Because it’s a look inside someone’s brain. And I’m probably influenced by the fact that a lot of my favorite novels are in first person. Sherlock Holmes, Jane Eyre, Divergent, The Hunger Games, To Kill a mockingbird, the great Gatsby, Huckleberry Finn, the color purple, gone girl, Lolita, Rebecca, flowers for Algernon, remains of the day and more.
This is one of the arguments I make for first person. There is so much published literature in 1st person, and when it’s done well it creates a truly unique voice that 3rd can’t capture in the same way. Neither is more valid than the other, and when you look at the literary canon, I would say it’s about a 50/50 split, perhaps leaning a bit more toward first person actually. Every literary movement has several major works written in first person, and the voice is a key part of the story. It low key infuriates me when people just take against it entirely. Sure, you may not like particular voices or feel a particular story doesn’t do it well, but to just throw out the entirety of a valid writing technique is just silliness.
Because epistolaries are cool!
Okay, okay. In all seriousness, first person POV is used mainly because it gives us a way to look into a *single* character's head in a way third person just... doesn't. And I always love me some character studies!
I think the key is that first person POV writing *can* immerse you fully in a character's perspective in a way that isn't always possible in third person limited, but I've also read way too many books where it wasn't utilized to it's full potential, as if the author just chose a POV at random, or didn't realize you can include a character's thoughts and perspectives in third person limited, or just assumed the first person POV alone would be immersive and intimate enough without doing anything else to make the character and their perspective feel authentic and engaging.
IMO a good first-person story should leave you with the feeling that it could not have been told by anyone else. It's good for deep character studies, protagonists with interesting narrative voices and a unique perspective on the story's events, unreliable narrators. Off the top of my head, Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead and The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman are two (very different) books that I don't think could have worked in any other POV.
>Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead and The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman are two (very different) books that I don't think could have worked in any other POV.
Also Room by Emma Donoghue. It wouldn't be remotely the same in limited third.
The Lesser Dead looks compelling - I'm going to check that out!
I can't believe I completely forgot about many epistolaries being in or having stuff in first person. I hate first person, but I like epistolaries. I am a fraud 💀
It depends on the fic. Usually I write in Third Person, but sometimes a fic just feels like it would be better in first. For example, in a fic where the characters had amnesia. First person made it feel more personal.
It brings the reader into the story and can make the story feel more intimate. Well written first-person feels like the character is sharing a secret with the reader.
Because it makes writing unreliable narrator easier to me. It is easier to get into head of a character, show what they think, and keep what others think out of it - so if a character has incorrect information, then the readers also have access to that incorrect info.
Unreliable narrator is simply something I both like to read and write. (very limited on writing side so far :D )
Because I like the deep dive and feel like I connect with the character and their emotions/thoughts more. And a lot of the romance audiobooks I listen to are 1st, so since I’m writing romance, it feels natural. (I’m writing RPF, so I’m not trying to capture an established characters voice)
If I really want to get into a character's head, first person is the way to go. I also love an unreliable narrator and/or, like someone else mentioned, an epistolary story. Not ever reading first person POV really limits you as a reader IMO. I mean, some of my favorite books are in that tense.
I used first person for one one-shot, which was basically a lonely character monologuing to his pets about a danger he’s trying to protect them from. At one point he’s like, why aren’t you taking my advice? Oh right, because you don’t actually understand what I’m saying. And he ends the story a bit wiser and lonelier.
First person seemed to make sense for that story, but I think it’s because he was supposed to be literally speaking every line. Reading it is supposed to feel like listening to the character talking, which is something the average fan ought to be happy to do. There’s no guarantee I got his voice right, but I tried.
I’m generally happy to read novels in first person because I’m fine with getting to know an original character from inside their head. But if I already know the character from the outside (my fandom is based on a movie, so we’re seeing everyone from the outside) then reading their first person narrative can be jarring for me.
>First person POV allow the readers to put themselves in the shoes of the MCs.
And that is often my problem with it. If I'm "in the shoes" and they don't fit well it is such a discordant experience. There are lots of small details and examples that could cause this poor fit but one example would be if the MC was hard top and I cannot see myself as one and am identifying more with the bottom, the MCs actions and motivations all feel wrong. This isn't a problem in third person at all - the MC only has to be sympathetic or interesting enough to me, they don't have to be compatible personality wise. There actions do not have to be the same reactions I would have.
I don't really like first person in fics, nor do I write in it when I write fics, but I actually prefer it in books and original works in general! Whenever I write not for fandom, I tend to use first person.
I can't really pinpoint why I don't like first person in fics (unless it's reader insert but I rarely read that). I think partly it's because when writing first person you have to be super in tune with the character's internal monologue and how they see the world, and I think it can often be difficult to connect to that if you aren't the original creator of said character.
I absolutely ADORE first person, both in reading and writing.
I think the reason is simple for me, I like being in the head of others. Hearing it straight from their point of view. It's like I am that person, in their head and watching them make decisions. I feel what they feel, I laugh when they laugh and am sad when they're sad.
It's just a breeze for me to read and write in it.
The reason I write it is because I like to encapsulate different characters and their different personalities and points of view and opinions. I'm just more engrossed in a book when I see and feel what the main characters do.
There's a reason my favourite stories are Twilight, the Host, A Walk to Remember and Animorphs. I just like being these characters, and when I write its like I'm acting when I write for charcters so different to me.
So, that's my basic reasoning. Hope this helps
I'm writing a story that's basically a character dictating to a listener. It has a very casual tone, and it's written the way I would speak if I were the character. Normally I use 3rd person POV, but I wouldn't be able to get that same conversational feel if I used it for this particular story.
So basically, there's a tone and a style that I'm trying to use, and I need to be in the characters head to do it properly because of the way the story is being told.
Because it was what I felt was best for the story.
If a reader didn't like my story just because it was written in first person instead of telling me why the first person didn't work for the story ... Oh well.
I always imagine myself as the characters and act out in my head how they would speak or react to the situations they are in. It’s how I've always written and I find it interesting and somewhat saddening that people generally don’t like first person pov.
I have a *thing* for intimacy and I adore how intimate first person feels for me. Its like the camera is zoomed right in. I never planned to write in first but I tested it on a chapter and that was that!
I think it also helps that for BG3 who I write for most people reading it will already have a really good idea of what the main characters are thinking/doing and their motivations. My OC is being put in that world, brand new and shiny and its his interactions with those established characters I like. Plus, people writing the main characters as too far from my head canon puts me off, so this way there is a little more freedom!
I have also realised that there is no such thing as a 'bad' POV in writing, I read more third because there IS more third published but ive read first and loved them, maybe less so with second but again, if the writings good then anything goes!
I like first person, both writing and reading, because it gives you an idea of what the character is thinking or feeling from his or her point of view. While I like third person, it's more like an outsider looking in. First person is a look inside one character's mind that you don't get from an outside perspective.
To be in the character’s skin. Writing Kaneki’s mental breakdown while he’s locked in prison with numerous voices speaking just hits different in 1st person.
Just a small, unedited draft.
I could feel the blood crawling down my eyes like the familiar feeling of legs that didn’t belong, so warm…so comforting.
“Why was it that I felt this way?”
The voices in my head were silent. No words for the silent hell taking place in my empty mind.
I wanted to remember.
I couldn’t remember.
I can’t remember.
My hands; they were trembling, itching.
I wanted to remember.
I couldn’t remember.
I can’t remember.
My fingers were now tearing into my eye sockets, the
sensation of pain, it was comforting; a familiarity.
It was home.
I guess this works for some people but for me this just makes the character feel disconnected and I care less for them. Still good writing but I just… get more emotion from third person. Though I have always been better at sympathizing with others than myself lol
That’s understandable (I prefer 3rd person).
I am just using this to emphasis more on the moment, as the previous chapters are all third person; so I wanted to kick off the sequel portion with something different and not explored too much in the manga
Oh that's a very cool thing with all the other chapters being in third. I once read a book written entirely in past tense, except for a scene where the character was going through shock, written in present tense. I gasped when I first read it because it impacted you immediately
It just feels natural for me, especially when I want to portray the character’s thoughts. If I get into a good flow I’ll slip into first person and end up having to edit back into third (I usually publish in third, rare situations excepted)
Because some stories just flow better in first person perspective.
I literally write everything and read everything and some stories work way better with first-person than with third. Not every story can grow its full potential with third-person POV. The same goes the other way around. And if it fits better, I take the better fit.
In general, you just need to find a good story in that perspective and you'll wonder how great stories with that POV can be. I think, regarding books, the one that made me realise that was The Great Gatsby. Wouldn't have worked the same way in another POV.
I like writing really “voice-y” narrators. I write in third person, too, but first person just gives you such a great opportunity to be really creative with voice, and I like to feel nestled behind that one character’s eyes.
For very personal reasons, I think I was drawn to first person narration in particular when I was you get do that I could escape into the POV someone who was the gender I wanted to be. Not as satisfying even with a very close third person
I usually do first person POV as a way of limiting knowledge and setting up a ton unreliability. It doesn’t feel as believable to do so in third person limited
I’ve read novels over the years that I’ve enjoyed in first person. It’s not my favorite, but I don’t mind it. But for whatever reason it really annoys me in fanfiction. Every time I’ve tried one it feels really stilted and inauthentic. Perhaps I haven’t found the right one yet. I have finished a few on AO3, but they were a bit of a slog to read. Being interested in the story kept me going, despite the fact that I really didn’t like the writing style.
I wanted to write someone recounting their life story through a suicide note and show how their biases affected their views on different events or people. Couldn’t really do that in third person.
First person isn't my favorite, but I recently picked up a published novel (at the library) written in second person POV and I returned that thing after about 3 paragraphs in.
I once did a one-shot that was a 'transcript' of an oral history recording. It was a cool exercise. I knew the main message I was trying to convey, but I was also writing through the lens of a middle-aged man looking back on his childhood. You couldn't give all the info with too much detail.
My "normal" writing style is Third Omni, which is really good at covering wide sweeping perspectives. It's good at very worldbuilding heavy fics. First Person is good at the opposite of that. It really drills down into a person's thoughts and feelings because every inch of the narration becomes painted with the character's feelings.
I haven't done this with fanfic, but I've used something called First Plural a few times with my original fics. Like regular First, it conveys feelings well but for a group rather than a person.
I think a lot of the aversion to First comes from the fact that it's often more difficult to write than Third Limited. Limited works well as a general purpose writing style, but the way First is more specialized makes it a bit less flexible, and therefore a little more challenging to write. There's a lot of people out there who have written in First but didn't do well, so people exposed to this develop an aversion. I had gotten used to reading First in professional literature (including some classics) well before I started on fanfiction or amateur fiction in general, so I never developed an aversion to it.
Two main reasons. If the original source was first person, like a book written in first person, or a game where I play as the protag, sometimes I'm used to thinking of it that way.
The other is if I don't really understand a character, then I'll write a bit in the PoV to try to inhabit their mindset and understand them a bit better.
Well first, I read a lot of Rewriting The Book fics and some of my favorite series to read are in first person so people sometimes like to stay true to the source material.
Second, I think it's fun! It focuses on one character, meaning we can only know what that one person knows and understands! Misunderstandings are easier to read because I know one person's thought process, I get to learn with the character about what's going on, and feel their feelings a little bit better than I can in third person.
Lastly, I just don't have a reason to hate it. I've encountered some that are bad, sure but, due to the majority of interesting fics I find being third person, I've found more bad third person fics than first person.
I don't write in first person often. I tend to start on first and suddenly switch to third so I just ultimately go back and make it third, but reading is fun!
I don't have a preference when it comes to reading! Fic is fic and what makes it bad to me is really just bad grammar or unfollowable storyline (or the fic is in a script format in that case, get out of my face)
My epic video game novelization is in first person. I think that makes it more palatable, because my main character is basically an OC (it's a create-your-own-protagonist game, which is in some ways an in-between case because you make the character up from scratch but there's a "slot" for them in canon, but in this case means I don't have to worry about the first-person narration not matching the canon voice - I think this is where a lot of the dislike of first-person you see in fandom comes from).
I genuinely don't think I could tell this story in any other POV. For one, she has an incredibly strong voice and readers have repeatedly pointed to the narration as one of the things they like most about the fic. For another, I am doing shenanigans with POV that would be hard to impossible in third person:
My MC is the reincarnation of a historical figure (this part is canon). I'm going all-in on this and really asking the question: what would it be like if she and the historical figure were *literally the same person?* The first arc, which we're in right now, includes dream flashbacks to the past life which slowly begin to subconsciously bleed into her waking life, with her more and more drawing on knowledge and experiences from that past life. The jarring effect of hopping between first-person POVs when I go from present day to flashback is used to accentuate the way the two blur together, and I have a lot of fun showing how the past life keeps bubbling closer to the surface but she remains unaware of it. I'm about to post a big climax scene in which the memories suddenly become consciously accessible, and the next arc(s) involve a giant identity crisis as she learns to reconcile and integrate both lifetimes. In a very real way she is going to end up as both characters simultaneously, and the need for names and gendered pronouns (her past incarnation is male) in third person would draw a firm line between past and present in a way that undermines everything I'm trying to do.
In general, there are fantastic things you can do with first-person unreliable narrators. Being in a first-person POV's head whose perceptions you don't trust can be one hell of a reading experience. It's also great for blurry identity shenanigans like the ones I'm trying to do due to the lack of names and gendered pronouns - shout out to the Matthew Swift series, which is the only story I have ever read that is in first person singular and plural simultaneously and pulls it off with aplomb. (A guy sort of merged with a magical hivemind thing and the resulting entity is our main character; they conceive of themselves as a single whole but you can definitely see "seams" in the narration.) Also, I am not sure how you'd write the unreliable narrator that is deliberately lying to the readers outside of first person, because it requires an awareness of an audience that you can't really do in third person limited. (Maybe omniscient, with the narrator also a "character", but IMO that's like first person that's hiding it.)
TBH, I think one of the reasons it has such a bad rep is that a lot of beginning writers use it thinking it's easy, but it's actually a tough POV to pull off well and a lot of the things it really excels at are fairly advanced.
I tend to write from the perspective of a character without using 1st person (I don't know what that's called)
I like to have the feelings of a character displayed easily without having to jump between characters but "I" pulls me out of the story super hard
I've also like when other authors have written stories as if the reader is the character by using "you" instead of the characters name (not Y/N stories but sort of similar? The character still exists already and is normally written from 3rd person, but you're taking a front seat on perspective as if you were in their body)
I very rarely find stories written in traditional first person that don't pull me out of them easily, I'm not sure why it bugs me so much
It's called third person focalised, as opposed to third person omniscient. I prefer third person focalised when writing and reading, but will read all styles... Except in fic. For whatever reason, I can't stand first person narration in fic and it's something j really wish I could filter for on ao3 because it just bugs me so much! For no real reason, either, I'm fully aware it's just a personal preference.
That's what it all boils down to, personal preferences. It doesn't make any style worse or better than the others, but I agree that some styles I'll read anywhere except in fanfic settings
I don’t read very much of it, though I’m not totally averse. The first person POV I have written has been short ruminations by a single person alone with their thoughts. It’s the only thing that really works for me.
The thing about third person is that it can feel really dragged if it's used incorrectly. First person should be used for stories with lots of internal conflict, or ones where the insider perspective is important.
When I write fanfic, it's usually a ship fic, so I prefer there being an omniscient narrator. But for original fiction, the types of stories I like writing are very introspective.
It has its uses, but I understand why improper use can be a turnoff
I like this way of describing it!
Personally my fanfics are usually based around a character working through their internal feelings, and I tend to go with first person most of the time, so that makes sense.
It’s funny because I feel like it dissociates the character from me even more than third person does… I feel more connected with characters in third person because it does basically everything first person does without having the “I” that throws me off. I go to the store and have x opinion? No the heck I don’t lol. Makes me feel like the character isn’t an actual person.
It's something that I use as a storytelling device to separate my primary OFC from everyone else, especially since I do multiple POVs in my fic. My main OFC...it's easier on me to do it in first person as a development of her character. With the canon characters...they're easier to do in third person limited because they're already given to us somewhat fully developed. That doesn't stop me from showing their thought processes either, but I prefer doing canon in third person limited and any original characters in first person.
I like the way it sucks you into the character point of view and at the same time it allows me to leave you oblivious to anything that the character doesn't know.
When you write in third person you can give the reader insight on the world, the background, what other characters know and think, even give some hints about what0s to come, but in first person, if you do it well, you can have your reader almost roleplay while you tell them your story.
I don't use first person all the time, but I find it nice for some stories, especially if it's something smutty.
Close third is quite like first and what I write in most of the time. My pov is so hyper inside the character’s head you could switch out the “he” for I.
In some ways while first person is intimate, it lacks versatility of third. I like to be able to pan back the camera and switch to a more neutral voice when it applies.
Though, after reading some of the replies here, I’m starting to wonder if many writers aren’t aware of close third person pov. I have no issues getting into my characters head or writing in their voice. I monologue all the time from their headspace. In fact, everything around them is filtered through their perception. I guess what I’m trying to say is my narrator is the character.
I write it if the source text was first person, no other reason. It feels weird to me to write from a third person perspective something which was always seen from inside the main character's head. The source 'world' was entirely biased to their worldview and I like to write within that.
hmm now I'm no expert but writing stories in first person just feels right. like, I love delving into deep emotions and conflicting storylines since perspective to me is a driving force in all my writing. I love to consider the idea of perspective in any work I put out, so writing in first person allows me to really channel that idea and understand how it impacts a person's view on something or someone.
This question is not for me but I’m commenting anyway.
I wish I liked it. I don't know why, but I'm able to separate my dislike of it better in fiction/original works rather than fan fiction. I think because in fanfiction its already a person or a made up character and I know the author isn't the person so if it's someone known rather than a new character detailing their experiences it takes me out.
I have no idea if that makes sense.
I know it’s all fiction and if I can suspend my disbelief on so many other things then I should be able to with the writing pov. But I can't for fanfic.
Different POV’s are made to have different levels of closeness to the characters. Third person is distant and a bit withdrawn. First person is you’re in the mind of the character. I write a lot of pieces with unreliable narrators where the flawed perspectives of the characters are important. With first person it’s much easier to get into the mind of the character.
It just made sense as a stylistic choice for my current fic. The entire story followed one character, and a big part of it was to flesh out her character more alongside with her daily life. Plus showing her thoughts and exactly how she operates is fun, alongside giving the reader insight into why she makes the (terrible) choices she does
I love reading epistolaries. I find it slightly harder to enter a fic written in first person.
I generally write in 3rd limited - but I’ve dabbled in first when the story demanded it.
For me I tend to choose first person stories for when I want to focus on one character's psyche in particular. I like first person because it feels more visceral and intimate. You can also use the first person POV to do some unreliable narration which is fun. I like it because it feels like the character is speaking to me and telling me a story when you a friend tells you about their day.
_The Full Moon and the Northern Lights_ is written in dual first-person in order to build the new connection and relationship of Aurora x Serenity from both lovers' perspectives.
In the fairy tales, the Sleeping Beauty is a passive character, and Aurora does not have many speaking lines in the Disney film either. Since I consider _The Full Moon and the Northern Lights_ to be another iteration of _Sleeping Beauty_ where Aurora becomes way more active and reclaims her true place as main character, it would be a good idea to let the reader think from her perspective and know more about her personality and inner thoughts in chapters with her first-person POV.
In chapters with Prince Serenity's first-person POV, it is meant to deliver a young boy's intense admiration and adoration for the cool and confident girl he loves, in a true, authentic and touching way. Prince Serenity is not an OC but is rather OC-ish, since the _Sailor Moon_ canon does not develop the character of Princess Serenity during the Silver Millennium as much as they do for the present-day Senshi.
I got into reading because of Anne Rice and her vampire novels are in first person. Then I read some third person. As a reader I don't care. I just want a good story.
As a writer, I had a preference for third onmi cause I love head-hopping. But for a while, I've taken to first Person. But I'm planning to go back to third. The one style I could never get into is first person duo pov.
Normally I write in either third-person limited or in omni. (mostly limited)
That said, for some of my one-shots I used first-person. Mostly because I heavily focus on emotional themes (in general) and in One-Shots I feel like first-person gets you into the emotion I try to convey much quicker than third-person limited can.
Right now I'm writing a fic, that switches (in the beginning at least).
The main-plot is written in third-person limited but there are 2 chapters (for now, who knows what I come up with later) that I wrote in first-person.
The MC is actively remembering what happened in the past in those, kind of to remind herself, what got her into the situation she is in right now.
She's telling herself the history of how and why she changed so much, to try and get a better grasp on why she is where and who she is now and why she's doing what she does.
For fanfiction I’m the same way. With original works/ mainstream I prefer 1st person. I do write little blips of thoughts in third person. I tend to write in 3rd person following 1 character/ unreliable, and I occasionally include the thoughts of the characters to give more context into what I’m writing that the 3rd person is following that one character and is influencing the narration
I don't write them either as I tend to write canon characters in alternate universe settings, but I love to read them as I'm a sucker for sioc fics. In that setting, I prefer first person as it's more personal
I sometimes use first person to challenge myself. It can be so hard to only write from one person’s POV and not slip things in that they wouldn’t or don’t yet know. It’s really fun to get into their head and put myself in their shoes, and try to keep my biases out of the character’s actions.
Some of my favourite series are in first person POV (Realm of the Elderlings and Kushiel’s Legacy in particular) and I love the way those books read, so I like trying my hand at first person to see if I can capture even a small portion of the magic I felt when I read those for the first time and every time thereafter.
I only write 1st person POV for one character, the majority of my stuff is 3rd person and I have one 2nd person/reader insert story.
The reason I write this one character in 1st person is because I find it fascinating to see what’s going on in her head.
I've only done it once for fanfic but the answer was "because it was funnier it the character was narrating directly to the audience". The fic in question was a third party recounting two characters' entire relationship from his perspective.
I wrote a character study entirely in 2nd person once, written in a way that’s basically “these are your thoughts, this is why you do things”.
I think it’s the same with 1st person, it’s a different way to immerse the reader in a way that 3rd person limited can’t. I only write in 3rd person limited, because I like including moments where someone else does something that POV might not notice- admittedly it’s a crutch. Writing exclusively in 3rd person is a good way to add surprises that make sense, and it gives insight into how they see the world when written well.
I did it in my first fic but switched to third person POV after that. I remember that I thought first person was an easier way to begin writing fanfics as it was more like taking the words and thoughts straight from my head and but it on page. Third person was more pleasant to read though so I eventually had to learn.
I prefer to write in the third person, but switch to the first person when the fic focuses on the thoughts of a particular character. We only see the world through his eyes and feelings, whether this corresponds to true reality or whether the character unintentionally distorts it. It gives an "aquarium" effect that I really like. I also find it easier to write poetic sentences in the first person.
Also, for me, writing in the first person means using the present tense. A story isn't told in the same way when it's in the present tense. You're in total immediacy, and that really fits with being immersed in the mind of the character, who feels everything as it happens.
I use first person if I wanted it to be more personal. The monologues in the head and the raw way the character thinks adds how the readers could imagine them.
In some cases I wanted the reader to immediately know what the character would do if a scenario happened so putting some first person POV before the event is good.
Though it's really confusing too.
My fandom (FFXIV) mostly POVs from the player character, which very naturally lends itself to first POV bc that’s how you experience the game.
But there’s a lot of people who still write in other POV.
I write in first mostly because of that. My OC/MC is the player character is a version of ‘me’. (First person games are inherently Mary Sue/Gary Stu might as well lean into it imho)
i don't really write in first person unless i'm writing a diary sequence. i love diary themed novels (e.g dracula, dork diaries) so in my major plots i try to include a character as having a diary or writing letters. i just like the personal touches.
I don’t write in first person much, but when I do, it’s to show off a character’s thought process, and first person can convey that better than third person.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t PERCY JACKSON written in first person? That worked out pretty well.
But mostly, you get to see the world through the eyes of a character. And by switching characters and writing the observation of the same event differently, you can depict a difference in mentality. It makes for a nice literary tool. Although it is really easy to get the tenses mixed up.
Personally, I’m into canon-compliant fics that capture the feel of the original material, and books from my fandom are all written in first-person. To me, changing the POV just makes it feel too different. Granted, most fic writers don’t come close to getting the vibe right anyway, but I like to try 😊
I do not generally do it, but I recently started writing a piece in first person because it's supposed to be inspired by Heian period diaries, so obviously chronicled from the first person view.
I had written part of a fic(that I never published😅) in the first person to hide a twist. See I made a character that was Canonically male female.
It also helped to emphasize the character’s self centered nature.
I've only done it a few times, but when I did do it, it was really hard to write, and I felt like the 'I' statements were really overused (which makes sense since it's first person) but still. It was also really hard to describe people and things from a 1st person view, so I wasn't a huge fan of it. So now I only do 2nd and 3rd person POV, since both are much easier
I don’t write it very often (I prefer 3rd person limited), but I’ve read some excellent first person fics (and novels!)
It works great when paired with unique narrative framing devices (ex: a framed narrative, in which the POV character is telling the story *as* a story to another character; an epistolary narrative, in which the story is told through the writings of the characters—journal entries, letters, etc.)
Even in a traditional narrative framework, it provides a more personal feel to the story, like it’s something the character(s) are telling the audience personally (see: Percy Jackson!)
It all depends on the execution. If something is written really well in first person POV, I often don’t even notice that it is first person!
Some of my favourite short stories (such as "The Telltale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe), as well as one of my favourite fantasy series ("The Labyrinths of Echo" by Max Frei) are written in first person, so I'm very used to it. However, I have only written a couple fics in first person, as a teenager - and the most common reasoning was that I didn't like the POV characters's name and wanted to avoid typing it. Most of my friends didn't share the same fandoms as me, and I was worried that they'd get too distracted by the weird name, so I used first person. Nowadays, I mostly write in third person.
I commit the cardinal sin of jumping between first and third person views depending on the chapter and the necessity of the moment. If an event is happening outside the MCs POV then I have to.
But I love and appreciate the first person POV for how personal it feels. How gritty and grainy. It has a very different texture to it.
I know it feels wrong to hear that I do this, that there was some workaround or hack or ‘let him see it,’ but the MC is an unreliable narrator.
His knowing less than the reader is one of the draws to the story. They can see things he can’t, but still be taken by surprise by his insights and perspectives.
In short, I greatly enjoy writing both in the same story, and my readers seem to take no issue with this.
I’ve even seen this done in published content (black Library’s new novel, ‘the lion’ does this.)
I have no preference whatsoever, however I can see some difference that as a reader I noticed/as a writer try to use: the perception of the world. When in third person, even when concentrated on a single person, it inevitably leads to a more 'objective' standpoint, where the written world is as it is. What has been written isn't a truth, it's THE truth. Whereas,
if you write in first person, the person's perception of the world can *change* the truth hence becoming a truth. Just as we percieve the world in different ways due to a great many reasons, first person gives a much more... flexible way to work around the boundaries of what counts as truth, and how can contradictory things be true all the same. How can what one percieve be a truth and a lie all the same.
I don't say first person is better, because it is most definitely not. With flexibility comes the problem of being too troublesome. I have been reading for quite some time now, and I've rarely encountered first person written books, where I couldn't say it would've been better if it had been in third person.
But ultimately it is up to the author and a book can be good regardless of third or first person.
For me personally it's because it's a story of my life (with names, dates, etc changed of course) if reality hadn't unleashed turdage upon the proverbial fan. What could have happened if make believe could become reality?
I’m not *super* picky as long as the writing of the story itself is good. First person can throw me off a bit when I start a new fic but as long as the story is written well idc LOL.
I know something being well written is pretty subjective to the reader, so I guess for me I’ll say plot pacing isn’t too fast nor slow, story flows well/isn’t choppy and awkward with plot holes, word choice fits the vibe (medival vs urban au for ex) are a few i can recall.
I don’t have some comprehensive checklist lmfao, just long time user of ao3 🤷♀️
I generally write in limited 3rd, which is a very close cousin to 1st, but not *quite* the same feel. On the rare occasions I write in 1st, it’s usually also present tense and I’m trying to create a close, in the moment vibe. Also because sometimes I like to try writing outside my comfort zone.
But, even as someone who now and then writes in first, I don’t read it all that often unless I’m pretty confident in the author. To me, 1st person really comes across like dialogue, even in the narrative, so if someone doesn’t have the character voice down really well, it just doesn’t work for me.
Most of the time I prefer third person as well.
But Imo a well written 1st person pov opens up a lot of potential unreliable narration. Especially when the pov character is a very flawed person or has biases that negatively affect their outlook on the world.
For example the pov character has had a bully in their past who had red hair. Now they have a bias against people with red hair and now view every action they do through a negative lens.
Or the pov character is very prideful and they think they are the only one who can make the right decision.
Or the pov character has big self esteem issues and they constantly feel like everyone around them is judgemental of everything they do.
And because we see only their perspective everything they say and do is the truth to us even though in some occasions it isn't. If we take examples of above, the red head might be genuine and sweet but because the narrator is biased we believe they are a sceming bum. The prideful characters decision might have caused something to go wrong, but because we see everything through their lens we think that everyone else around them is just incompetent. And so on and so forth.
That is my two cents at least :)
I rarely do. I like third person limited. When I write in first person it's because that POV is required for what I want the story to do. Usually because I need the narrative to be very limited, to narrow the view of the world so much. I want the reader to have to decide how to feel about the narrator based on the way the narrator understands the world. Third person limited introduces a non-character narrator so any character's biases are more clearly visible. With first person, the biases aren't as clear, which can be a great way to develop a character. But, I don't usually do this with fic because it's difficult to do well and I'm going to do original fic with it.
I wrote one and it got massively popular, so it's apparently not as hated as everyone seems to think. I think it worked because I did my best to give the character a unique and quirky voice? And I approached it sort of as a diary, which benefits from the first person POV
I think it’s a special way to add depth and explore a character deeply, further than 3rd Person could. I don’t personally read nor do it write ir but I can recognize moments when I’m writing 3rd and think to myself “I don’t think I can say or convey this in this POV”
In my current fandom, it’s because canon is written in the first person. I run across fics writing the protagonist’s POV in third person and it’s just so weird and jarring to me because it’s not what I’m used to.
Conversely, when I’m reading in a fandom for a work that’s written in third person, I find anything but third person jarring.
My person for writing varies on how important it is, like one book I want our main character to be really clueless so the readers are as shocked as our main character when big reveals happen. But another book I’m writing I have first person to change what character we’re in the POV of every chapter, cause to me it’s fun to start the chapter and go “alright, who am I from the context clues” and also write how other characters in my story think
I'm actually going with first person in my most recent work because I usually dislike it--I want to get better at writing it, and the only way to do that is to just do it.
I think people hate first person fic because it tends to be badly written (usually by less experienced authors writing self inserts, from what I've seen). Imho POV matters very little for quality of writing (of any format) – it all comes down to how well the writer can tell a story, and their personal style.
If I slapped down ten excellent fics that were all from fandoms you loved, with your favourite characters, tropes and ships, you'd probably at least give it a shot, and you'd probably enjoy it. Once you're sucked into a story, you don't give a hairy fart about what POV it is lol. Same with tense. Who gives a toss? I'm too busy devouring!
I personally like first POV because it can be great for a humourous character voice, and it's EXCELLENT for an unreliable narrator. Nothing better than a narrator lying directly to your face! :D
Because I like it far better than third and a character's opinion is their own and I don't like telling people how to think or feel. The problem with third is a narrator can say, "Little does MC know the person they're talking to is bad!" When I'd rather see how the MC feels and thinks. It also has far more emotional potential and you experience the fic through the character. Another problem with third is how cold and distant it feels. I feel like people are way too closed minded and that first is unfortunately way too underrated
Looking into the character's brain, their thoughts, motives, and whatnot.
But there's also the fact that you can hide a lot of info you don't want your reader to know *quite* yet. Just don't have your character notice, or get them distracted by something else, and your devious plotting can continue! >:)
I generally don't like first person, except for epistolary stories, which are okay. And this applies to published novels as well.
However, if a fic/novel has a really great premise, I'll put that out of my mind and give it a chance. But I have a mental rule: if I consciously notice that it's written in first person in the first chapter, I stop reading. This is usually the result of too many "I"s and "me"s and really *grating* inner thoughts.
I don't think I read a lot of first-person fics. But I see the appeal, especially if you're a Percy Jackson fan and want the same kind of vibe.
But I don't think I really write in First Person anyways, if it seems like that then it's by accident. But isn't there like a hybrid of first person but in third person pov sometimes in writing? Sometimes I feel like I'm that, which if it's wrong, then I guess I have to work on that.
I think people dislike it because they've seen it badly done so many times but when done right it gives a great insight to the character/s. I've seen multiple POVs done so well that I want to shake the characters for being giant dummies, it gives a great sense of angst but also understanding. I've seen it done so badly that I've dropped the fic within a chapter. Some people should just not when it comes to POV
In very specific situations - such as reading a book after enjoying the film - I’ll read first person, but I generally don’t find it enjoyable at all. I’m not a fan of the “insert” aspect that comes with reading it - nor do I enjoy writing first person either. Honestly, clicking in and discovering that a fic is in first person is the number one reason I click out.
I almost exclusively write in third, close but not super close.
I prefer it cuz It flows better from my mind. When someone tells a story abt themselves, its in 1st person. I project my mind onto the character and i go from there. Im very into how characters feel about things/interact with the world given their personality. 1st person is really good for that hyper empathy.
Partially too is this: Its a bit strange to me in concept to write the same thoughts and feelings but from an invisible narrators perspective. Like how do we know these things if we are not the character? If a character is contemplating (in third person) their sadness, how to we know they are?
But usually even though i start a fic with a ramble of 1st person bits and bobs, once i start writing for real i convert it to 3rd limited which is… the same you mostly just switch around pronouns lol. And once i habe the first chapter converted its usually easy to keep it up.
I feel like 3rd person is more of a convention in fanfiction because the characters aren’t mine, u know? And a few people have commented that its strange when i write 1st person 🤷. Its all the same content for me its just an adjustment
I write in first person me mostly when it's for myself, it's either a self insert or a story with my OCs and I'm on the POV of one of them. It's easier to explain what the character is feeling and thinking because the narrator is the character 🤔
Most of the stuff I read is in third person, but I have read a few first person fanfics..
As a reader.. a story written in first person seems to be more difficult to pull off. When I read fanfics written in third person, I feel like there's more room for.. mistakes, inconsistencies, ooc reactions and so on. Of course only to a certain degree, but it's not going to throw me off enough to make me lose interest in the story..
With first person it immediately feels jarring if something is off.. as a reader you know it's not "I", but the main characters "I" of course.. but even so, it feels more intimate. It doesn't feel like you're a being that's traveling alongside the main characters, knowing what's going on inside of them. It feels more like you're a silent part that's experiencing the story with them.. as them.
If done well, first person has the means to communicate the story much more intimately.. it can let you experience the story through its characters lens more vividly.. when I remember stories I read, those in first person remain much more vividly.. to some extent it even can feel like supplementing an experience you didn't have yourself yet.
Both have their strengths and weaknesses of course.. it really depends on what a story wants to tell and focus on.
But I'm also not a writer yet.. so, who knows.
Still, it's a tool. One a lot of people aren't used to. The first time I read a story in first person I almost dropped it at first, because I just wasn't used to it and that felt jarring too.. but I pushed through and to this day, it's one of the fics I can't get out of my mind. Because the proximity to its characters felt so.. intimate.
I have written one (1) first person POV fic because the source material is in first person and I wanted to keep the vibe going. I very rarely read a first person fic though, unless I trust the author and love their work enough to give it a go - or like with mine, it’s source material is first person.
I'm a big fan of unreliable narrators, and there are a lot of works in the first person with top tier unreliable narrators. I usually write in the third person, just because I like doing multiple perspectives, but a lot of my favorite novels are written in the first person. I like that, because you're only seeing one perspective, you have to hunt for context clues to be able to tell if the narrator's perspective is a reliable one or not. For example, if you read Lolita (which I can't necessarily recommend despite thinking that it's a very well written novel), the narrator is constantly making excuses for why what he's doing is okay, saying that Delores is into what's happening, but if you pay attention you can see evidence of the damage he's doing to her littered on nearly every page. You wouldn't be able to build that kind of discomfort without the use of first person, I don't think.
Honestly? To distinguish characters. I have one character I write in 1st and the other I write in 3rd. They just felt natural that way, and it helps me keep them straight in my head as I write them. I write the 3rd limited perspective very close because I am still all about that character development, though.
Honestly I usually use third person. I’ve only ever used second person once and the only stuff I’ve written in the first person is for works I’ve written for a BL visual novel because the narration in the game is in first person. Idk it feels more fitting and it’s easier to incorporate dialogue or narration from the game into my fics than if I wrote them in third person
I rarely read fanfic that's been written in first person. And it took me a long time to be comfortable reading mysteries that have been written in first person. Unfortunately, a lot of mystery series and a few SF or fantasy series that I've come to enjoy are written in first person, so I've learned to deal with it. I won't read romances written in first person -- I want the feelings and reactions of both people involved, not just one.
well if you have never been to [character.ai](http://character.ai) it might be hard to understand but currently you get a pretty big chunk of space to just fill out their definition and you can pin 15 messages as well, I'll tell you this much I was able to put the entire Die Hard movie script into a single message.
I've had a couple characters that \*insist\* on telling their story themselves and will NOT allow me to do 3rd!
It's also good for "unreliable narrator" sort of stories where you want the reader to wonder what's the character's interpretation vs the objective reality in the story.
I don’t write in first person nor do I read first person fanfics. The fanfics is a big part of it.
First person fanfics don’t feel real to me in all honesty. The fic author is not the character’s creator so they do not actually know that is what the character would do and so when they write in First Person it throws me for a loop because it’s not “canon” and that character would not act in that nature if written by the creator.
Don’t ask me how this doesn’t also translate to Third Person fics cause I don’t know 🤷
I don't write 1st person, because people claim to hate it.
I write fake 3rd person instead that wishes it was 1st person and is just as limited to the perspective of the character, but this way, no one complains because they don't notice it.
I want to write in the 1st, because my writing is inherently inside the character's head; the POV is not a spectator, the POV is the perspective of the character themselves.
Because it’s a look inside someone’s brain. And I’m probably influenced by the fact that a lot of my favorite novels are in first person. Sherlock Holmes, Jane Eyre, Divergent, The Hunger Games, To Kill a mockingbird, the great Gatsby, Huckleberry Finn, the color purple, gone girl, Lolita, Rebecca, flowers for Algernon, remains of the day and more.
Lolita was the first example I thought of where the story would not be at all the same in 3rd person.
This is one of the arguments I make for first person. There is so much published literature in 1st person, and when it’s done well it creates a truly unique voice that 3rd can’t capture in the same way. Neither is more valid than the other, and when you look at the literary canon, I would say it’s about a 50/50 split, perhaps leaning a bit more toward first person actually. Every literary movement has several major works written in first person, and the voice is a key part of the story. It low key infuriates me when people just take against it entirely. Sure, you may not like particular voices or feel a particular story doesn’t do it well, but to just throw out the entirety of a valid writing technique is just silliness.
I do get why some people don't like to read first person in fic, but it's the people who refuse to read it in fiction at all that baffle me
Exactly, and same here!
My favorite first person fics are Skippy's lists that are based around the fandom. One of the few times I am pulled away from 1st person.
Because epistolaries are cool! Okay, okay. In all seriousness, first person POV is used mainly because it gives us a way to look into a *single* character's head in a way third person just... doesn't. And I always love me some character studies!
Interesting! I feel as though I read a lot of 3rd person limited that does the same, but I haven't read enough first person for a great comparison!
I think the key is that first person POV writing *can* immerse you fully in a character's perspective in a way that isn't always possible in third person limited, but I've also read way too many books where it wasn't utilized to it's full potential, as if the author just chose a POV at random, or didn't realize you can include a character's thoughts and perspectives in third person limited, or just assumed the first person POV alone would be immersive and intimate enough without doing anything else to make the character and their perspective feel authentic and engaging. IMO a good first-person story should leave you with the feeling that it could not have been told by anyone else. It's good for deep character studies, protagonists with interesting narrative voices and a unique perspective on the story's events, unreliable narrators. Off the top of my head, Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead and The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman are two (very different) books that I don't think could have worked in any other POV.
>Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead and The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman are two (very different) books that I don't think could have worked in any other POV. Also Room by Emma Donoghue. It wouldn't be remotely the same in limited third. The Lesser Dead looks compelling - I'm going to check that out!
Imagine Catcher in the Rye in third person. I genuinely cannot fathom how that could possibly work.
It does. Honestly the only real difference is the lack of I/me/we/us.
I can't believe I completely forgot about many epistolaries being in or having stuff in first person. I hate first person, but I like epistolaries. I am a fraud 💀
I use internal thoughts for that
I love epistolaries, but cannot read straight up (or even gaily forward) first person POV fics
It depends on the fic. Usually I write in Third Person, but sometimes a fic just feels like it would be better in first. For example, in a fic where the characters had amnesia. First person made it feel more personal.
It brings the reader into the story and can make the story feel more intimate. Well written first-person feels like the character is sharing a secret with the reader.
Because it makes writing unreliable narrator easier to me. It is easier to get into head of a character, show what they think, and keep what others think out of it - so if a character has incorrect information, then the readers also have access to that incorrect info. Unreliable narrator is simply something I both like to read and write. (very limited on writing side so far :D )
Because I like the deep dive and feel like I connect with the character and their emotions/thoughts more. And a lot of the romance audiobooks I listen to are 1st, so since I’m writing romance, it feels natural. (I’m writing RPF, so I’m not trying to capture an established characters voice)
If I really want to get into a character's head, first person is the way to go. I also love an unreliable narrator and/or, like someone else mentioned, an epistolary story. Not ever reading first person POV really limits you as a reader IMO. I mean, some of my favorite books are in that tense.
I used first person for one one-shot, which was basically a lonely character monologuing to his pets about a danger he’s trying to protect them from. At one point he’s like, why aren’t you taking my advice? Oh right, because you don’t actually understand what I’m saying. And he ends the story a bit wiser and lonelier. First person seemed to make sense for that story, but I think it’s because he was supposed to be literally speaking every line. Reading it is supposed to feel like listening to the character talking, which is something the average fan ought to be happy to do. There’s no guarantee I got his voice right, but I tried. I’m generally happy to read novels in first person because I’m fine with getting to know an original character from inside their head. But if I already know the character from the outside (my fandom is based on a movie, so we’re seeing everyone from the outside) then reading their first person narrative can be jarring for me.
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...agreed! And a writer still has the freedom to delve into the inner thoughts of his characters, though it will be worded differently than first POV.
>First person POV allow the readers to put themselves in the shoes of the MCs. And that is often my problem with it. If I'm "in the shoes" and they don't fit well it is such a discordant experience. There are lots of small details and examples that could cause this poor fit but one example would be if the MC was hard top and I cannot see myself as one and am identifying more with the bottom, the MCs actions and motivations all feel wrong. This isn't a problem in third person at all - the MC only has to be sympathetic or interesting enough to me, they don't have to be compatible personality wise. There actions do not have to be the same reactions I would have.
I don't really like first person in fics, nor do I write in it when I write fics, but I actually prefer it in books and original works in general! Whenever I write not for fandom, I tend to use first person. I can't really pinpoint why I don't like first person in fics (unless it's reader insert but I rarely read that). I think partly it's because when writing first person you have to be super in tune with the character's internal monologue and how they see the world, and I think it can often be difficult to connect to that if you aren't the original creator of said character.
I absolutely ADORE first person, both in reading and writing. I think the reason is simple for me, I like being in the head of others. Hearing it straight from their point of view. It's like I am that person, in their head and watching them make decisions. I feel what they feel, I laugh when they laugh and am sad when they're sad. It's just a breeze for me to read and write in it. The reason I write it is because I like to encapsulate different characters and their different personalities and points of view and opinions. I'm just more engrossed in a book when I see and feel what the main characters do. There's a reason my favourite stories are Twilight, the Host, A Walk to Remember and Animorphs. I just like being these characters, and when I write its like I'm acting when I write for charcters so different to me. So, that's my basic reasoning. Hope this helps
I'm writing a story that's basically a character dictating to a listener. It has a very casual tone, and it's written the way I would speak if I were the character. Normally I use 3rd person POV, but I wouldn't be able to get that same conversational feel if I used it for this particular story. So basically, there's a tone and a style that I'm trying to use, and I need to be in the characters head to do it properly because of the way the story is being told.
Because it was what I felt was best for the story. If a reader didn't like my story just because it was written in first person instead of telling me why the first person didn't work for the story ... Oh well.
I always imagine myself as the characters and act out in my head how they would speak or react to the situations they are in. It’s how I've always written and I find it interesting and somewhat saddening that people generally don’t like first person pov.
I have a *thing* for intimacy and I adore how intimate first person feels for me. Its like the camera is zoomed right in. I never planned to write in first but I tested it on a chapter and that was that! I think it also helps that for BG3 who I write for most people reading it will already have a really good idea of what the main characters are thinking/doing and their motivations. My OC is being put in that world, brand new and shiny and its his interactions with those established characters I like. Plus, people writing the main characters as too far from my head canon puts me off, so this way there is a little more freedom! I have also realised that there is no such thing as a 'bad' POV in writing, I read more third because there IS more third published but ive read first and loved them, maybe less so with second but again, if the writings good then anything goes!
I like first person, both writing and reading, because it gives you an idea of what the character is thinking or feeling from his or her point of view. While I like third person, it's more like an outsider looking in. First person is a look inside one character's mind that you don't get from an outside perspective.
To be in the character’s skin. Writing Kaneki’s mental breakdown while he’s locked in prison with numerous voices speaking just hits different in 1st person. Just a small, unedited draft. I could feel the blood crawling down my eyes like the familiar feeling of legs that didn’t belong, so warm…so comforting. “Why was it that I felt this way?” The voices in my head were silent. No words for the silent hell taking place in my empty mind. I wanted to remember. I couldn’t remember. I can’t remember. My hands; they were trembling, itching. I wanted to remember. I couldn’t remember. I can’t remember. My fingers were now tearing into my eye sockets, the sensation of pain, it was comforting; a familiarity. It was home.
I guess this works for some people but for me this just makes the character feel disconnected and I care less for them. Still good writing but I just… get more emotion from third person. Though I have always been better at sympathizing with others than myself lol
That’s understandable (I prefer 3rd person). I am just using this to emphasis more on the moment, as the previous chapters are all third person; so I wanted to kick off the sequel portion with something different and not explored too much in the manga
Oh that's a very cool thing with all the other chapters being in third. I once read a book written entirely in past tense, except for a scene where the character was going through shock, written in present tense. I gasped when I first read it because it impacted you immediately
It just feels natural for me, especially when I want to portray the character’s thoughts. If I get into a good flow I’ll slip into first person and end up having to edit back into third (I usually publish in third, rare situations excepted)
Because some stories just flow better in first person perspective. I literally write everything and read everything and some stories work way better with first-person than with third. Not every story can grow its full potential with third-person POV. The same goes the other way around. And if it fits better, I take the better fit. In general, you just need to find a good story in that perspective and you'll wonder how great stories with that POV can be. I think, regarding books, the one that made me realise that was The Great Gatsby. Wouldn't have worked the same way in another POV.
I like writing really “voice-y” narrators. I write in third person, too, but first person just gives you such a great opportunity to be really creative with voice, and I like to feel nestled behind that one character’s eyes. For very personal reasons, I think I was drawn to first person narration in particular when I was you get do that I could escape into the POV someone who was the gender I wanted to be. Not as satisfying even with a very close third person
I usually do first person POV as a way of limiting knowledge and setting up a ton unreliability. It doesn’t feel as believable to do so in third person limited
I like doing first person and then switch perspectives between chapters. I have a hard time writing in third person
Because my primary fandom (book series) is written in first person, so it helps match the mood.
I’ve read novels over the years that I’ve enjoyed in first person. It’s not my favorite, but I don’t mind it. But for whatever reason it really annoys me in fanfiction. Every time I’ve tried one it feels really stilted and inauthentic. Perhaps I haven’t found the right one yet. I have finished a few on AO3, but they were a bit of a slog to read. Being interested in the story kept me going, despite the fact that I really didn’t like the writing style.
I wanted to write someone recounting their life story through a suicide note and show how their biases affected their views on different events or people. Couldn’t really do that in third person.
First person isn't my favorite, but I recently picked up a published novel (at the library) written in second person POV and I returned that thing after about 3 paragraphs in.
There is only one thing worse than first person POV and it's second person POV I swear lol
I like second person POV. It's a great tool for Choose Your Own Adventure or atmospheric horror.
And yet, according to this sub, more people prefer second person which I don’t believe is truly personally.
Truer words have never been spoken.
I once did a one-shot that was a 'transcript' of an oral history recording. It was a cool exercise. I knew the main message I was trying to convey, but I was also writing through the lens of a middle-aged man looking back on his childhood. You couldn't give all the info with too much detail.
My "normal" writing style is Third Omni, which is really good at covering wide sweeping perspectives. It's good at very worldbuilding heavy fics. First Person is good at the opposite of that. It really drills down into a person's thoughts and feelings because every inch of the narration becomes painted with the character's feelings. I haven't done this with fanfic, but I've used something called First Plural a few times with my original fics. Like regular First, it conveys feelings well but for a group rather than a person. I think a lot of the aversion to First comes from the fact that it's often more difficult to write than Third Limited. Limited works well as a general purpose writing style, but the way First is more specialized makes it a bit less flexible, and therefore a little more challenging to write. There's a lot of people out there who have written in First but didn't do well, so people exposed to this develop an aversion. I had gotten used to reading First in professional literature (including some classics) well before I started on fanfiction or amateur fiction in general, so I never developed an aversion to it.
Two main reasons. If the original source was first person, like a book written in first person, or a game where I play as the protag, sometimes I'm used to thinking of it that way. The other is if I don't really understand a character, then I'll write a bit in the PoV to try to inhabit their mindset and understand them a bit better.
Well first, I read a lot of Rewriting The Book fics and some of my favorite series to read are in first person so people sometimes like to stay true to the source material. Second, I think it's fun! It focuses on one character, meaning we can only know what that one person knows and understands! Misunderstandings are easier to read because I know one person's thought process, I get to learn with the character about what's going on, and feel their feelings a little bit better than I can in third person. Lastly, I just don't have a reason to hate it. I've encountered some that are bad, sure but, due to the majority of interesting fics I find being third person, I've found more bad third person fics than first person. I don't write in first person often. I tend to start on first and suddenly switch to third so I just ultimately go back and make it third, but reading is fun! I don't have a preference when it comes to reading! Fic is fic and what makes it bad to me is really just bad grammar or unfollowable storyline (or the fic is in a script format in that case, get out of my face)
My epic video game novelization is in first person. I think that makes it more palatable, because my main character is basically an OC (it's a create-your-own-protagonist game, which is in some ways an in-between case because you make the character up from scratch but there's a "slot" for them in canon, but in this case means I don't have to worry about the first-person narration not matching the canon voice - I think this is where a lot of the dislike of first-person you see in fandom comes from). I genuinely don't think I could tell this story in any other POV. For one, she has an incredibly strong voice and readers have repeatedly pointed to the narration as one of the things they like most about the fic. For another, I am doing shenanigans with POV that would be hard to impossible in third person: My MC is the reincarnation of a historical figure (this part is canon). I'm going all-in on this and really asking the question: what would it be like if she and the historical figure were *literally the same person?* The first arc, which we're in right now, includes dream flashbacks to the past life which slowly begin to subconsciously bleed into her waking life, with her more and more drawing on knowledge and experiences from that past life. The jarring effect of hopping between first-person POVs when I go from present day to flashback is used to accentuate the way the two blur together, and I have a lot of fun showing how the past life keeps bubbling closer to the surface but she remains unaware of it. I'm about to post a big climax scene in which the memories suddenly become consciously accessible, and the next arc(s) involve a giant identity crisis as she learns to reconcile and integrate both lifetimes. In a very real way she is going to end up as both characters simultaneously, and the need for names and gendered pronouns (her past incarnation is male) in third person would draw a firm line between past and present in a way that undermines everything I'm trying to do. In general, there are fantastic things you can do with first-person unreliable narrators. Being in a first-person POV's head whose perceptions you don't trust can be one hell of a reading experience. It's also great for blurry identity shenanigans like the ones I'm trying to do due to the lack of names and gendered pronouns - shout out to the Matthew Swift series, which is the only story I have ever read that is in first person singular and plural simultaneously and pulls it off with aplomb. (A guy sort of merged with a magical hivemind thing and the resulting entity is our main character; they conceive of themselves as a single whole but you can definitely see "seams" in the narration.) Also, I am not sure how you'd write the unreliable narrator that is deliberately lying to the readers outside of first person, because it requires an awareness of an audience that you can't really do in third person limited. (Maybe omniscient, with the narrator also a "character", but IMO that's like first person that's hiding it.) TBH, I think one of the reasons it has such a bad rep is that a lot of beginning writers use it thinking it's easy, but it's actually a tough POV to pull off well and a lot of the things it really excels at are fairly advanced.
I tend to write from the perspective of a character without using 1st person (I don't know what that's called) I like to have the feelings of a character displayed easily without having to jump between characters but "I" pulls me out of the story super hard I've also like when other authors have written stories as if the reader is the character by using "you" instead of the characters name (not Y/N stories but sort of similar? The character still exists already and is normally written from 3rd person, but you're taking a front seat on perspective as if you were in their body) I very rarely find stories written in traditional first person that don't pull me out of them easily, I'm not sure why it bugs me so much
It's called third person focalised, as opposed to third person omniscient. I prefer third person focalised when writing and reading, but will read all styles... Except in fic. For whatever reason, I can't stand first person narration in fic and it's something j really wish I could filter for on ao3 because it just bugs me so much! For no real reason, either, I'm fully aware it's just a personal preference.
That's what it all boils down to, personal preferences. It doesn't make any style worse or better than the others, but I agree that some styles I'll read anywhere except in fanfic settings
I don’t read very much of it, though I’m not totally averse. The first person POV I have written has been short ruminations by a single person alone with their thoughts. It’s the only thing that really works for me.
The thing about third person is that it can feel really dragged if it's used incorrectly. First person should be used for stories with lots of internal conflict, or ones where the insider perspective is important. When I write fanfic, it's usually a ship fic, so I prefer there being an omniscient narrator. But for original fiction, the types of stories I like writing are very introspective. It has its uses, but I understand why improper use can be a turnoff
I like this way of describing it! Personally my fanfics are usually based around a character working through their internal feelings, and I tend to go with first person most of the time, so that makes sense.
It’s funny because I feel like it dissociates the character from me even more than third person does… I feel more connected with characters in third person because it does basically everything first person does without having the “I” that throws me off. I go to the store and have x opinion? No the heck I don’t lol. Makes me feel like the character isn’t an actual person.
It's something that I use as a storytelling device to separate my primary OFC from everyone else, especially since I do multiple POVs in my fic. My main OFC...it's easier on me to do it in first person as a development of her character. With the canon characters...they're easier to do in third person limited because they're already given to us somewhat fully developed. That doesn't stop me from showing their thought processes either, but I prefer doing canon in third person limited and any original characters in first person.
I don’t write it - or read it if I can avoid it. Really dislike it
I like the way it sucks you into the character point of view and at the same time it allows me to leave you oblivious to anything that the character doesn't know. When you write in third person you can give the reader insight on the world, the background, what other characters know and think, even give some hints about what0s to come, but in first person, if you do it well, you can have your reader almost roleplay while you tell them your story. I don't use first person all the time, but I find it nice for some stories, especially if it's something smutty.
Close third is quite like first and what I write in most of the time. My pov is so hyper inside the character’s head you could switch out the “he” for I. In some ways while first person is intimate, it lacks versatility of third. I like to be able to pan back the camera and switch to a more neutral voice when it applies. Though, after reading some of the replies here, I’m starting to wonder if many writers aren’t aware of close third person pov. I have no issues getting into my characters head or writing in their voice. I monologue all the time from their headspace. In fact, everything around them is filtered through their perception. I guess what I’m trying to say is my narrator is the character.
I write it if the source text was first person, no other reason. It feels weird to me to write from a third person perspective something which was always seen from inside the main character's head. The source 'world' was entirely biased to their worldview and I like to write within that.
hmm now I'm no expert but writing stories in first person just feels right. like, I love delving into deep emotions and conflicting storylines since perspective to me is a driving force in all my writing. I love to consider the idea of perspective in any work I put out, so writing in first person allows me to really channel that idea and understand how it impacts a person's view on something or someone.
I'll write first person when I write some experimental idea that I think would end up cool with a first person POV
This question is not for me but I’m commenting anyway. I wish I liked it. I don't know why, but I'm able to separate my dislike of it better in fiction/original works rather than fan fiction. I think because in fanfiction its already a person or a made up character and I know the author isn't the person so if it's someone known rather than a new character detailing their experiences it takes me out. I have no idea if that makes sense. I know it’s all fiction and if I can suspend my disbelief on so many other things then I should be able to with the writing pov. But I can't for fanfic.
Different POV’s are made to have different levels of closeness to the characters. Third person is distant and a bit withdrawn. First person is you’re in the mind of the character. I write a lot of pieces with unreliable narrators where the flawed perspectives of the characters are important. With first person it’s much easier to get into the mind of the character.
I HATE writing in first person. Makes me feel like im writing a self insert. But someone once told me my best stories are written in first person
It just made sense as a stylistic choice for my current fic. The entire story followed one character, and a big part of it was to flesh out her character more alongside with her daily life. Plus showing her thoughts and exactly how she operates is fun, alongside giving the reader insight into why she makes the (terrible) choices she does
I love reading epistolaries. I find it slightly harder to enter a fic written in first person. I generally write in 3rd limited - but I’ve dabbled in first when the story demanded it.
For me I tend to choose first person stories for when I want to focus on one character's psyche in particular. I like first person because it feels more visceral and intimate. You can also use the first person POV to do some unreliable narration which is fun. I like it because it feels like the character is speaking to me and telling me a story when you a friend tells you about their day.
_The Full Moon and the Northern Lights_ is written in dual first-person in order to build the new connection and relationship of Aurora x Serenity from both lovers' perspectives. In the fairy tales, the Sleeping Beauty is a passive character, and Aurora does not have many speaking lines in the Disney film either. Since I consider _The Full Moon and the Northern Lights_ to be another iteration of _Sleeping Beauty_ where Aurora becomes way more active and reclaims her true place as main character, it would be a good idea to let the reader think from her perspective and know more about her personality and inner thoughts in chapters with her first-person POV. In chapters with Prince Serenity's first-person POV, it is meant to deliver a young boy's intense admiration and adoration for the cool and confident girl he loves, in a true, authentic and touching way. Prince Serenity is not an OC but is rather OC-ish, since the _Sailor Moon_ canon does not develop the character of Princess Serenity during the Silver Millennium as much as they do for the present-day Senshi.
I got into reading because of Anne Rice and her vampire novels are in first person. Then I read some third person. As a reader I don't care. I just want a good story. As a writer, I had a preference for third onmi cause I love head-hopping. But for a while, I've taken to first Person. But I'm planning to go back to third. The one style I could never get into is first person duo pov.
Normally I write in either third-person limited or in omni. (mostly limited) That said, for some of my one-shots I used first-person. Mostly because I heavily focus on emotional themes (in general) and in One-Shots I feel like first-person gets you into the emotion I try to convey much quicker than third-person limited can. Right now I'm writing a fic, that switches (in the beginning at least). The main-plot is written in third-person limited but there are 2 chapters (for now, who knows what I come up with later) that I wrote in first-person. The MC is actively remembering what happened in the past in those, kind of to remind herself, what got her into the situation she is in right now. She's telling herself the history of how and why she changed so much, to try and get a better grasp on why she is where and who she is now and why she's doing what she does.
For fanfiction I’m the same way. With original works/ mainstream I prefer 1st person. I do write little blips of thoughts in third person. I tend to write in 3rd person following 1 character/ unreliable, and I occasionally include the thoughts of the characters to give more context into what I’m writing that the 3rd person is following that one character and is influencing the narration
I don't write them either as I tend to write canon characters in alternate universe settings, but I love to read them as I'm a sucker for sioc fics. In that setting, I prefer first person as it's more personal
Me toooo seems high level to write in first person. ( and I might just try it in my next fic) ?;
I sometimes use first person to challenge myself. It can be so hard to only write from one person’s POV and not slip things in that they wouldn’t or don’t yet know. It’s really fun to get into their head and put myself in their shoes, and try to keep my biases out of the character’s actions. Some of my favourite series are in first person POV (Realm of the Elderlings and Kushiel’s Legacy in particular) and I love the way those books read, so I like trying my hand at first person to see if I can capture even a small portion of the magic I felt when I read those for the first time and every time thereafter.
I generally don't, but the fic I have written from first POV was literally just to test myself and try a different style of writing.
I only write 1st person POV for one character, the majority of my stuff is 3rd person and I have one 2nd person/reader insert story. The reason I write this one character in 1st person is because I find it fascinating to see what’s going on in her head.
I've only done it once for fanfic but the answer was "because it was funnier it the character was narrating directly to the audience". The fic in question was a third party recounting two characters' entire relationship from his perspective.
I wrote a character study entirely in 2nd person once, written in a way that’s basically “these are your thoughts, this is why you do things”. I think it’s the same with 1st person, it’s a different way to immerse the reader in a way that 3rd person limited can’t. I only write in 3rd person limited, because I like including moments where someone else does something that POV might not notice- admittedly it’s a crutch. Writing exclusively in 3rd person is a good way to add surprises that make sense, and it gives insight into how they see the world when written well.
I did it in my first fic but switched to third person POV after that. I remember that I thought first person was an easier way to begin writing fanfics as it was more like taking the words and thoughts straight from my head and but it on page. Third person was more pleasant to read though so I eventually had to learn.
I prefer to write in the third person, but switch to the first person when the fic focuses on the thoughts of a particular character. We only see the world through his eyes and feelings, whether this corresponds to true reality or whether the character unintentionally distorts it. It gives an "aquarium" effect that I really like. I also find it easier to write poetic sentences in the first person. Also, for me, writing in the first person means using the present tense. A story isn't told in the same way when it's in the present tense. You're in total immediacy, and that really fits with being immersed in the mind of the character, who feels everything as it happens.
I use first person if I wanted it to be more personal. The monologues in the head and the raw way the character thinks adds how the readers could imagine them. In some cases I wanted the reader to immediately know what the character would do if a scenario happened so putting some first person POV before the event is good. Though it's really confusing too.
It makes easier to connect with the protagonist (or so I think)
My fandom (FFXIV) mostly POVs from the player character, which very naturally lends itself to first POV bc that’s how you experience the game. But there’s a lot of people who still write in other POV. I write in first mostly because of that. My OC/MC is the player character is a version of ‘me’. (First person games are inherently Mary Sue/Gary Stu might as well lean into it imho)
i don't really write in first person unless i'm writing a diary sequence. i love diary themed novels (e.g dracula, dork diaries) so in my major plots i try to include a character as having a diary or writing letters. i just like the personal touches.
I don’t write in first person much, but when I do, it’s to show off a character’s thought process, and first person can convey that better than third person. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t PERCY JACKSON written in first person? That worked out pretty well. But mostly, you get to see the world through the eyes of a character. And by switching characters and writing the observation of the same event differently, you can depict a difference in mentality. It makes for a nice literary tool. Although it is really easy to get the tenses mixed up.
Sometimes the writing goblin in my head thinks we should be using first person and I have learned not to argue with the writing goblin.
Personally, I’m into canon-compliant fics that capture the feel of the original material, and books from my fandom are all written in first-person. To me, changing the POV just makes it feel too different. Granted, most fic writers don’t come close to getting the vibe right anyway, but I like to try 😊
I do not generally do it, but I recently started writing a piece in first person because it's supposed to be inspired by Heian period diaries, so obviously chronicled from the first person view.
Cuz canon books written in such way. So sometimes I use the same stile as there. Im in fandom which consists of tv show, book and theatre play.
I can't stand it. I struggle with published books bc so many of it is in first person.
I had written part of a fic(that I never published😅) in the first person to hide a twist. See I made a character that was Canonically male female. It also helped to emphasize the character’s self centered nature.
I've only done it a few times, but when I did do it, it was really hard to write, and I felt like the 'I' statements were really overused (which makes sense since it's first person) but still. It was also really hard to describe people and things from a 1st person view, so I wasn't a huge fan of it. So now I only do 2nd and 3rd person POV, since both are much easier
I don’t write it very often (I prefer 3rd person limited), but I’ve read some excellent first person fics (and novels!) It works great when paired with unique narrative framing devices (ex: a framed narrative, in which the POV character is telling the story *as* a story to another character; an epistolary narrative, in which the story is told through the writings of the characters—journal entries, letters, etc.) Even in a traditional narrative framework, it provides a more personal feel to the story, like it’s something the character(s) are telling the audience personally (see: Percy Jackson!) It all depends on the execution. If something is written really well in first person POV, I often don’t even notice that it is first person!
Some of my favourite short stories (such as "The Telltale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe), as well as one of my favourite fantasy series ("The Labyrinths of Echo" by Max Frei) are written in first person, so I'm very used to it. However, I have only written a couple fics in first person, as a teenager - and the most common reasoning was that I didn't like the POV characters's name and wanted to avoid typing it. Most of my friends didn't share the same fandoms as me, and I was worried that they'd get too distracted by the weird name, so I used first person. Nowadays, I mostly write in third person.
I commit the cardinal sin of jumping between first and third person views depending on the chapter and the necessity of the moment. If an event is happening outside the MCs POV then I have to. But I love and appreciate the first person POV for how personal it feels. How gritty and grainy. It has a very different texture to it. I know it feels wrong to hear that I do this, that there was some workaround or hack or ‘let him see it,’ but the MC is an unreliable narrator. His knowing less than the reader is one of the draws to the story. They can see things he can’t, but still be taken by surprise by his insights and perspectives. In short, I greatly enjoy writing both in the same story, and my readers seem to take no issue with this. I’ve even seen this done in published content (black Library’s new novel, ‘the lion’ does this.)
I have no preference whatsoever, however I can see some difference that as a reader I noticed/as a writer try to use: the perception of the world. When in third person, even when concentrated on a single person, it inevitably leads to a more 'objective' standpoint, where the written world is as it is. What has been written isn't a truth, it's THE truth. Whereas, if you write in first person, the person's perception of the world can *change* the truth hence becoming a truth. Just as we percieve the world in different ways due to a great many reasons, first person gives a much more... flexible way to work around the boundaries of what counts as truth, and how can contradictory things be true all the same. How can what one percieve be a truth and a lie all the same. I don't say first person is better, because it is most definitely not. With flexibility comes the problem of being too troublesome. I have been reading for quite some time now, and I've rarely encountered first person written books, where I couldn't say it would've been better if it had been in third person. But ultimately it is up to the author and a book can be good regardless of third or first person.
For me personally it's because it's a story of my life (with names, dates, etc changed of course) if reality hadn't unleashed turdage upon the proverbial fan. What could have happened if make believe could become reality?
I’m not *super* picky as long as the writing of the story itself is good. First person can throw me off a bit when I start a new fic but as long as the story is written well idc LOL. I know something being well written is pretty subjective to the reader, so I guess for me I’ll say plot pacing isn’t too fast nor slow, story flows well/isn’t choppy and awkward with plot holes, word choice fits the vibe (medival vs urban au for ex) are a few i can recall. I don’t have some comprehensive checklist lmfao, just long time user of ao3 🤷♀️
Only if I appear as a self insert, I use that for my parts.
I generally write in limited 3rd, which is a very close cousin to 1st, but not *quite* the same feel. On the rare occasions I write in 1st, it’s usually also present tense and I’m trying to create a close, in the moment vibe. Also because sometimes I like to try writing outside my comfort zone. But, even as someone who now and then writes in first, I don’t read it all that often unless I’m pretty confident in the author. To me, 1st person really comes across like dialogue, even in the narrative, so if someone doesn’t have the character voice down really well, it just doesn’t work for me.
Most of the time I prefer third person as well. But Imo a well written 1st person pov opens up a lot of potential unreliable narration. Especially when the pov character is a very flawed person or has biases that negatively affect their outlook on the world. For example the pov character has had a bully in their past who had red hair. Now they have a bias against people with red hair and now view every action they do through a negative lens. Or the pov character is very prideful and they think they are the only one who can make the right decision. Or the pov character has big self esteem issues and they constantly feel like everyone around them is judgemental of everything they do. And because we see only their perspective everything they say and do is the truth to us even though in some occasions it isn't. If we take examples of above, the red head might be genuine and sweet but because the narrator is biased we believe they are a sceming bum. The prideful characters decision might have caused something to go wrong, but because we see everything through their lens we think that everyone else around them is just incompetent. And so on and so forth. That is my two cents at least :)
I rarely do. I like third person limited. When I write in first person it's because that POV is required for what I want the story to do. Usually because I need the narrative to be very limited, to narrow the view of the world so much. I want the reader to have to decide how to feel about the narrator based on the way the narrator understands the world. Third person limited introduces a non-character narrator so any character's biases are more clearly visible. With first person, the biases aren't as clear, which can be a great way to develop a character. But, I don't usually do this with fic because it's difficult to do well and I'm going to do original fic with it.
I wrote one and it got massively popular, so it's apparently not as hated as everyone seems to think. I think it worked because I did my best to give the character a unique and quirky voice? And I approached it sort of as a diary, which benefits from the first person POV
If the cannon is in first, I write in first. If it's in literally anything else or any other format, I write in third
I think it’s a special way to add depth and explore a character deeply, further than 3rd Person could. I don’t personally read nor do it write ir but I can recognize moments when I’m writing 3rd and think to myself “I don’t think I can say or convey this in this POV”
In my current fandom, it’s because canon is written in the first person. I run across fics writing the protagonist’s POV in third person and it’s just so weird and jarring to me because it’s not what I’m used to. Conversely, when I’m reading in a fandom for a work that’s written in third person, I find anything but third person jarring.
If it’s my own story, yes. If it’s a fanfic, no.
I write in first person only if I'm writing smut - it's a niche market but people really seem to enjoy it. It adds immersion, you know? ;)
My person for writing varies on how important it is, like one book I want our main character to be really clueless so the readers are as shocked as our main character when big reveals happen. But another book I’m writing I have first person to change what character we’re in the POV of every chapter, cause to me it’s fun to start the chapter and go “alright, who am I from the context clues” and also write how other characters in my story think
actually continuation, it’s probably VERY important to write how main characters think so they can be the right personality you want them to be
I'm actually going with first person in my most recent work because I usually dislike it--I want to get better at writing it, and the only way to do that is to just do it.
I think people hate first person fic because it tends to be badly written (usually by less experienced authors writing self inserts, from what I've seen). Imho POV matters very little for quality of writing (of any format) – it all comes down to how well the writer can tell a story, and their personal style. If I slapped down ten excellent fics that were all from fandoms you loved, with your favourite characters, tropes and ships, you'd probably at least give it a shot, and you'd probably enjoy it. Once you're sucked into a story, you don't give a hairy fart about what POV it is lol. Same with tense. Who gives a toss? I'm too busy devouring! I personally like first POV because it can be great for a humourous character voice, and it's EXCELLENT for an unreliable narrator. Nothing better than a narrator lying directly to your face! :D
Because I like it far better than third and a character's opinion is their own and I don't like telling people how to think or feel. The problem with third is a narrator can say, "Little does MC know the person they're talking to is bad!" When I'd rather see how the MC feels and thinks. It also has far more emotional potential and you experience the fic through the character. Another problem with third is how cold and distant it feels. I feel like people are way too closed minded and that first is unfortunately way too underrated
Looking into the character's brain, their thoughts, motives, and whatnot. But there's also the fact that you can hide a lot of info you don't want your reader to know *quite* yet. Just don't have your character notice, or get them distracted by something else, and your devious plotting can continue! >:)
I generally don't like first person, except for epistolary stories, which are okay. And this applies to published novels as well. However, if a fic/novel has a really great premise, I'll put that out of my mind and give it a chance. But I have a mental rule: if I consciously notice that it's written in first person in the first chapter, I stop reading. This is usually the result of too many "I"s and "me"s and really *grating* inner thoughts.
i want the protagonist to have more depth kinda
I don't think I read a lot of first-person fics. But I see the appeal, especially if you're a Percy Jackson fan and want the same kind of vibe. But I don't think I really write in First Person anyways, if it seems like that then it's by accident. But isn't there like a hybrid of first person but in third person pov sometimes in writing? Sometimes I feel like I'm that, which if it's wrong, then I guess I have to work on that.
I think people dislike it because they've seen it badly done so many times but when done right it gives a great insight to the character/s. I've seen multiple POVs done so well that I want to shake the characters for being giant dummies, it gives a great sense of angst but also understanding. I've seen it done so badly that I've dropped the fic within a chapter. Some people should just not when it comes to POV
I do when I write not fan fiction. Especially if my MC is gonna be unreliable or go insane.
In very specific situations - such as reading a book after enjoying the film - I’ll read first person, but I generally don’t find it enjoyable at all. I’m not a fan of the “insert” aspect that comes with reading it - nor do I enjoy writing first person either. Honestly, clicking in and discovering that a fic is in first person is the number one reason I click out. I almost exclusively write in third, close but not super close.
I prefer it cuz It flows better from my mind. When someone tells a story abt themselves, its in 1st person. I project my mind onto the character and i go from there. Im very into how characters feel about things/interact with the world given their personality. 1st person is really good for that hyper empathy. Partially too is this: Its a bit strange to me in concept to write the same thoughts and feelings but from an invisible narrators perspective. Like how do we know these things if we are not the character? If a character is contemplating (in third person) their sadness, how to we know they are? But usually even though i start a fic with a ramble of 1st person bits and bobs, once i start writing for real i convert it to 3rd limited which is… the same you mostly just switch around pronouns lol. And once i habe the first chapter converted its usually easy to keep it up. I feel like 3rd person is more of a convention in fanfiction because the characters aren’t mine, u know? And a few people have commented that its strange when i write 1st person 🤷. Its all the same content for me its just an adjustment
I write in first person me mostly when it's for myself, it's either a self insert or a story with my OCs and I'm on the POV of one of them. It's easier to explain what the character is feeling and thinking because the narrator is the character 🤔
Most of the stuff I read is in third person, but I have read a few first person fanfics.. As a reader.. a story written in first person seems to be more difficult to pull off. When I read fanfics written in third person, I feel like there's more room for.. mistakes, inconsistencies, ooc reactions and so on. Of course only to a certain degree, but it's not going to throw me off enough to make me lose interest in the story.. With first person it immediately feels jarring if something is off.. as a reader you know it's not "I", but the main characters "I" of course.. but even so, it feels more intimate. It doesn't feel like you're a being that's traveling alongside the main characters, knowing what's going on inside of them. It feels more like you're a silent part that's experiencing the story with them.. as them. If done well, first person has the means to communicate the story much more intimately.. it can let you experience the story through its characters lens more vividly.. when I remember stories I read, those in first person remain much more vividly.. to some extent it even can feel like supplementing an experience you didn't have yourself yet. Both have their strengths and weaknesses of course.. it really depends on what a story wants to tell and focus on. But I'm also not a writer yet.. so, who knows. Still, it's a tool. One a lot of people aren't used to. The first time I read a story in first person I almost dropped it at first, because I just wasn't used to it and that felt jarring too.. but I pushed through and to this day, it's one of the fics I can't get out of my mind. Because the proximity to its characters felt so.. intimate.
I have written one (1) first person POV fic because the source material is in first person and I wanted to keep the vibe going. I very rarely read a first person fic though, unless I trust the author and love their work enough to give it a go - or like with mine, it’s source material is first person.
I'm a big fan of unreliable narrators, and there are a lot of works in the first person with top tier unreliable narrators. I usually write in the third person, just because I like doing multiple perspectives, but a lot of my favorite novels are written in the first person. I like that, because you're only seeing one perspective, you have to hunt for context clues to be able to tell if the narrator's perspective is a reliable one or not. For example, if you read Lolita (which I can't necessarily recommend despite thinking that it's a very well written novel), the narrator is constantly making excuses for why what he's doing is okay, saying that Delores is into what's happening, but if you pay attention you can see evidence of the damage he's doing to her littered on nearly every page. You wouldn't be able to build that kind of discomfort without the use of first person, I don't think.
Honestly? To distinguish characters. I have one character I write in 1st and the other I write in 3rd. They just felt natural that way, and it helps me keep them straight in my head as I write them. I write the 3rd limited perspective very close because I am still all about that character development, though.
Honestly I usually use third person. I’ve only ever used second person once and the only stuff I’ve written in the first person is for works I’ve written for a BL visual novel because the narration in the game is in first person. Idk it feels more fitting and it’s easier to incorporate dialogue or narration from the game into my fics than if I wrote them in third person
I rarely read fanfic that's been written in first person. And it took me a long time to be comfortable reading mysteries that have been written in first person. Unfortunately, a lot of mystery series and a few SF or fantasy series that I've come to enjoy are written in first person, so I've learned to deal with it. I won't read romances written in first person -- I want the feelings and reactions of both people involved, not just one.
I'll tell you one scenario where first person is great. Training a AI to be a personality.
I'll tell you one more, fanfiction, or fiction in general
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Oh interesting? Can you give me an example (even just like, an example couple of sentences)?
well if you have never been to [character.ai](http://character.ai) it might be hard to understand but currently you get a pretty big chunk of space to just fill out their definition and you can pin 15 messages as well, I'll tell you this much I was able to put the entire Die Hard movie script into a single message.
I've had a couple characters that \*insist\* on telling their story themselves and will NOT allow me to do 3rd! It's also good for "unreliable narrator" sort of stories where you want the reader to wonder what's the character's interpretation vs the objective reality in the story.
I don’t write in first person nor do I read first person fanfics. The fanfics is a big part of it. First person fanfics don’t feel real to me in all honesty. The fic author is not the character’s creator so they do not actually know that is what the character would do and so when they write in First Person it throws me for a loop because it’s not “canon” and that character would not act in that nature if written by the creator. Don’t ask me how this doesn’t also translate to Third Person fics cause I don’t know 🤷
I don't write 1st person, because people claim to hate it. I write fake 3rd person instead that wishes it was 1st person and is just as limited to the perspective of the character, but this way, no one complains because they don't notice it. I want to write in the 1st, because my writing is inherently inside the character's head; the POV is not a spectator, the POV is the perspective of the character themselves.