First or Third Person?

When writing your book, which do you think is best? Is it more effective when you’re reading from the mind of the character, or from the narration of the author? What grips you from start to finish? Knowing that you’re listening to the character share his or her story or the author sharing on the behalf of the character? Which is best when it comes to a novel or fiction book?

I’ve read books in first person and in third person, and I have to say each is interesting in its own way. While I’m used to reading third person, the recent stories I’ve read have been written in first person. It took a while to get used to, but I did feel a connection with the writing of first person. Instead of the author telling me the story, I received it firsthand from the mouth of the character. In a way it feels more real. On the other hand with third person, the author has the ability to bring you into the character’s mind, heart, and feelings. It takes more creativity I think to describe the feelings of someone accurately, over hearing the story firsthand. There’s more to discover because the author is the creator of the story and there are no limitations.

If one chapter is under a character’s name, then it’s just about them. So, if the character is in a conversation with another, we can only assume how the other is feeling. There can be no transition between points of view, since the chapter is dedicated to one person at a time. When writing in third person, there is more freedom to go from one point of view to the next. Instead of a whole chapter assigned to one character, there can be more than one point of view. An author can share the feelings of everyone in the same room and not be limited to one. Then again, this can be confusing for the reader if there is too much “hopping” from one character’s mind to the next.

Which line intrigues you the most? “I don’t know what to do. I feel lost and alone.” Or, “She didn’t know what to do. She felt lost and alone.” They both say the same thing, but each has a different tone. One is more personal, while the other is at an arm’s length. Would you want to keep reading, and if so, which version would you want?

In this case, I truly believe it’s up to the author. Everyone has their own preference, and if the writing is up to par, an author can captivate his or her audience either way. Classic books like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind were written in third person and are considered writing at their best. So what does this mean? If you have a good story, first or third person doesn’t matter? Maybe.

So, my conclusion is an author should write a story the way he or she feels. Of course do research because there is always going to be an opinion on what works best. At the end of the day though, the decision is up to the author. Write what’s going to captivate your audience and engage them in the story. Whichever way is going to make the best connection between the characters and the readers, that is the way to go.


Can also be read at Readers' Favorite