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I'm planning on expanding my novella into a book. The novella is all done in 3rd person POV. This would be through my main character. The thing is it would be extremely easy to do this novel in 1st person since it's all from one person's POV. When the time comes to expand this into a novel, I'm wondering if I should write it in 1st instead of 3rd? I have a detailed outline already written for the novel, and found myself a couple of times trying to write it in 1st.
Maybe a little background; The story is about a young man transformed into something else. What will make this story sing is that it is about how this young man survives in his new form and letting my readers enjoy the young man's adventures as something else. I can't really say much more without telling what he becomes. In the novella, this is the climax of the story.
I've really been hem-hawing on whether to continue the story as a novel in the POV of the novella (3rd person) or change it to 1st person once I start writing the novel. I do believe either way would work. And maybe by sticking to 3rd, I could bring in some of my supporting characters to "show" what they are experiencing with this young man that they think is something else.
posted
I started a 1st person POV novel a few months ago. Got 30,000 words into it and realized it was much too insipid with that POV. I will be rewriting it, when it gets back up in the queue as a 3rd person POV. I found I couldn't get my other characters vivid enough. It can be done, but unless you're well practiced at it, I think it's harder to pull off in novel length.
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If you haven't already, I recommend borrowing OSC's Characters and Viewpoints from the library and reading the section on first, and then the section on third POV. He goes into much more detail than any other books on writing that I've ever seen, including some considerations like distance in time (by its nature, 1st person has to be more distant in time because the premise is that the 1st person narrator is retelling the story later, after the events have concluded. There are exceptions, but this is the typical way first person feels.) 3rd person is more immediate, but less physically close - you feel a little more connected to a 1st person POV narrator. I hope I'm summarizing correctly.
At any rate, there are reasons to write the story from each POV. What are your reasons for wanting to write it one way or the other? Limited third (what you're talking about) is very common right now and very accepted in editorial circles, as I understand it. However, there's always a place for 1st person POV, which to me seems particularly popular in YA.
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There probably isn't a right or wrong answer to this. Why don't you just try tinkering with it--a chapter or two, maybe--in both POVs and see which one works best for you?
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For that story, I think first person POV is going to be very hard. In first POV, the narrator already knows what happened. I don't know how you'd pull that off in that story. You'd lose a lot of the sheer terror of the POV character as he realizes what they're about to do to him if the narrator already knows how it turns out.
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I'm with Wetwilly, write the first chapter in 3rd then again in 1st. See which one you like better. If it was my story I'd go third limited, but I just like third better. Mainly because I believe in the power of names, I'd rather read a story where John is doing something rather than one where I is doing something.
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Great replies everyone! Lots of good solid advice. I guess what I'm really trying to ask is if you're writing a novel that will more-than-likely be from only one person's POV, would it be better to go 1st person or stay in 3rd? It looks like you folks have already answered the question, regardless. Thank you .
KayTi; I'm glad you mentioned OSC's book on this subject. I totally forgot about that as a source and have it in my book collection right here at home. It was one of the first ones I bought to help my writing skills. I'll definitely dig it out and give myself a refresher course.
Merideth; I can see where you would think I'm referring to my "High Diver" short story, but I've given up on that one for now. It just was not working out. No, my question is about another story. I've just recently finished the novella and will be putting it up for readers very soon. It has "High Diver" beat all to hollow .
Even if it stays in one person's POV, I don't think it matters whether it's first or third. There are plenty of examples of both. I think it depends a lot on the character. I have one character that I always write in first person, because she always has lots of snarky stuff about everything. She's also more active than thoughtful.
On the other hand, a character I have always in third person is very reflective, so I think if I'd written her in first person, there would have been waaaay to many "I think"'s.
But that's just what works for me. You can also decide which of the two would be more fun for you. And I third the idea of writing chapters from each viewpoint.
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I'm currently reading a novel by an established author. It's in first and I'm about ready to put it down, about two thirds unread.
The story is set in a strange world, where the natural laws are not as we know them. Once or twice MC takes time out of the story to give us some background, little briefings that make it easier for those of us not of his world to understand what's going on. Since the background is delivered in MC's voice, it's engaging and doesn't feel like the infodump that it is. So far, so good.
But... But there are some crucial details of how this strange world works that he doesn't explain. He's witholding. He explains the table, the wood it's made of, the shape of its legs -- but not the elephant sitting smack in the middle of it! (I have the feeling that the author has not quite made the switch from the third person POV he used in earlier works (not related to this one), where it would not have been witholding, just a narrative structure consistent with how the characters would not explain to each other things that, to them, were normal.)
From this I realize that -- as others have said -- although there are benefits in writing in first, it's easy for even an experienced author to get it wrong.
It's not just a matter of switching from "he" or "she" to "I"; first person POV changes the way one feeds background to the reader. In third, this is often accomplished by having "helper" characters -- dumb reporters and sidekicks who need things explained; in first, they might not be required since MC can do it. This surely changes the structure of the novel; I'm not sure such problems would become apparent with just one or two trial chapters. If this were my first novel, I'd play safe, take the common advice, and go limited third -- unless I were really, really brave and felt passionately that it had to be in first.
quote: And maybe by sticking to 3rd, I could bring in some of my supporting characters to "show" what they are experiencing with this young man that they think is something else.
Yes. Turning this on its head, if you go first you eliminate this possibility, whereas by going third you retain the option without committing to actually taking it.
(I don't want to identify the book and author because I don't like being solely negative about other people's works, and can think of little positive to say about it. If I finish it, I'll be driven by writerly analysis, not reader immersion.)
[This message has been edited by TaleSpinner (edited May 26, 2009).]
[This message has been edited by TaleSpinner (edited May 26, 2009).]
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