When I first began writing, it was in a 3rd Person PoV. Later, I began writing all my stories in 1st Person and had a blast immersing myself into the stories I wrote through the lens of the protagonist! Now, I write in 3rd Person more often to expand on every aspect the CORE has to offer.
My question for you is what is the main Point of View you write in? Do you switch it up to try and challenge yourself?
I write in both 1st and 3rd person POV, but to challenge myself, I sometime try to write from a female perspective. I don't claim to know how the female brain works, but it works for me. I also like to write from a child's perspective. Usually though, the story fits the Narrator. Like I said, it works for me. I never feel like I'm in control of where the story goes once I start it, and reining it in can sometimes be an issue. I just try to make sure I have the five senses on every page. See the rain, hear the rain, feel the rain, smell the rain, even taste it. I do find that when I use 1st person I put a lot of my own experiences in the story.
Most of my stories are in 3rd person, though I do have a few in 1st. It depends on the story which works better and sometimes the story itself decides. I’ve started a story in one and needed to switch to the other because I keep drifting into the other as if the story is in control more than I am.
I don’t have a preference on which I prefer writing or reading though I have closed a book and not read it because the pov felt forced. As long as it fits the story I’m fine with any pov, even 2nd person.
I did a short story in college that was in 2nd person. I got an A+ on it so I guess it turned out ok, but man it was hard to write. It reads like a very flourished video game walkthrough.
I have a friend who’s writing a romance novel that’s essentially a choose-your-own adventure. The focal point of the story is really interesting and unique, but I don’t have the right to share that with others since she’s still working on it. I think second person POV is great for roleplaying-themed stories or choose-your-own adventure types of tales. Just to let you in on a secret, I collect roleplaying game modules from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. When I’m feeling writers block, I’ll sometimes thumb through them. Most of these are poorly written, but some of them are surprisingly eloquent and imaginative. There’ll be sections of text surrounded by a box, and, of course this is what the dungeon master or referee is supposed to read aloud to the players as they enter the room. It’s all written in the second person and I kind of feel about these the way I feel about “Tarot cards” or the “I Ching”, which is to say that they can serve as stepping stones for the subconscious, and if you read them and just sit and let the images roll around in your head for a bit, other ideas sometimes come to you unbidden: “You have entered a room and stand on a ledge. Before you is a bridge of bone, which seem to have no supports. It disappears into darkness, presumably linking to another ledge. Below you is the sound of a child weeping. What will you do?”
I never thought about that, being a TTRPG developer I've been working on a game module but never actually thought about the PoV when it comes to writing the actual storyline. That's very interesting
I write in both 1st and 3rd person POV, but to challenge myself, I sometime try to write from a female perspective. I don't claim to know how the female brain works, but it works for me. I also like to write from a child's perspective. Usually though, the story fits the Narrator. Like I said, it works for me. I never feel like I'm in control of where the story goes once I start it, and reining it in can sometimes be an issue. I just try to make sure I have the five senses on every page. See the rain, hear the rain, feel the rain, smell the rain, even taste it. I do find that when I use 1st person I put a lot of my own experiences in the story.
Most of my stories are in 3rd person, though I do have a few in 1st. It depends on the story which works better and sometimes the story itself decides. I’ve started a story in one and needed to switch to the other because I keep drifting into the other as if the story is in control more than I am.
I feel the same way. Stories tend to gravitate towards certain perspectives. Do you prefer one over another?
I don’t have a preference on which I prefer writing or reading though I have closed a book and not read it because the pov felt forced. As long as it fits the story I’m fine with any pov, even 2nd person.
Agreed! Have you ever tried writing in 2nd person?
I did a short story in college that was in 2nd person. I got an A+ on it so I guess it turned out ok, but man it was hard to write. It reads like a very flourished video game walkthrough.
I have a friend who’s writing a romance novel that’s essentially a choose-your-own adventure. The focal point of the story is really interesting and unique, but I don’t have the right to share that with others since she’s still working on it. I think second person POV is great for roleplaying-themed stories or choose-your-own adventure types of tales. Just to let you in on a secret, I collect roleplaying game modules from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. When I’m feeling writers block, I’ll sometimes thumb through them. Most of these are poorly written, but some of them are surprisingly eloquent and imaginative. There’ll be sections of text surrounded by a box, and, of course this is what the dungeon master or referee is supposed to read aloud to the players as they enter the room. It’s all written in the second person and I kind of feel about these the way I feel about “Tarot cards” or the “I Ching”, which is to say that they can serve as stepping stones for the subconscious, and if you read them and just sit and let the images roll around in your head for a bit, other ideas sometimes come to you unbidden: “You have entered a room and stand on a ledge. Before you is a bridge of bone, which seem to have no supports. It disappears into darkness, presumably linking to another ledge. Below you is the sound of a child weeping. What will you do?”
I never thought about that, being a TTRPG developer I've been working on a game module but never actually thought about the PoV when it comes to writing the actual storyline. That's very interesting
I haven't tried it before but have thought about it. Though a story has yet to pop into my head that will drive me towards writing in 2nd person.