Do you actually want to read a novel in first person?

[TMSellers]

Haven't posted in a while, so hello, fellow writers. Hope you are doing well as we move towards the holiday season.

I have been querying a fantasy trilogy since earlier this year. I've gone through the same depressing experiences all querying authors have, so I won't bore you with those details. Basically, I got a note from one publisher that third person omniscient narrators were out of style. I was honestly wowed by this note, because the vast majority of all the books I read or have read since I was a child are written in that perspective. There have been a few books over the years I've read that were done in a different POV, such as The Martian, which is written as a journal. But the vast majority of books I've read, enjoyed or otherwise, have been in third person and usually with an omniscient narrator.

While this note had no effect on my fantasy trilogy, it did inspire me, after looking at a large number of writers on social media debate this topic, to challenge myself to attempt to write a novel in first person. There was a story that I had been thinking about for more than a year, while working on the aforementioned fantasy trilogy, that I really wanted to write. After finally getting the trilogy ready for query, I decided to start that book. I had originally planned to write it in third person, but I decided to give it a go in first person, because of that note.

I'm now more than halfway done with the first draft, and I still don't think first person is a great POV for a book. I'm not sure if it's this story, which is an urban fantasy steeped in historical fiction and magic, or the medium in general, but I really just don't feel confident that people would prefer this book told in first person over a third person omniscient narrator. There is so much insight, about both the world and the characters, that is lost in first person. Because the character speaking only knows what they know. And since two of the three narrators are being introduced to magic throughout the story, they don't know much. Which means the audience can't be told much. Which is a real shame from a world building standpoint, which is, in my opinion, a major part of the appeal of the fantasy genre.

So my question is do you actually want to read a novel in first person? This publisher, and many other people I've seen online, have pushed this idea that first person novels are appealing today. I don't want to know your thoughts on the data. I want your personal thoughts as fellow writers and readers. Is the idea of reading a novel, assuming it's in a genre you enjoy, in first person something that sounds entertaining for you personally? Because honestly, I don't want to read a novel in first person. If I wasn't the one writing the project I'm currently working on, I wouldn't want to read it from this perspective. Which is annoying, because I actually do really love this story and would love to read this story in third person, even if I hadn't written it myself.

 

[KC Cramer]

Haven't posted in a while, so hello, fellow writers. Hope you are doing well as we move towards the holiday season.

I have been querying a fantasy trilogy since earlier this year. I've gone through the same depressing experiences all querying authors have, so I won't bore you with those details. Basically, I got a note from one publisher that third person omniscient narrators were out of style. I was honestly wowed by this note, because the vast majority of all the books I read or have read since I was a child are written in that perspective. There have been a few books over the years I've read that were done in a different POV, such as The Martian, which is written as a journal. But the vast majority of books I've read, enjoyed or otherwise, have been in third person and usually with an omniscient narrator.

While this note had no effect on my fantasy trilogy, it did inspire me, after looking at a large number of writers on social media debate this topic, to challenge myself to attempt to write a novel in first person. There was a story that I had been thinking about for more than a year, while working on the aforementioned fantasy trilogy, that I really wanted to write. After finally getting the trilogy ready for query, I decided to start that book. I had originally planned to write it in third person, but I decided to give it a go in first person, because of that note.

I'm now more than halfway done with the first draft, and I still don't think first person is a great POV for a book. I'm not sure if it's this story, which is an urban fantasy steeped in historical fiction and magic, or the medium in general, but I really just don't feel confident that people would prefer this book told in first person over a third person omniscient narrator. There is so much insight, about both the world and the characters, that is lost in first person. Because the character speaking only knows what they know. And since two of the three narrators are being introduced to magic throughout the story, they don't know much. Which means the audience can't be told much. Which is a real shame from a world building standpoint, which is, in my opinion, a major part of the appeal of the fantasy genre.

So my question is do you actually want to read a novel in first person? This publisher, and many other people I've seen online, have pushed this idea that first person novels are appealing today. I don't want to know your thoughts on the data. I want your personal thoughts as fellow writers and readers. Is the idea of reading a novel, assuming it's in a genre you enjoy, in first person something that sounds entertaining for you personally? Because honestly, I don't want to read a novel in first person. If I wasn't the one writing the project I'm currently working on, I wouldn't want to read it from this perspective. Which is annoying, because I actually do really love this story and would love to read this story in third person, even if I hadn't written it myself.

Hi TM,

Some of the things you say point me to saying that IN SOME genres, 3rd person POV may be the better style.
But 1st person POV is also good for many genres. And I will say the why of my thinking about those two statements.

You said, ". . . I'm not sure if it's this story, which is an urban fantasy steeped in historical fiction and magic, . . . I really just don't feel confident that people would prefer this book told in first person . . . narrator. There is so much insight, about both the world and the characters, that is lost in first person."

Response: I believe first person writing is more of an autobiography - only in the sense that there is some common understanding that others have - rather than just listening to an imaginative story of fantasy, historical fiction and magic that allows them to dream or . . .

You said, "Because the character speaking only knows what they know. . . . Which means the audience can't be told much."

Response: In first person, the reader can actually know well, yet be told in different ways, things they can see in real life. So, the challenge of "show don't tell" is more prevalent. It is an exercise in new words and phrases for common themes with a little bit of new view that the reader might be entertained in seeing more common situations with a little response of, "Oh, I hadn't thought of it that way." Also, first-person POV can be a deeper dive into emotions because the audience does know certain situations, whereas in a fantasy / magic. they are following in awe in a new world.

Then, there are some that read voraciously in that genre and start to feel like they've been in the fantasy / magic worlds they've read about. In that case, the deeper dives via first-person POV may just be the most difficult style to write. Also, deeper dives into fantasy, magic worlds, anchored by historical fiction (steam punk worlds?) may be best used in serials.

 

[pjune-yahoo.com]

I love reading fantasy and read a lot of it. Most of the stories I've read in the last many years are written in 3rd person limited or 1st person. Often these are in a close or deep POV, which seems to be the trend. Rarely have I read a fantasy book or series published in the last 30 years that uses 3rd person omniscient POV. In the last few decades, this POV (omniscient) does seem to have been "out of fashion".

And, yes, I do enjoy reading a story in first person. Each reader/writer has their own preference. Write what makes sense to you. (Of course, you can write in various POVs for your story to get a feel of what that's like. But do you feel it works for your story?)

June

 

[Elizabeth Woods]

Hey everyone,
I think the question about 1st person or 3rd person POVs is interesting and dependent on how you pitch your book and the way it develops. When I start a new manuscript I have an idea in my head of where I want the story to go and I lose myself in the writing. There is the usual process of researching, editing and rewriting sections as the story progresses but I always know where I want it to go when I write. I think the only way to know if an idea works from a 3rd person POV or a 1st person POV is to try it out and see which works best. Have fun exploring and see what feels right. My fiction books are in 3rd person POV but my first books are in 1st person POV.
Lizzy

 

[RJ Garside]

Hey all!

Thanks so much for this thread! This has been amazing to follow! So much great advice and feedback!

I have to agree with June that you should read what makes sense for you. I personally read both first and third person POV. I'm looking for the voice and being engaged in the story so to me it doesn't matter if it's first person or third person.

When a book is well written in first person then it is so engaging. I feel like there are lot of books out there written in first person that perhaps aren't as strongly written because everything is "I...I..." and readers get tired of that, but when the narrative is strong and things are varied then the book can be amazing.

I tend to write my YA books in first person but my adult romance novels are written in third person. I think it's your preference and you'll know "feels" right to you.

Happy writing and thanks for posting this thread!

RJ

 

[Beth Daniels]

Hi, TM! I agree with pjune that the omniscient POV has been out of favor for quite a while. I do write in both 3rd person and 1st person, but it depends on the genre niche I'm writing in. It also depends on what that niche "specializes" in when it comes to POV. At this point and time, when it comes to urban fantasy, 1st person is the POV that appears to be the choice one. It also comes up in some cozy mystery stories. I've also seen it in romantic comedy where both the main players use 1st person and they switch off which one gets it by chapter so that if you give Eve the POV baton in the first chapter then Adam gets it in the second chapter before passing it back to Eve, and so on.

Personally, I like 1st person in my contemporary urban fantasy mysteries, but I also had a lot of fun with it when writing a cozy mystery romantic comedy series with "lite" paranormal elements (my hero was a 170-year-old werewolf who looked like he was just past 35 and could talk to dogs whether he was in wolf form or human one). The heroine was a witch who didn't believe she was one. At any rate, I switched back and forth giving each of them the POV baton to use 1st person and tell their own part of the story.

It might also depend on how much humor you want in a book. With 1st person the character can be witty and funny outside of dialogue (as well as with the dialogue), but if you just want flirty quips or observations, then giving them in dialogue in a story written in 3rd person POV works, too.

Basically, it comes down to doing a lot of reading in the genre niche your story falls in, and all the reading needs to be in recently published books. No going back to Tolkien as...well, I think he drones on. I'm probably one of the few people who doesn't like reading him (plus he's not a current writer). You need to write what your modern reader is eating up rather than cling to the styles used in the past. I recently read Dashiel Hammett's The Thin Man. It was first published in the early 1930s and was turned into a movie the very next year. Frankly, the movie tied in things that weren't in the book that made much more sense. I would probably have rejected Dash's manuscript or told him that if he rewrote it and fixed particular things it would be a much better book, and I'd like to see it again. Obviously, there have been a lot of things that have changed over the past 90 years. Heart of this is, READ CURRENTLY WRITTEN BOOKS IN YOUR GENRE NICHE OF CHOICE. Too bad it's too long for a bumper sticker.

Don't know if this helps, but it's my two bits tossed in the ring.

Beth

 

[pjune-yahoo.com]

Basically, it comes down to doing a lot of reading in the genre niche your story falls in, and all the reading needs to be in recently published books. No going back to Tolkien as...well, I think he drones on. I'm probably one of the few people who doesn't like reading him (plus he's not a current writer). You need to write what your modern reader is eating up rather than cling to the styles used in the past. I recently read Dashiel Hammett's The Thin Man. It was first published in the early 1930s and was turned into a movie the very next year. Frankly, the movie tied in things that weren't in the book that made much more sense. I would probably have rejected Dash's manuscript or told him that if he rewrote it and fixed particular things it would be a much better book, and I'd like to see it again. Obviously, there have been a lot of things that have changed over the past 90 years. Heart of this is, READ CURRENTLY WRITTEN BOOKS IN YOUR GENRE NICHE OF CHOICE. Too bad it's too long for a bumper sticker.

Don't know if this helps, but it's my two bits tossed in the ring.

Beth

Hi Beth! Great advice.

And I agree with you on Tolkien (as well as many other authors in that period and earlier). Tolkien tells a great story, but I only made it through his books by doing a LOT of skimming through all the descriptions. It was a different time, and I guess that people then might need more description to better understand the characters and their stories.

June

 

[TMSellers]

Hi Beth! Great advice.

And I agree with you on Tolkien (as well as many other authors in that period and earlier). Tolkien tells a great story, but I only made it through his books by doing a LOT of skimming through all the descriptions. It was a different time, and I guess that people then might need more description to better understand the characters and their stories.

June

This is an interesting point that I don't leverage as a writer, but certainly do as a reader/viewer. Because fantasy is so steeped in tradition, because of Tolkien being the foundation for like 80% of Western fantasy, a writer today can make assumptions about the audience's understanding of things. Like when you say dwarf in a fantasy setting, people instinctively know you mean short men with beards, hammers, and axes. That certainly can be taken advantage of in fantasy writing that isn't trying to reinvent the wheel today.