First Person Or Third Person for two character litrpg?

[WriterOfVeralis]

So, I just started writing my story like the other stories I've written before but the problem was that this was a litrpg, something I am completely foreign to writing.

The story I had previously written had 0 first person moments and it was written from the third person omnipotent view, making me able to say everybody's inner thoughts and feelings. However, that book had around half a dozen main characters or more and it felt like I was doing more world building than character building.

For this novel there will be more or less only two main characters that I want character development, so what do you guys think I should do?

 

[gogo7966]

second person because there are two of them and it's betwen first and third person as a compromise

 

[ElijahRyne]

So, I just started writing my story like the other stories I've written before but the problem was that this was a litrpg, something I am completely foreign to writing.

The story I had previously written had 0 first person moments and it was written from the third person omnipotent view, making me able to say everybody's inner thoughts and feelings. However, that book had around half a dozen main characters or more and it felt like I was doing more world building than character building.

For this novel there will be more or less only two main characters that I want character development, so what do you guys think I should do?

For litrpg’s it is standard to be shown from a 1st person POV, because of the stats. It is hard to understand what the stats mean to the character. Here is an example.

Spoiler

‘He looked at his stats.
HP: 1
Str:1
Agi:1
Int:1
Wis:1
MP:1
He looked at his skills.
(Lucky punch)
(20/20 vision)
(Random fire)
He looked at his skill descriptions.
(Lucky punch) Allows you to get a punch in through your opponents guard.
(20/20 vision) No need for vision correction.
(Random fire) Fires start around you randomly, no way to stop it.
“Well shit.” He said while looking back at the flaming city. “Should have told me sooner”

It is possible to pull off can do it, but it feels strange to read. Switch POV from person a to person b, when you need/want to add new perspectives.

 

[WriterOfVeralis]

For litrpg’s it is standard to be shown from a 1st person POV, because of the stats. It is hard to understand what the stats mean to the character. Here is an example.

Spoiler

‘He looked at his stats.
HP: 1
Str:1
Agi:1
Int:1
Wis:1
MP:1
He looked at his skills.
(Lucky punch)
(20/20 vision)
(Random fire)
He looked at his skill descriptions.
(Lucky punch) Allows you to get a punch in through your opponents guard.
(20/20 vision) No need for vision correction.
(Random fire) Fires start around you randomly, no way to stop it.
“Well shit.” He said while looking back at the flaming city. “Should have told me sooner”

It is possible to pull off can do it, but it feels strange to read. Switch POV’s for new perspectives.

Isn't that still third or second person though?

First person is using "I" "Me" "We" and those types of words while also seeing the whole story through their eyes, so the descriptions would relate to how their personality and history.

Something like this

Spoiler

I reached into my inventory and grabbed a monster corpse, which I promptly chucked right at the mob. I repeated the action several times even though I felt it a waste of good food. At first, the ants avoided the projectiles, but stopped upon identifying them. They instead started to swarm the previous meat and gorge themselves with it. Uhhh… That was a bit more effective than I was expecting it to be. Really didn’t think they’d stop entirely.

 

[ElijahRyne]

Isn't that still third or second person though?

First person is using "I" "Me" "We" and those types of words while also seeing the whole story through their eyes, so the descriptions would relate to how their personality and history.

Something like this

Spoiler

I reached into my inventory and grabbed a monster corpse, which I promptly chucked right at the mob. I repeated the action several times even though I felt it a waste of good food. At first, the ants avoided the projectiles, but stopped upon identifying them. They instead started to swarm the previous meat and gorge themselves with it. Uhhh… That was a bit more effective than I was expecting it to be. Really didn’t think they’d stop entirely.

Yeah it was in 3rd person. I was seeing if I could make it work, got bored and added a joke at the end. 3rd flows a bit funky, but it might work. Though you will have to add a bunch of thoughts to clarify what the characters are thinking. At that point you might as well just cut out the 3rd person bits and make it 1st person…

 

[WriterOfVeralis]

Yeah it was in 3rd person. I was seeing if I could make it work, got bored and added a joke at the end. 3rd flows a bit funky, but it might work. Though you will have to add a bunch of thoughts to clarify what the characters are thinking. At that point you might as well just cut out the 3rd person bits and make it 1st person…

I think I'm going to have a go at first person.
It will probably feel more immersive and I think I could have better characterisation and progression this way.

 

[Leyligne]

Be original, tell it from the system’s point of view and make it a second person narrative.

 

[K5Rakitan]

second person because there are two of them and it's betwen first and third person as a compromise

You can blend second person and first person like Soramimi Hanarejima!

Equivocal Possibilities — Ghost Parachute

Someone has broken the scale you use to weigh all your words. When you return to your cubicle after using the bathroom, you find that the counterweights have been smashed to bits. You are appalled, then heartbroken. This was deliberate—malicious. You immediately suspect your boss. He never’s...

ghostparachute.com

Hierarchy of Needs by Soramimi Hanarejima

At the dinner party, a small group of us breaks away to nestle ourselves in the observatory with our desserts. There, in the dusky light, I watch you stroke her ego, and I become unexpectedly and e…

thefictionpool.wordpress.com

Amazon.in

 

[SpiraSpira]

Depends on how you want to write it. Is the POV going to be omniscient? If so you kind of have to be 3rd person.

If you’re going to have POV characters it can be either 1st or 3rd. Generally speaking though, the more POVs you have the more likely you should use 3rd person.

But then again, it’s all up to you. I generally don’t like the way 1st person looks but I do like writing from the POV of a character so I write 3rd person POV.

 

[Comiak]

It's probably best to use 3rd person for multiple POVs. In my story the main character is told with 1st person but any side characters are told through 3rd person but that only works when you have one clear protagonist.

 

[SailusGebel]

Use the POV that is the most comfortable for you to write.

 

[AKnightWithaKnife]

a blend of third and first would work
I usually default to third person when setting up a scene and first person for dialogue or interactions. STAY AWAY FROM SECOND PERSON FOR LITRPGS. when you do it in second person it kinda breaks the immersion of litrpgs by basically makin them a dnd session

 

[Anon_Y_Mousse]

I'm writing a litRPG with two main characters as well, I just stick with first person and switch POV when its appropriate. Though, it's convenient for me to use first person to highlight a certain plot point, it really depends on your situation.

 

[Southdog]

Multiple first person perspectives is always confusing because each character will refer to themselves as "I" and opportunities for descriptive prose more rarely come up. Multiple perspectives works best in third person.

Multiple first person perspectives has one good use case: psychological stories where delving into a character's mindset is of more concern than outward description and prose is where this type shines. In thrillers where you may want to obfuscate who is narrating a scene to provide a twist also applies here

 

[D.S.Nate]

second person because there are two of them and it's betwen first and third person as a compromise

Might need to explain that one more...


Hmmm. I'm looking at some of the takes and honestly my friend you are the only one who can best say what will work overall. I can explain the difference between the POV's but I should to me that you are knowledgeable already. I can talk about what ones tend to work best for what kind of stories but then there are just as many exceptions to them as there are rules.

What I can do is ask you more questions because at the end of the day this story is your baby and you will know what's best for it once all is said and done. I mentioned that this one will have two characters, which is helpful, with only two characters you get to better develop them in a shorter space of time. I'd say you also need to consider the size of the story and also what is the main focus when writing it. is it going to be a full-blown novel? Are the characters the focus and not so much the story? These can narrow down what you're looking for. But beyond that, any of them can work well. I myself tend to default to third limited simply because it's kind of the middle ground of all the POV's I feel but if I was doing a short story with 1 or 2 POV's only I'd consider first person but that's just me.

Sorry if I have not given you a clear answer. I don't feel comfortable doing so unless I had more information, but I hope that these questions will help you real an answer you are happy with. It's your story so that's the most important thing after all.

 

[LadyIsak]

My personal choice would be first person, or close/limited third person — third person where you stick to the perspective of one character per scene/chapter, but the more important question I guess is: which do you prefer? Would you prefer to experiment with first person narration or stick to something you know?

Though the person who commented that litRPG is conventionally first-person has a good point — the expectations of a very specific genre can matter a lot to the audience. Of course, it depends on how much you care about meeting reader expectations. Not all authors prioritise making something primarily for an audience (as opposed to, well, self-indulgence). You should consider if you care about that angle, too.