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Since I'm unemployed for the moment I figured I'd put some hard work into getting a few books done for Amazon. Rather than plugging away at my edit jobs for the two BCTS conversions I'm working on, though, I have a number of never-before-seen stories in the works I'm focusing on first, including the one I've chosen to focus on right now, a silly little short(ish) romance novel.
But . . . there's a problem.
I've got the plot laid out (roughly.)
I've got the characters laid out (roughly.)
I've got my overall length target planned (roughly.)
Now I just need to decide one more thing, and that's perspective.
I typically write my stories in a first-person perspective when it comes to a lot of my trans tales. The reason for this is simple: it's escapist fantasy, and I like to play-act at the idea that I am my characters while I write the stories. That said, conventional wisdom seems to be that, for a more professional feeling story, it's best to write from a third-person perspective. I CAN do this, and have in the past, but whether I SHOULD or not is the question.
If I write from a first-person perspective the narrative will likely flow more smoothly for me, and I'll be honest here, I wanna get this right the first time, otherwise it will end up like my other mid-editing jobs and likely never see the light of day. Because of this, whatever perspective I choose needs to be IT: no backtracking or writing it one way and changing it in editing. On the other hand, if I do it third person then, yes, it probably will feel a bit more professional, less intimate and the like (for better or worse.) I could make it feel more like a classic romance novel, which might make for better sales? I don't know.
What do you think I should do? Should I write it in first-person for comfort, or third-person for effect? Do you think my choice would significantly impact sales either way? I know a lot of other TG fiction I've read on Amazon has been first-person, but just because others do it doesn't say anything about whether it's best or not. Then again, the same can, I guess, be said for a third-person narrative.
Anyway. I'll check on this throughout the day today and hopefully know by tonight which route to take, because I'm scared to try and do too much at the moment until I know.
Melanie E.
Comments
Either one will do
There can be compelling stories told from either first or third person perspective. Most of what will affect them is whether or not you have the ability to tell a story. If you can tell a story, perspective will not matter much, you will draw your audience in with you and they will go on and adventure with your characters.
My main advice? Chose one or the other and stick with it!
It is always difficult
to decide.
How about this for a proposal.
Take a difficult or intense scene from your story and write it in both modes. Not everything but around 1000 words or so. Then let a few people you trust comment on how they read, feel, flow etc.
Then you will have a better view of which way to proceed (hopefully)...
Samantha
There are benefits...
There are benefits in using each of the various perspectives. I believe the main concern for which is used is purely in the author's style and how he or she wishes to convey the story and what the author is most comfortable with.
I'm of the mind that there are 3 main forms of perspective a writer may use. 1st person, where the story unfolds through the eyes of a single character. 3rd person limited, where the reader follows a character or characters only learning things as the characters do. And 3rd person 'God Mode' where the reader follows the character or characters but is given information throughout the story that the characters do not know or must discover as the plot unfolds.
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
1st person vs 3rd person
I’ve sold nothing, so I know nothing... However...
K.M. Weiland had a video entitled “Don’t even think about first person unless...” Paraphrasing her advice, stories should only be written first person where the authorial voice is unique and compelling otherwise, stick to third person.
I’ve found that everything else, all the writing complications of first person have workarounds. If the authorial voice is not compelling, a first person story—does, as Weiland suggests, ‘fall flat.’ Third person is more forgiving.
Hope this helps,
Hugs,
Leila
Is my "authorial voice" compelling though?
I know a lot of people have liked the stories I've posted here, so I guess it has to have some form of merit, but I honestly don't know how that would translate vis a vis whether the stories would have been better in third person.
The reason I prefer first-person is the more visceral connection to the character, the feeling of action and reaction and responsiveness to events. I have a harder time getting that same feeling when I do third-person.
I wouldn't even be asking this question if ease of writing were my only concern, though. I want these to succeed, and I want to give them the best chance of doing so.
Thanks to everyone who's responded so far by the way. I appreciate it. :)
Melanie E.
One more thing...
I'm working out the plot of a story that one real key part is the backstory. Things that happen in that really do dictate what happens in the main part of the story.
If that is so complicated then it often becomes easier to tell through the eyes of someone (1st person) rather than in a detatched mode (3rd person).
In this story of mine what happens after the start really is 100% dependant upon the backstory. It is complicated and spans several years but it is not worth writing as a flashback type of thing... Personally, I find that difficult to carry off (apart from a few cases that is).
Samantha
I wouldn’t minimize the ease of writing.
There’s a lot of emotional distancing that takes place when an author writes in a less familiar style. Couple that with third person being less intimate and you’re already behind the 8-ball. If you want your story to succeed (not to be confused with ‘your book selling well’) you have to gain something else in exchange for writing in a less familiar, less intimate style. That gain is focus and clarity.
But circling back to how do you know if your authorial voice is compelling? You probably can gauge that after a chapter or two. Probably less if you have someone else beta read.
Hugs,
Leila
Great Advice!
Every comment has been cogent for all of us who attempt to tell a story.
Personally, I've done both. Writing from the 3rd person has the advantage of being able to tell the story from multiple perspectives. Characters can recieve information indirectly. However, it is impersonal, in that the narrator is describing the actions, emotions and situations.
First person is harder. The biggest problem is the 'I...I...I' paragraph. When describing a series of actions it's easy to write 'I did this. Then I did that. I did this and that,' etc. It's a killer for the reader and requires a lot of internal editing. The problem with that is the run on sentence. To avold the 'I...I...I' paragraph, we tend to use 'and', which compounds the problem. I've found the introductory clause to be most helpful.
First person is very personal. Duh! The reader has a direct insight into the character's mind, intentions, hopes and dreams. But, it's limiting in that the plot advances at the speed of the character's learning or experiencing. It's hard to bounce from character to character to advance the plot.
Regardless, consistency is critical. If it's first person active, you can't switch into past or passive voice. It's tempting to flip-flop as the author, but terrible for the reader.
Again, as everyone else has also said, both work. If it's personal, first person is fine. If it's a broad perspective, then third person is preferable.
Finally, good writing is good writing. Good writing is a goal, sought by many, but achieved by few
Red MacDonald
depends on why your writing
If you are writing for your own pleasure stick to first person if that's where your happiest. If you're looking to maximize sales and you think third person will do that then at least try to write in third person. Maybe you could try writing a critical chapter or scene in third person before deciding and see how you feel about the result and how you feel about doing it. .
No Answer
I can't really make any kind of case of first-person vs. third-person-limited. My own instincts automatically lead me toward first-person, but that doesn't really mean anything. I think that it's harder to go out of the person's viewpoint in first-person, but I've occasionally committed that sin.
All too often, I've seen a phony third-person-limited where the actual viewpoint character (the narrator) is a snarky ghost sitting in the character's brain, commenting on the character's acts and motives. I suppose this could happen in first-person stories, but I'm sure it's less likely and harder to do.
Sometimes, I switch viewpoints -- deliberately, at chapter or part boundaries. In that case, one character's viewpoint is done in first-person, while the others are third-person. (That's why "BB: Ellen's Daughter's Visit" is in third-person. The viewpoint protagonist is someone else.)
-- Daphne Xu
I've written both
First person and third person. I actually think that it is easier to write third person, but each author may have a preference. I always go back to recommending that you read a novel (or two) by an author who uses both styles. One author who I know did this is Louis Lamour I suggest that you pick up a couple of his books (none are terribly long) and read one where he uses first person and one where he uses third person. Once you've read a master then write a scene (no more than 3000 words) from both perspectives. Send to a beta reader (for this I hate to say that your opening scene is best...) to evaluate. Also set both aside for up to 30 days, then attempt to read as if they were someone else's work. Whichever one grabs your attention is the one that you should continue, using whichever perspective you started with. As I said, the main issue you probably will have (especially with first person) is that it will be difficult to maintain that perspective. We (authors) all like to play god a bit with our characters, and can't help eventually acting as narrator even in first person perspective.
My writing if it helps you understand my experience is here: https://storiesonline.net/a/Anne_N_Mouse
That is if it isn't at Chrystal Hall....
Personally........
I like first person - no pun intended of course.
But either way works, and I’m sure that whatever you write will be worth reading!
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Bob Jones woke up one morning to discover boobs on his chest
As a reader I like first person for transgender fiction, if it's somebody's adventure/journey. The immediacy of it. If the choice is between:
Bob Jones woke up one morning to discover boobs on his chest. When his hand went to his crotch the girlish scream she emitted---for indeed, somehow and inexplicably he had become a she---startled the buxom young beauty.
and
As I woke up I immediately sensed something wasn't right. I remembered I'd had a bit to drink, partying until 2 a.m. with those crazy lesbian witches, but this was no hangover...
...I always like the latter. Just as you like to play act when you write, a lot of readers of transgender fiction want to identify with a character; so the normal "shoulds" of commercial fiction being more professional and marketable in 3rd person might not apply to this genre. But it depends on the scope of the story, and how deep you need to get into other character's heads and backstories and what's going on across town, like in some complicated detective story. When I don't start one of my own stories in 1st person there's usually a reason like this. A generation spanning epic tale of the rise and fall of some empire obviously wouldn't work in 1st person unless that person is immortal, a demigod or something...
~hugs, and happy writing. Ronni
And remember...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifLqzLEB3E0
Maybe contrast with:
Bob awoke sensing something peculiarly wrong. True, he'd drunk a bit, partying last night until two with those crazy lesbian witches, but this was no hangover. The first thing he noticed -- were those boobs? His fingers crept down between his legs, and he screamed a piercing girlish scream as his fingers confirmed the complete and utter creepy strangeness he felt down there.
-- Daphne Xu
Well yeah, I was writing deliberately bad there...
Because it's fun to do and I don't get many opportunities to go full Edward Bulwer-Lyton...
But even when they're done equally artfully I'd choose a good first person narrator. It might be because I'm frustrated with my limited opportunities to be the authentic me in real life that I prefer the immersiveness of first person, whether pure fantasy or more realistic situations. And while I have no way of knowing this for sure I think I might represent a large percentage of the readers of transgender fiction; The Lurking Majority or whatever...
Second person is an even more immersive reading experience than first, dropping the reader right into the story; but I've never figured out a good way to do this without sounding silly...
~hugs, Veronica
And remember...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifLqzLEB3E0
Surprisingly...
I have read two or three second-person stories that worked. The vast majority -- ugh! Second-person is only useful in role-playing games.
I probably should have guessed that it was deliberately bad. I also prefer first-person, although I don't know why. But I wanted to try writing a decent third-person wake-up paragraph to compare with the first-person example. I hope that this gets me motivated to write again. (I've been stalled, partly by obsession with a math problem.)
-- Daphne Xu
First and Third
I write about 30% of my stuff in 1st person. To work as an advantage, 1st person has to bring a voice to the story that would be missing in 3rd person. Consider my 3 stories currently being posted here.
Love Less is a classic 3rd person limited story. I have violated the limited viewpoint perhaps half a dozen times in the 13 chapters so far, doing it deliberately each time and usually concealing it in dialog tags. Only the main viewpoint character has the inside of their head illuminated. Everyone else is described by their actions and not their thoughts or emotions. It is essentially a first person story told in third person to avoid the poor, poor, pitiful me syndrome of someone constantly describing terrible things in the first person.
I Dream of Jonni is in first person because that gives more rein for Jonni's sarcastic personal voice. It also avoids the temptation to look inside the heads of other characters which might give plot points away too soon. Jonni is an unreliable narrator, knows it and revels in it. She may complain but she is essentially having fun. And her near insane glee would be hard to communicate in third person.
Ultragreen is in third person because a first person narrator would be too close to the confusion of what is going on to tell the reader some important things the reader should know. I can peek inside Shellie's head when I need to but I can also describe things happening around her that in her self-absorption she isn't going to notice.
For me, first person is my first inclination but third person is my default. If a story does not demand it be told first person, I start it third person, write a chapter then make a decision if I think I'm making a mistake. I seldom change my first chapter from third to first but I have changed first to third after a page or two, realizing that the narrower information bandwidth of first would not allow full scope for the story.
Just some thoughts. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Limited Viewpoint
Violating the limited viewpoint? "...concealing it in dialog tags." That's not violating it, if someone else says it so that the protagonist can hear it.
-- Daphne Xu
It's not what someone said...
...it's how I described them saying it.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
I really only like to do
I really only like to do first person when I know the subject matter being discussed, have a strong personal connection to the story, and know the characters inside and out and can make it somewhat understandable. 3rd person allows for all of that and multiple viewpoints and locations that events occur at the same time and for a greater depth of descriptions than you might get in the 1st person.
That said, some have been able to do it so multiple 1st person accounts work within the same story. It worked with Tanya Allan and Angela Rasche, but it can also get confusing if your storyline doesn't flow coherently between the different people's viewpoints.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Pros and cons
Each of them has pros and cons. I prefer to write in first person because my stories seem to revolve more around how the main character or the protagonist deals with cross-dressing. I spend a lot of time and energy delving into their mental and emotional struggles.
However, when the story is complex, it sometimes becomes difficult to include pertinent elements that don't involve the main character. The more complex the storyline and the number of subplots involved makes it more so. In those instances, third person is easier because you can easily jump to that part where the main character is "off camera" so to speak.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
I think
That one issue you may have to be more careful of (though it follows for any story to a degree) in first person is that your main character not become a Marty Stu, who is transformed to a Mary Sue!
When you write the first
When you write the first person you identify with the protagonist. The same when you read. The first person story makes me identify with the protagonist and this way the protagonist loses a great part of my sympathy and me as the reader may lose some important moments of the story (because it's me and I am supposed to know it).
What draws me to first person tales....
Is that they put you on the inside looking out. The reader can identify with the protagonist, including any arguments going on inside their head.
For character driven stories, first person seems to have inherent advantages.
For plot driven tales, outside looking in can give the reader a 'God's eye view' of the tale and all the intersecting characters.
This is just my biased take. Maybe try a small segment both ways and see which is the better fit?
K@
I know I'm outside your deadline,
but there is one aspect I would most earnestly ask you to avoid. Please be sure when you are writing, which viewpoint you are using, jumping around between 1st and 3rd person (of which some authors in BCTS are guilty) can be highly confusing to the reader. As a contrast, discreet episodes within the story which change the point of view (between different participants' first persons, or an omnipotent external observer) can make for a very effective narrative.
Whatever you decide, good luck and best wishes from me
Dave
Thanks for the in-depth discussion everyone!
I think, in the end, I'm gonna stick to a 1st person story for this one. I don't expect I'll need any reference from any of the other characters I've plotted out for the story, and it will make the whole romance thing a bit more personal, which feels better to me.
When I get around to writing my fantasy novel series, though, THEN I'll use third person :)
Thanks again for all your input and help. It gave me a lot to think about, even if in the end I stuck with my initial gut feeling.
Melanie E.