Which pov is better first person pov or Third person Pov

[GoodPerson]

I don't think I understood everything properly, but since I was summoned, I have to say something. Majority of novels that I've read use past tense. There were a couple that used present tense, and maybe there was a good one? I don't remember, it was long ago. Present tense does look weird to me.

Still don't get middle point, sorry.

I mix tenses? If so, I made mistake, since I use past tense. Dialogue lines can use various tenses, but everything outside of dialogue lines should stick to one tense, I mean either past or present. There are exceptions to this, however, I'm not willing to elaborate, since my head does not work properly at the moment.

Just tell us. Have you encountered one good present tense novel?

 

[SailusGebel]

Just tell us. Have you encountered one good present tense novel?

I don't remember.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

There are many reasons not to use the present tense. Of course, everything is my opinion. However, the biggest reason is that you are telling a story. Anytime someone tells you a story in real life, they never use the present tense. Things never "happen", they always "happened."

 

[Suczka]

Dialogue lines can use various tenses, but everything outside of dialogue lines should stick to one tense, I mean either past or present. There are exceptions to this, however, I'm not willing to elaborate, since my head does not work properly at the moment.

Please elaborate at later date than.
As I am new to writing (on this site) I would happily learn from more experienced author when you will feel better.

 

[GoodPerson]

There are many reasons not to use the present tense. Of course, everything is my opinion. However, the biggest reason is that you are telling a story. Anytime someone tells you a story in real life, they never use the present tense. Things never "happen", they always "happened."

Now that's a good point represented by our lovely local vampire. @Suczka come here and see this.

 

[SailusGebel]

Please elaborate at later date than.
As I am new to writing (on this site) I would happily learn from more experienced author when you will feel better.

I won't call myself more experienced, and I won't call msyelf good, and I won't say I'm better than someone else. If I don't forget about it, I will try to elaborate.

Meanwhile, I strongly recommend this thread. https://forum.scribblehub.com/threads/tutorial-for-new-users-of-scribble-hub.13141/
You can see that there is section C, and this is what you need. There are various guides from authors that are definetely better than me. I don't rememebr if there is any about tenses, but if you have other questions, perhaps it was answered in one of those threads.

 

[SPS4]

Swapping like MC gender bends to woman just before thing happen.
Or author is swapping narrative perspective from MC to his female partner before the act?

If latter, than that sounds weird.

"I'm a manly man.
I complete heroic quests during my manly adventures.
On my last manly adventure I saved that one smoking hod damsel in distress.
She is very grateful so we gonna have some smexy time.
I approach her with my manly body on full display and ...
... he kissed me strongly mushing his manly lips in to mine.
I could feel his, unshaven for few days, hair prick soft skin of my face ... "

That is really strange...

Swapping POV as in switching to a different character. It's normally a third person thing and it happens during chapter changes. Mostly common I found in multiple POV stories. Like most of the novel will be MC POV, then the seggsy chapter comes and boom, female POV. It's just jaring.

The only reason I can find is that people like it for whatever reason. Which, again, is fine, I just want to know the logic behind it. Somebody did mention that they liked it sometimes because they're interested in seeing what the partner thinks about the MC during sex, which I can kinda see, but at the same time I fell it's harder for the reader to connect with. IDK, I'm probably over thinking it and it really is just a preference thing.

 

[Suczka]

@SPS4
I read few stories and books in my life but must admit that I have never encountered that thing.
What are the odds that it might be something specific for a particular genre of stories that you might have read a lot and I none?
Or maybe it is a site (SH?) specific thing?
People may read one story with that narrative swap, that somehow was successful on the side it was published on. Then one by one started to copy from it and later from each other.

Now authors of that site and/or genre are in an echo chamber, where they do not have contact with properly written stories.

It may not even be human error but that sites algorithm working too well.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

I write mostly in the first person and in the present tense. No law prevents it.
I haven't had any issues with readers. Write in the way that you find most comfortable. Every writer has their own style.

 

[TsumiHokiro]

This thread will be asked 50 million times, and each time you will all die. Your bird here will also choose 2nd person plural future tense for any questions. Remember, chicken blood will be used as a prophetic medium and this bird will be telling the truth!

 

[Suczka]

Btw.
How to avoid starting every sentence from "I" while writing in first person (past tense)?

I run to the door. I opened the door. I saw the mailman. I took the letter from the mailman. I closed the door. I went to kitchen. I opened the letter. I read the letter. I thought about content of the letter.

That looks dreadful.
How do I avoid it while describing MCs actions.

 

[LuoirM]

I write 1st pov because as a non native who learn English not by traditional methods. I can make the characterd have a unique sense of speech and talk in their own ways so I don't have to write proper grammar

Btw.
How to avoid starting every sentence from "I" while writing in first person (past tense)?

I run to the door. I opened the door. I saw the mailman. I took the letter from the mailman. I closed the door. I went to kitchen. I opened the letter. I read the letter. I thought about content of the letter.

That looks dreadful.
How do I avoid it while describing MCs actions.

That's skill issue.

I ran to opened the door, the mailman was there. Having received a letter from him, in a state of anxiety I hurried to the kitchen and opened the letter.

 

[John_Owl]

Btw.
How to avoid starting every sentence from "I" while writing in first person (past tense)?

I run to the door. I opened the door. I saw the mailman. I took the letter from the mailman. I closed the door. I went to kitchen. I opened the letter. I read the letter. I thought about content of the letter.

That looks dreadful.
How do I avoid it while describing MCs actions.

as @LuoirM said, try using more complex sentences. it's tough, even for native english speakers. something like this:

I opened the door to see the mailman standing there. After exchanging a brief word of greeting, he handed me a letter. I looked at the front to find it held my name. I bid him farewell and shut the door, before making my way to the kitchen. Once there, I grabbed a knife to open the envelope, curious and anxious to see what news it held.

keep in mind, there are more than the 3 basic tenses (past, present, future), and they can be mixed to an extent. If you include minor nods and adjustments as well, it can fill out the scene without seeming bulky. such as when I said "After exchanging a brief word of greeting", i set up an order of action (saying "Hi" was first, whatever was said next came 2nd), and it fills out a minor detail without adding bulk.

 

[Suczka]

I opened the door to see the mailman standing there. After exchanging a brief word of greeting, he handed me a letter. I looked at the front to find it held my name. I bid him farewell and shut the door, before making my way to the kitchen. Once there, I grabbed a knife to open the envelope, curious and anxious to see what news it held.

keep in mind, there are more than the 3 basic tenses (past, present, future), and they can be mixed to an extent. If you include minor nods and adjustments as well, it can fill out the scene without seeming bulky. such as when I said "After exchanging a brief word of greeting", i set up an order of action (saying "Hi" was first, whatever was said next came 2nd), and it fills out a minor detail without adding bulk.

Still you got 3 out of 5 sentences starting from "I"
Is that acceptable or too much?

Maybe I'm overthinking because in my language we have verb conjugation by persons.
So I can write and say "Went to the door." In a way that is is clear that It is in first person and not any other (and what gender am I).
That way I can write lots of text from first person without ever writing the word "I"

Now I'm at the section of my chapter where MC is alone without any interaction with anyone else.
So I can't even exchange "I picked up the book" to "The book was handed to me."

Seeing few pages where 90% of sentences starts from "I" makes me cringe and I can hear all my language teachers rolling in their graves.

 

[laccoff_mawning]

How to avoid starting every sentence from "I" while writing in first person (past tense)?

The exact same way you'd prevent yourself doing something similar in third person:

John ran to the door. He opened the door. He saw the mailman. He took the letter from the mailman. He closed the door. He went to kitchen. He opened the letter. He read the letter. He thought about content of the letter.

It isn't a perspective issue.

 

[John_Owl]

Still you got 3 out of 5 sentences starting from "I"
Is that acceptable or too much?

Maybe I'm overthinking because in my language we have verb conjugation by persons.
So I can write and say "Went to the door." In a way that is is clear that It is in first person and not any other (and what gender am I).
That way I can write lots of text from first person without ever writing the word "I"

Now I'm at the section of my chapter where MC is alone without any interaction with anyone else.
So I can't even exchange "I picked up the book" to "The book was handed to me."

Seeing few pages where 90% of sentences starts from "I" makes me cringe and I can hear all my language teachers rolling in their graves.

there's not a lot of first person pronouns in english. But you shouldn't view it as number of uses per sentence, but their complexity. how many times is "I" used in the passage to start a sentence?

Basically, how much information is passed from writer to reader, without seeming to get repetitive.

I do agree that in your starting point, using "I" at the beginning of each sentence is repetitive. So what I did wasn't restrict the use of the word, but rather, reduce the repetition. start sentences with other things, like "After that" or "once again" Or something similar.

 

[Suczka]

So what I did wasn't restrict the use of the word, but rather, reduce the repetition. start sentences with other things, like "After that" or "once again" Or something similar.

Will have to read what I wrote and try to change where possible.



BTW Quick question.

Is it permissible to sometimes break the first person perspective?
There could be events happening outside rage of perception of MC that can have big impact on him.
But I would want to avoid "I later learned that..."
I'm tempted to for a brief moment switch to the 3rd person and show to the reader what is happening.
But I'm worried that I will be accused of inconsistency, and poor writing.

 

[John_Owl]

i've seen that done to great effect, but it is a tenuous balance to walk. I'd mostly only do that if the events affect the MC, but the characters involved with the event don't make a show in the main story.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

Will have to read what I wrote and try to change where possible.



BTW Quick question.

Is it permissible to sometimes break the first person perspective?
There could be events happening outside rage of perception of MC that can have big impact on him.
But I would want to avoid "I later learned that..."
I'm tempted to for a brief moment switch to the 3rd person and show to the reader what is happening.
But I'm worried that I will be accused of inconsistency, and poor writing.

In two of my first person stories I have third person perspective chapters, and no reader has complained about it feeling weird. Though the third person pov is always from another character.

 

[ATRUNA]

Depends heavily on the genre. I prefer to use First person, as i can give more emphasis to the mind of the protagonist, but third person has it's advantages. At the end, both POVs got their pros and cons. There is no objective better POV.