Sometimes I think a lot of my issues around character/plot would be more easily solved if I felt more comfortable writing in the third person. I've written quite a few short stories from the third person perspective, and Curse of Fire, the kids' reader I had published a few years ago, was also written from the third person perspective.
Most kids and YA books are written in first person, though, and I really like the immediacy of first person writing. But I've just finished reading Justin D'ath's 'Hunters and Warriors' and I was a few chapters in before I realised he was writing in the third person. The main character's perspective was so fresh and immediate I even went back to double check D'ath hadn't started off in first person & changed mid-track!
To keep my mind off Girl in the Shadows for the moment (I won't be able to face the inevitable rewrite for some months yet) I'm jotting down ideas for a new YA manuscript. This story will have two strong main characters, both who have interesting stories to tell. So do I have a go at writing in the omnipresent third person? Or do I try a different tack and have a go at writing from multiple first-person perspectives?
I'm about to start reading Bill Condon's 'Give me truth', which uses double first person perspective. I'll be interested to compare his handling of the narrative this way with D'ath's third person, to see which draws me in most strongly. Maybe if it's a clear winner one way or the other, I'll know which way to start off my next project.
1 comment:
It's a tricky question.
On the one hand it's important to write in the way you are most passionate about because that's what you'll excel at.
On the other hand it's like web usability - sometimes it's important to give users what they want and expect even if it's not how you'd prefer to do it, e.g. using standard placement for search, menus, logos etc because that's what people expect and know from using other websites.
From a personal perspective I know I've always preferred reading 3rd person over 1st person. 1st person has always irritated me for some reason - this has been true for the children's books, young adult fiction, and now adult fiction I read.
Hope that helps :)
Harm
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