The General Writing Discussion Thread

[Imp]

I had a question, and I wasn't really sure where to post it, so I decided to make a new topic, and let others ask questions here too.

So I would hope for this to be forward known as a place to generally discuss and talk about writing.

[Imp]

I will start:

I occasionally write a story once in awhile, and never finish them. This time, I tell myself I will finish it (this is maybe the tenth time me telling myself this). Though, I was wondering:

What are the good qualities and disadvantages of telling the story from a third person manner,

and what are the good qualities and disadvantages of telling the story from a first person mannee?

[VirtualWeasel]

Well, first person offers a more personal view on the story as well as a bit more immersive point of view. Unfortunately it doesn't really allow for multiple things to happen at one time, making for a slower moving story that progresses like a day of normal life.

Third person however allows you to narrate multiple events at once while also revealing details characters don't know. However third person is a really basic form of writing and can be dry and boring if you don't write it well.

[Derp53]

I like mixing third and first person perspectives, it can make an interesting story when done right

[Imp]

Alright thanks VW. I think that I am going to need to use third person. There are going to be five major characters, that will be in different place at different times, so first person probably won't work.

Thanks again.

Thanks derp, but that may be too advanced for me, I never even finished a story.

[Derp53]

That's ok Imp, I've been writing shorts for the mage RP thread for months now

[VirtualWeasel]

I like mixing third and first person perspectives, it can make an interesting story when done right

That's not even close to following standard writing rules.
You should never, ever switch view points in writing afaik.

[Derp53]

I like mixing third and first person perspectives, it can make an interesting story when done right

That's not even close to following standard writing rules.
You should never, ever switch view points in writing afaik.

I don't really stick to one POV weasel, it's too limiting

[POMC S117]

I prefer third person over first person. I just dislike first person. It can get really monotonous if you fall into the trap of saying "I did this, I did that".

[MARS]

It's all about what type of narrative you want.

Generally speaking, a story with many point-of-view characters should be written in third person, while a story focusing on a sole protagonist should be written in first. That's just my opinion of course, but I think storytelling logic is on my side here. A story with many POV characters generally focuses less on the individual characters and more on their surroundings, while a story with a single protragonist focuses on the characters inner mechanisms more.


That's a very brief and sweeping generalization however. There are far too many options to present in a single post.