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Should Your Novel be in First Person? Pros and Cons

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Alyssa Matesic

Alyssa Matesic

3 жыл бұрын

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Most novels are written in either first person or third person. Learn if first person is the right choice for your novel and how to choose the most effective point of view for your story. In this video, I outline the pros and cons of writing in first person and offer novel writing tips that will help you ensure your first-person narrator engages your reader from beginning to end.
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RELATED LINKS:
Common Mistakes When Writing Close Third Person: • Common Mistakes When W...
Common Mistakes When Writing Multiple Storylines: • Common Mistakes When W...
PROS OF FIRST PERSON:
1. Close look into character's mind
2. Creative and original voice
3. Method to hook your reader
4. Way to establish suspense
CONS OF FIRST PERSON:
1. Limited view into plot
2. Tough for unreliable narrators
3. Risk of reader disliking the voice
ABOUT ME:
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with 7+ years of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey-whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.
Feel free to get in touch!
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Email: hello@alyssamatesic.com
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Пікірлер: 30
@AlyssaMatesic
@AlyssaMatesic 3 жыл бұрын
Do you prefer first- or third-person novels? Let me know why!
@rokg
@rokg 3 жыл бұрын
My favorite is the limited third-person view. Personally, the first-person feels too intimate, and the omniscient third-person view feels like cheating :D
@AlyssaMatesic
@AlyssaMatesic 3 жыл бұрын
Rok Gomišček that’s such a great point-when I read third-person I definitely prefer the limited view as well. I prefer to focus in on specific characters rather than always see the “big picture.”
@steviep6955
@steviep6955 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks. I like first person, but idk if I prefer it. I prefer great stories and good writing.
@kempiro
@kempiro 2 жыл бұрын
Whenever I read a novel in the third person, and I like it, I can't help fantasizing afterward about how much cooler it would have been in first person! There's something almost evasive feeling to me about reading this disembodied author discussing these other, apparently, more interesting people. I always want to know who the "I" in the novel is, even when there isn't one in the prose. For that reason, close third is kind of my least favorite pov - it feels like a lack of commitment! lol Usually, it would clearly make the book harder to write because of all the limitations first person imposes, so I understand, of course, why they chose third, but, I can't help imagining the first person narration of any protagonist I've come to love. For me, when I open a book and the book talks to me in the first person, I'm immediately more interested.
@AlyssaMatesic
@AlyssaMatesic 2 жыл бұрын
@@kempiro I feel very similarly! First person is just so fun to read and to think about. Thanks for sharing :)
@loveletterstodonna692
@loveletterstodonna692 6 күн бұрын
Thank you greatly insightful and helped me with my POV struggle
@janetski641
@janetski641 2 ай бұрын
Thanks for this great summary. I’ve always been warned away from first person but I agree that it can be really compelling and am thinking of writing my second draft in first person.
@kingwilliam1317
@kingwilliam1317 10 ай бұрын
Wow 🎉🧩 This was great. Thanks for sharing info about yourself and empathizing 🦋
@adame6425
@adame6425 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this informative video. It really helped me get my writing off the ground
@AlyssaMatesic
@AlyssaMatesic 2 жыл бұрын
I'm so glad! I hope your writing journey is fruitful!
@jazlyngambol2747
@jazlyngambol2747 3 жыл бұрын
I'm a new author trying to learn, I agree with you on first person perspective. it's super effective on getting someone dialed in to the character. Filling in the gaps while using other perspectives can really make or break the story line.
@AlyssaMatesic
@AlyssaMatesic 3 жыл бұрын
Jazlyn Gambol so glad you agree! The best first person narratives are a delicate balance between providing enough plot info and allowing the reader to get invested in a character.
@Al-rn5qy
@Al-rn5qy 11 ай бұрын
Just came across your channel and absolutely love the advice! I do have a question: If a novel is written in 1st person, how you address writing scenes in which the character is not directly a part of? For example, the protagonist is the narrator, but we're reading a scene that takes place in the villain's lair. In this case, the protagonist is of course not physically present, so how can he discuss or know what's happening here?
@sergel02
@sergel02 4 ай бұрын
That’s kind of the thing in 1sr person, you can’t. We can only know what the narrator knows. You could always have the narrator/protagonist find out in some roundabout way, like through another character or by spying, but it’s hard.
@jamesmateo1225
@jamesmateo1225 Жыл бұрын
This is my biggest problem
@Thecoincouple
@Thecoincouple Жыл бұрын
I also love first person novels. Who do you consider to be the top writers who use (or have used) first person? My first introduction was John D Macdonald and his Travis McGee series.
@foggyfiction9917
@foggyfiction9917 3 жыл бұрын
I've really fallen in love with writing in first-person. My first two projects are first-person, present-tense. It's so different from most of my older writing, but I think it really suits my voice and style.
@AlyssaMatesic
@AlyssaMatesic 3 жыл бұрын
I also love first person as a reader! It really allows you to get inside the character's (or characters') head, and I think as a result the reader becomes much more connected to them.
@foggyfiction9917
@foggyfiction9917 3 жыл бұрын
@@AlyssaMatesic I agree! I knew when I started writing my first project, that I wanted the reader to see inside my character's mind as she struggled with grief and mental illness. Being able to write it with her voice as opposed to a narrator's really makes a bigger impact, I think.
@AntQuick1102
@AntQuick1102 Ай бұрын
5th person pov
@stefanachelsau8980
@stefanachelsau8980 Жыл бұрын
Hi and thank you for this video. I am writing a book in first person POV but I absolutely need to have 6-7 scenes where the narrator is not present. Can I switch to third person limited for those scenes? (I still want the readers to feel more connected to the main protagonist) Is it acceptable? I know some might say just go ahead and break the rules, but I just really want to know if the rules allow this
@janemeredith8949
@janemeredith8949 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Will you open your editing services to middle grade authors some time in the future?
@AlyssaMatesic
@AlyssaMatesic 2 жыл бұрын
While middle grade isn't one of my own specialty genres, there are many excellent editors out there who do! I encourage you to check out websites like Reedsy, which host a variety of editors offering services across multiple genres--it's how I got my start as a freelance editor as well.
@katerinalongoria9750
@katerinalongoria9750 3 жыл бұрын
I'm writing a a romance in 1st person but when planning stories I tend to think in 3rd person. So, is it too weird to write the majority of the book from the MC's perspective but then have a different character's POV come through for only a few chapters?
@AlyssaMatesic
@AlyssaMatesic 3 жыл бұрын
It may be disorienting to switch to the other character's POV, especially if it's only for a few chapters. I recommend trying to keep the POV as consistent as possible.
@cedarledgepublishing
@cedarledgepublishing Жыл бұрын
Hate first person! I want to know what's going on over here with the bad guy or other characters and not be stuck with the same person the whole book. Great video though...and Greta Thunberg looks like the host here.
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