Different. It's not sexy, but is it crap?

[Snurge]

I like the idea that using the 3rd person voice gives you many more options for character development, but at the same time I've been going in the other direction. I used the 3rd person for my first two stories then switched to 1st for a couple and found it quite freeing to speak in that voice. What it lacked in freedom to expose what's going on in everyone's head I thought it picked up in the ability to let the reader into this one character in a very direct and intimate way. It also helped force me to use dialog to provide insight into the other characters.

It's good of you to give some support for 1st person characterisation. It obviously works well in some stories, but not in others. This was the first time I've tried 1st person, and the general agreement seems to be I picked the wrong kind of story for it. I'm going to take the whole thing away, pick out a lot of bones and have a go at doing it a different way.

The best of luck with your own stories.

 

[MarshAlien]

It's good of you to give some support for 1st person characterisation. It obviously works well in some stories, but not in others. This was the first time I've tried 1st person, and the general agreement seems to be I picked the wrong kind of story for it. I'm going to take the whole thing away, pick out a lot of bones and have a go at doing it a different way.

The best of luck with your own stories.

Most of my stories are written in the "first person idiot" voice, where first person POV is very helpful to demonstrate just how clueless the main character is. Also, the main character in those stories is generally THE main character; it's his reactions to circumstance and other people that drives the story. In contract, my own historical romance (which was withdrawn from Lit and just re-submitted yesterday (called "Cast Adrift")) wouldn't have worked in first person, because there were actually too many strong characters.

Look forward to having you read my stuff. I like to think of it as sui generis, but a number of people have told me it's just hooey generis.

 

[foolishlittleone]

I like your sense of humor, MarshAlien. I think it's well with in the bounds of good writing to have a 1st person-idiot POV and for other stories a 1st person-savant POV.

Snurge of course is right, it depends on what you're trying to do and 1st person isn't the only or even the best way to go. 3rd person has it's limitations as well -- or so I think in my admittedly limited experience. Seems like, if you're not careful, the 3rd person POV can seem almost like a dilution. That is, with it you can say so much about any character, the story itself lacks punch, doesn't have those revealing moments that are often the kick the reader needs.

In anycase, I'd encourage any writer to experiment and see what works for them.