Point of View when writing a story.

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Links on Tell Me a Story

• How To Describe - Mastering Descriptive Writing
• To Write A Story - 20 Ways To Write A Story Better
• Story Characters - 7 Cool Ways To Jump-Start Your Writing

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Hi, Anthony. I’m about to start on a story. What is your opinion of POV. Do you prefer writing where the main character is telling the story or where you are narrator? 1st person or 3rd person?


Hello, Julia. For some reason, most inexperienced writers tend to go for first person narrative, perhaps believing they’ll make their story more convincing, or maybe more passionate. It's wrong of course. Any novel is only as good as the writer and plot.

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Technical Problems

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There are certain technical grounds for avoiding first person narrative. It can be tricky getting away from the self-important "I" part of it, for instance …. “I did this, I thought that, I said” .... etc. It becomes tedious if the writer doesn't have the skill to find a way around.

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Into a corner

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There’s also the problem of writing yourself into a corner. For example, suppose you need to let the reader understand what the protagonist is up to. It’s difficult letting let them know an event is taking place if the main character, the "I" of the story, isn't present.

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For these reasons alone, first person can be a little limiting. I tend to advise new writers to steer clear.

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I've written short stories in the first person, even first person present tense, but nowadays I go for the wider sheet of third person.

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Roy Gough, next post.

Bedlam, blog.

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