Into the Fire

Passionate thoughts about the world of writing and the Power of God

  Hatchet-power-point-mr-fernandez-5-638

When I was much younger I distinctly remember not liking "first person POV" in novels. When I started my first novel, it never occurred to me to use "first person". When I approached my seventh novel (Breath of Life), there was simply no other way to write it – the story featured a particular man telling his account of falling in love after spending most of his life falling in lust. Incorporated into that story I also used the traditional means of third person POV with other characters.

Rarely does an author use second person POV. The only one I recall who did this once – and did it impressively – was Travis Thrasher who broke all kinds of rules through the course of his mixed genres. 

Nowadays, third person omniscient is just as rare (at least in Christian fiction) as second person POV. I used the omniscient point of view for over half of The Famous One and I find it occasionally slips into other novels of mine. 

In Race I combined first person and third person with the protagonist male (again) detective telling his account of a murder investigation at a Thoroughbred racetrack. 

It's interesting for me to find myself slipping into first person more easily now after having written a couple of novels in that vein, but I use it more as internal dialogue sticking to third person in other novels that seem more suited to the traditional approach. 

No doubt there are readers who prefer reading one POV over another but it also figures there are readers who have no preference as long as the story passes their tests for good reading. 

You? 

 

Father, as usual, thank you for ever word, inspiration, approach, and character. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Posted in

2 responses to “First, second, and third . . .”

  1. Brenda S. Anderson Avatar

    I typically like 3rd person, but that’s because most authors don’t do first person well. And then I’ve read a number of authors try first person, present tense, which is even more difficult to do well and often pulls me out of the story.
    Thrasher’s is the only novel I’ve read in the 2nd person, and I didn’t care for it at all–my brain just couldn’t wrap around it and rather than pull me into the story, it tugged me out. Otherwise I’ve enjoyed all of Thrasher’s fiction.

    Like

  2. Nicole Petrino-Salter Avatar

    Good points about first person.
    Re: Thrasher’s 2nd person approach, I guess it intrigued me that he tried it so it kept me involved.
    Third person is what we’re generally used to reading so right off the bat we’re attuned to the story and not worried about the POV.
    Thanks, Bren. Always enjoy your comments.

    Like

Leave a comment