First versus third person POV

[Kiuisuke.Kenzaki]

Back when I first got a Kindle, I looted free book sites. Found most of them were not worth even "free" but some were (seriously a few felt like they had been written by grade schoolers or worse; there were a couple of gems but a metric ton of dross to wade through to find them)...

But there was one that really stood out - don't remember the title now but the author wrote some chapters in third person, with a very ominous voice, and the rest in first person, switching between two characters (been about fifteen years since I read it so not sure now but I think they were sisters - one an occultist type, the other a police officer), generally giving each of them a chapter before going back to the third person stuff for a chapter or two. If the author had been a little better (or had a better editor), it would have been very cool but jarring. However, the author (or, if they used one, editor) was really just not all that good and it was just jarring, but the 3p parts were usually very good (making the less competent 1p parts even MORE jarring)...

Not true - both of the stories I have on RR are first person.
One has not gotten any reviews (but was pirated to make an audionovel, go figure), and the other, the only review so far is (paraphrased): "Pacing is too fast, and it feels too noirish, which I guess was the author's intent, but I don't like it."

Huh? I don't how that relates but thanks for the info, i guess?

𝓟𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓹𝓼𝓹𝓱𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓻.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Huh? I don't how that relates but thanks for the info, i guess?

𝓟𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓹𝓼𝓹𝓱𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓻.

You mentioned it is possible to swap between 1p and 3p. It is - and, if done well it can be very effective (come to think of it, Peter David's Howling Mad did this, with most chapters being told by a semi-omniscient guy apparently interviewing the two MCs and relating it as a story, while each one would narrate their own chapters - usually to editorialize or clarify the "interviewer's" interpretation of events, and was very good).
If done poorly, though, it can make a mediocre or worse story painful.

 

[Kiuisuke.Kenzaki]

You mentioned it is possible to swap between 1p and 3p. It is - and, if done well it can be very effective (come to think of it, Peter David's Howling Mad did this, with most chapters being told by a semi-omniscient guy apparently interviewing the two MCs and relating it as a story, while each one would narrate their own chapters - usually to editorialize or clarify the "interviewer's" interpretation of events, and was very good).
If done poorly, though, it can make a mediocre or worse story painful.

Interesting... very interesting..

 

[beast_regards]

One has not gotten any reviews (but was pirated to make an audionovel, go figure), and the other, the only review so far is (paraphrased): "Pacing is too fast, and it feels too noirish, which I guess was the author's intent, but I don't like it."

Noirish as Detective Noir
O...
Noirish as Not Irish.

Because, well ...

While I expect the former to be narrated in the first person, it's part of the general theme, the latter is something I would expect to hear on that site.

 

[Clo]

In The Wandering Inn, it's mostly written in 3rd limited.

But then Ryoka's chapters switch up to 1st person every so often. But even Ryoka's chapters use limited 3rd when it's more external action or interraction with others.

Personally I use limited 3rd with Free Indirect Speech, which basically means:

- you narrate things externally.
Ex. Joe walked to the front door.
- you jump to 1st person for internal thoughts
Ex. Joe walked to the front door. Wait, what was that? He stopped and backtracked, having noticed something unusual about his reflection in the mirror.
- you don't tell us how anyone else thinks, just how your protagonist perceives them.
Ex. As Joe walked to his car, he waved a silent greeting to his next-door neighbour. The man stopped raking leaves and frowned at Joe. His nouth hung open, as if he intended to speak but forgot what he meant to say.

Omniscient 3rd, by contrast, would have been able to tell you what is going in the neighbour's head.

Ex. Roger, who had been raking leaves, saw Joe leave the house and head to his car. Something, however, felt off about his neighbour today. He was about to compliment him on his new haircut, but stopped himself when he noticed the cat ears. Cat ears Joe certainly did not have yesterday.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Noirish as Detective Noir
O...
Noirish as Not Irish.

Because, well ...

While I expect the former to be narrated in the first person, it's part of the general theme, the latter is something I would expect to hear on that site.

It's also on this site (Diamond in the Rough and Blood Diamond)- the character was created in the 90s as a Champions character, based on the concept of: "How could I make a film noir private eye be a viable superhero?"
And Jack Diamond was my second attempt to answer the question, because there were just too many vampire and half vampire characters out there for me to pursue my first attempt.

 

[beast_regards]

It's also on this site (Diamond in the Rough and Blood Diamond)- the character was created in the 90s as a Champions character, based on the concept of: "How could I make a film noir private eye be a viable superhero?"
And Jack Diamond was my second attempt to answer the question, because there were just too many vampire and half vampire characters out there for me to pursue my first attempt.

It doesn't start mentioning the dame on the long legs, but it is pretty much on point...

 

[Thraben]

3rd Person is significantly more comfortable to write for me, and it's for a very specific reason.

When I have my protagonist just be wrong about something or make a mistake in 1st person, I the author get personally called out for it.

When I do the same thing in 3rd person, people go 'oh wow such good characterization'.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Sixth person. I like it when my story is told from the @TheEldritchGod 's perspective.

That's when I tell the story that you are writing by narrating you writing it.

 

[MarekSusicky]

3rd Person is significantly more comfortable to write for me, and it's for a very specific reason.

When I have my protagonist just be wrong about something or make a mistake in 1st person, I the author get personally called out for it.

When I do the same thing in 3rd person, people go 'oh wow such good characterization'.

I prefer first person to read & write by a vast margin. But... Hmmm, I have never thought about that, you are right It happened once or twice...