It depends on the story and the character's voice.

Chanelley · Apr 15, 2012

I love reading AND writing in first person. It used to be past, but I'm quite partial to present now. But, I used to love third person. It changes so often with me.

I still do prefer reading first person, though. Saying that, I recently read a book in third and loved that it was written in third. What I don't like is when it's in both first AND third person. I don't get why it can't just stick to one (but that's a personal gripe).

Mandiloo322 · Apr 15, 2012

All of my favorite stories are in 3rd person limited.

I tend to write 3rd person as well, but I can enjoy both. I would suggest trying out some of your key scenes in each voice, and see which one becomes more compelling/natural for the story.

maybegenius · Apr 15, 2012

What everyone else said

POV depends largely on your goal for the work. If your goal is a close, internalized narration, first person is usually the way to go. A lot of YA is first person because YA is so often about the growth of the narrator moreso than the external world. Third person is useful for a more distant narration, either because the focus is on more than one character, or the focus is on external factors, the society at large, or the plot itself rather than on the character's internal growth. A lot of MG adventure/journey novels are written in third person because they're about the MC finding their place in the world, rather than their place in themselves.

shiva777 · Apr 15, 2012

The only thing I don't care for is first person/present tense. e.g. "Ahead of me I see the large circus set up in the field." I always feel like I'm in one of those eighties text adventures.

-shiva

Rina Evans · Apr 15, 2012

shiva777 said:
The only thing I don't care for is first person/present tense. e.g. "Ahead of me I see the large circus set up in the field." I always feel like I'm in one of those eighties text adventures.

-shiva

I've very compelled to write first/third person present tense when scenes are really intense and immediate. Sometimes it's just jarring if misplaced.

I used to dislike first person, but now I read anything and many times don't consciously acknowledge the tense at all.

MostlyBecca · Apr 15, 2012

I have no preference other than that I strongly dislike first person present tense. That's not to say I haven't enjoyed books written that way, but in each case it's been more hindrance than help.

I read mostly first person past tense, but that has more to do with the genres I read than my own personal taste. Most of what I read is YA and urban fantasy, both of which tend to lean heavily towards first person.

Chazemataz · Apr 15, 2012

I like third person past because I'm one of those people who enjoys writing about a whole group of characters rather than just the struggles of one.

Nicole River · Apr 15, 2012

I quite like first person, both reading and writing. However, if I'm writing in first person I find that I have to outline more carefully, because everything that happens can only be seen though the MC's eyes! It's more challenging than it sounds. Bad guys plotting? Can't see it (unless your MC is spying or eavesdropping, but how often can s/he realisitically do that?). What's happening to secondary characters? Can't see it unless s/he's there. And so on and so forth. Telling a complex story like that is harder than it sounds. At least in 3rd person limited you can change points of view from one scene to the other (never in the same scene!). You could do multiple first person POV by scene or chapter, with the viewpoint character's name in the beginning to indicate whose head we're in. But I find it hard to do well, especially if you have more than two POV characters. They can't all sound the same, each must have his/her own voice, vocabulary, etc. (This was my biggest problem with World War Z).

So yeah, with all that in mind, choose what works best for the story. Going back and changing everything from 1st to 3rd or vice versa is extremely tedious and time-consuming. Trust me, I've done it.

Becca C. · Apr 15, 2012

My favourite is first person present tense. It's the most comfortable for me to write and I have the most fun with it.

That said, I'm currently playing with a very experimental WIP in third person (think Francesca Lia Block meets Markus Zusak, style-wise). It's challenging, and I like the change. First was kind of feeling stale for a while.

As I reader, I like both. Sometimes a really close, intimate first person narrator impresses me, while sometimes I'm enamoured with a witty, observant third person like in Jane Austen's novels. If it's done well, I'm gonna love it.

aoliver · Apr 15, 2012

I prefer 1st person, but that can be tough if you've got another strong character. Good luck finding the one for you!

Dozmonic · Apr 15, 2012

I'm with MostlyBecca in that I don't like first person present. I'm not a fan of overly colloquial text when it's not how I'd talk. Someone like James Patterson can be awful for this!

"I sat and thought, gawd, mom, like, seriously, like, what... gawd... mom!" I cringe.

thebloodfiend · Apr 15, 2012

First person, past or present, is my preference. Third limited or omnipotent past tense for anything but contemporary. I can only read third present when I'm reading psych scenarios in text books.

amschilling · Apr 15, 2012

1st past/present or 3rd limited. I just like the closeness to the narrator and the limited view of what's going on. 3rd omni, or otherwise distanced, feels cold to me.

For writing, I find 1st present a pain. I'd rather do 1st past. That said, my current WIP is 1st present because it needed to be (in my head anyway).

auriel · Apr 15, 2012

Chazemataz said:
I like third person past because I'm one of those people who enjoys writing about a whole group of characters rather than just the struggles of one.

I'm with you on this.

I started my current WIP in first person past because that's what I'm most comfortable with (reading and writing.) But it just didn't work for the story, because I realized the plot was not all about the MC. There are times when she's not involved in the main action. And she was unique in that she knew so little about the world that I had a heck of a time trying to describe things from her POV.

It's harder for me to write in 3rd, because I feel distant from the MC and I'm afraid the reader will, too. But I'll just have to work on improving that.

Ashes Oh Ashes · Apr 15, 2012

I usually write third person, but recently I've done a little more in first. It really depends on the story. If you're having problems deciding, I'd suggest writing the first chapter in both and seeing what does the story the most justice.

lyrwriter · Apr 15, 2012

No preference as a reader. As a writer, I think I do have a tendency to gravitate towards first-person, but it might just be that I end up writing more stories that demand a first-person narrator (I firmly believe the story chooses the POV that suits it best). My current WIP is in third person, and I do write in third person a fair bit, so it's not a huge imbalance or anything.

lolchemist · Apr 15, 2012

I like both, and I even like 2nd person (We Need To Talk About Kevin, Fight Club, Perks of Being a Wallflower, etc.)

The one thing about 1st person though is that the reader will be trapped in the head of a character for the entire book so every single scene you write has to have that character in it unless you employ other tactics such as having another character tell the MC what happened somewhere else at some other time or have the character eavesdropping on others without participating. That's why I find 3rd person easier for myself.

Miss Plum · Apr 15, 2012

As a reader and a writer, I prefer first person, past tense. It gives the sense that someone had to get something off their chest; that the story HAD to be told.

what kind of point of view do you prefer?

this was a triumph

You can't sit with us!

Reads more than she writes.

Our Lady of Parentheticals

[Shhhh....I'm writing.]

might be a giant

"Every Word is a Spell"

Squeee

I went to sleep a poet

with the weird fowl in her userpic

Nocturnal Creature

Cory

Honest, not Harsh

A Fuzzy Mango With Wings

Shooting stars.