When writing a story or book, do you write in first person or second?

Question

I want to write a book in first person but it's a little harder than I thought

Answer 1

Prose is usually written in the first person, (I walked into the bar) or the third, (he walked into a bar) The main difference between the two is that, in the first person narrative, ‘I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip’ (Dickens, Great Expectations, of the top of my head so may not be completely accurate) it is the character in the story who speaks to the reader, and so we only know what they know and the things we learn are only as honest as the character we learn them from, if he doesn’t know, nor do we. In the third person narrative it is an unnamed voice which speaks to us, but one who knows everything, ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ (Austen, Pride and Prejudice) The benefit of the third person narrative is that, as well as knowing everything, the narrative can shift to the point of view of any of the other characters in the piece, letting us see what they think, or experience things from their point of view.

Hope this helps.

J.

Answer 2

I haven't answered your questions for a while!

Uh, I find books more interesting when they are written in first person. They're goodin 3 rd too. Just.... in first person you can put what you're thinking and make it a little funny. Not that you can't in third person.

I just like first person books- that's all

Answer 3

You can write it in either.

If you're having difficulty writing one way, try the other. Some people do better writing in second person than first (or vice versa). Whatever works best for you and benefits the story is what you should do.

Answer 4

I think you mean first person or third.

Second person is rarely used for stories, as it gets awkward. Second person is where you use 'you'. First person is 'I' and third person is 'he/she'

I quite like writing in first person, but sometimes I find it more difficult to separate myself from my character so they just end up sounding like me, which is kind of dull. I have to really concentrate when I'm writing in first person and I still end up writing a lot of drivel that doesn't need to be in my writing, so I usually stick to writing in third person.

First person does limit you to your main characters perspective though, and it's not right for every piece.

Answer 5

when you write in third, your advantage is that there is more feeling that you can inject into the mood, and more detail you can put in.

when writing in first, it's a lot harder, at first, but if you keep practising, you eventually get better at it. with first person, you evoke more emotion.

i normally write with a blend of both

Answer 6

Just write however you feel most comfortable. I know that writing in first person is hard because you can't tell the thoughts of all the characters, only one!

Hope I helped a bit!

Answer 7

It is a little harder, because now you have to incorporate the main character and the narrator into the same roll, and it leaves less room for explanation, but when done well, it can be a much more compelling and enjoyable read.