1st, 2nd & 3rd Person - Writerly Words
Definitions:
First Person
A writing style in which an author’s main character narrates the events of the story using nouns such as “I” and “We”. Example: As we ran across the bridge, I stumbled.
Second Person
A writing style in which an author refers to you, the reader, as the main character using nouns such as “you” and “you all”. Example: As you all ran across the bridge, you stumbled.
Third Person
A writing style in which the narrator plays no active role within the story, but instead tells about the event using nouns such as “He”, “She” and “They”. Example: As they ran across the bridge, he stumbled.
Explanation: As you begin writing your story, you will need to pick a narrative style. To do this it may help to know a little bit more about the rules, as well as the pros and the cons of each.
First Person severely limits the way an author writes her story because she must stay with her main character. The rule of thumb is to “Know only what the hero knows. See only what he sees. Hears only what he hears.”
Though these limits are sometimes challenging, they are not always a bad thing. In fact, they tend to force writers to learn how to craft STRONG plots. Instead of being distracted with random characters and scenes, authors are forced to fully develop their hero and learn techniques such as conflict, suspense and foreshadowing. They are less likely to write unnecessary scenes or get lost on a “rabbit trail”.
Second Person is a very strange writing style (to put it bluntly). It is rarely used in story because it is awkward to read. When using this style, the author tells a story that supposedly happened to “you”, her reader. “You did this then you did that… then the enemy soldiers spotted you and…” The problem is, those things never happened to you (and probably never will). Therefore when you read the story there is no illusion of reality. You know it’s fake, and you’re not too worried about what is going to happen to… “you”. As a writer, it is impossible to write about a character’s personality, or even his/her name, because the hero is just “you”… whoever you are.
So, while Second Person can work well in essays and poems, it rarely works well for a story. The only real exceptions are the “You Choose” style books. In these books, the reader plays an active role in the story. You read a page or two about what is happening in your village or city or kingdom, and then you get to make a decision (will you go right or left?). You then turn to the next section and read about the consequences of your own decisions.
Third Person is the most widely used narrative style and has stood the test of time. Because it is so popular, many writers and readers are more comfortable sinking into this writing style than into any other; they’re used to it. Some authors choose Third Person simply for that reason (...Which is not unreasonable. You want your reader to be comfortable, right?).
Third Person is very flexible, capable of focusing in on one character or jumping from one to another or even seeing what many people are experiencing at the same time. While this gives a certain amount of freedom, it also presents some challenges, especially for authors who have not yet developed strong writing techniques. The Third Person narrative style can encourage a shoddy story that finds its momentum in sub-plots, cheap scene changes and cliché glimpses of villains plotting in their evil lairs. While this not always true, it is important to understand and avoid these tendencies.
No matter what writing style you choose, you will find challenges. However, these challenges can be overcome by improving your writing skills and learning the tricks of the trade.
Rule Breaker: Once you pick your narrative style, stick with it. Some people like to switch things up, jumping for Third Person to First Person throughout their novel. Sometimes this works well, other times it ends up being a disaster. Make sure you know why you want to use multiple styles in one book. If it’s just a lazy excuse to not develop suspense naturally or so that you don’t have to think about how to write that difficult scene, forget it. Choose to grow in your skill. Learn the rules of writing… before you decide to break them.
And whatever you do, don’t flip-flop and switch styles in the middle of a scene.
Application: No matter what narrative style you choose, practice writing scenes in First Person. This will force you to learn who your hero is and how he/she views the world. In a sense, it will put you into the story. You won’t be an outsider, watching some epic struggle, but an integral piece in the adventure.
Try it out. Experiment with different styles. It’s one of the best ways to learn.
Writerly Words is a bi-monthly e-column devoted to teaching new writers how to understand the Writing World’s cryptic language. Just like any hobby, craft or business, professionals in the writing industry constantly use words that seem strange and foreign to a novice. But it doesn’t have to be hard to learn how these words apply to you and your writing.
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