1st person Vs 3rd person
- J A Myers
- Apr 12, 2017
- 2 min read
It is hard to choose which style to start writing in, there have been many times, well actually I have changed from 1st person to 3rd person and vice versa in every project I have finished. It is a judgement call by the writer usually, but sometimes the characters make the call for you.
There are a few things to look out for.
The first is the feeling you aren't representing the whole story then perhaps try swap 1st to 3rd. If you have a number of characters in different areas and the readers need to know what is going on with all the other characters for the plot purposes, try it in 1st person and change characters this way you can really get their heads. let the readers follow their thoughts and feelings. This helps get through the story in a more personal way, rather than just scratching the surface with 3rd person.
If you are unsure, pick a section maybe a page or two, open a new document and try it in the opposite. Sometimes it feels a lot more comfortable in the one you haven't tried. I did this with one of my projects, and immediately felt like the story moved and flowed easier.
It works from 3rd person to 1st as well. Sometimes 3rd person doesn't give an in-depth view of the characters. Depending on the story and what you are trying to get across, sometimes the feelings are lost amongst the 3rd person reflection.
Some writers already know what they are comfortable with and they always start in the same way to every project. It is okay to stick to what feels comfortable, but sometimes you can step away from that and try something different. If there is one thing I have learnt in uni it is okay to fail sometimes. It isn't the end of the world, it just means for that project, you know one of the ways that don't work. There are still a hundred different ways to do.
I hope this helps but if you wish to know more, then please get in touch and I will answer any questions you may have.
Thank you and happy writing!
Comments