Wednesday 17 July 2013

Up close and personal

We get quite a few stories written in the first person, an account told or narrated through the eyes of a single character, typically the main character.

So, what are the advantages of writing in the first person?

1 First person makes the narrator close up and personal.

2 The reader can identify with the character and experience their deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings.

3 While third person and omniscient points of view distance the reader, first person allows the reader to enter the world of the narrator, privy to his personal thoughts and feelings.

4 Your writing may be easier, more natural

What are the disadvantages of writing in first person?

1 When writing in first person, the author is restricted to a single point of view (unless you have several first person narratives).

2 First person is the narrowest, most restrictive point of view because everything is seen and processed through the mind of the narrator.

3 Some authors find first person a natural choice, while others find it too limiting to stick with one character’s viewpoint through an entire book.

4 You cannot easily create tension by switching from one incident to another

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