1st or 3rd Person?

[Grey Nightmare]

When you write and/or when you read.
Which do you prefer and why?

I can't really decide, I seem to find myself more emotionally attached to a 1st person book, but it's much harder to keep parallel story lines flowing, without swapping character which imo ruins the sense of "I".

On the other hand, 3rd person generally allows a sideline, layed back approach. I still find it emotionally gripping, but I don't always feel AS involved, as you'd expect ofc...

If I had to choose a favourite it'd be 3rd, I think.. I've voted maybe, for now.

Anyway, I'm very curious to see what the proportion of 1st:3rd preferences is in a community such as this; so vote and post away!

 

[Zombie]

Third person everywhere aside shooters.

 

[Tyranid]

Depends alot on the book itself.

 

[TwistedImage]

I like and use both. When I write, whether I pick first or third person depends on the story's theme.

Currently, I'm working on a story in which there is no good, only shades of evil. In a story like that, both first and third person would work; whereas third person view will allow for a more wholesome view of the plot and what's going on in general, as well as allowing the reader to form unbiased opinions about the characters, a first person view would make the story more satiric, since I could and would state the protagonist's opinion about most things (said opinions being, of course, those of a rich and naive man, given his position), thus making it a bit more light-hearted.

I'm going for third person in that one though, since I'm actually aiming to make a point.

As for reading, I like both. In general, more emotion-oriented works tend to be written in first person (The Host - no, I didn't actually like that book), and plot/overview(sorry, got no better word at the moment D-oriented works (The Lord of the Rings) tend to be written in third person.

There should be an option for both in the poll! D:

 

[Darkness-4ever]

Well First Person is good if you like to have everything in your field of view, instead of having a guy that blocks your camera and takes up around 20% of your screen, but thats more geared and oriented towards fast paced action, while Third Person is a bit slower but works for games like Dead Space and Resident Evil 4, not 5, 5 should've been an FPS because it lacked the horror that was in 4. But I prefer the option to have either one, like in TES:3. Either way, its ultimately about the game, not the point of view it puts you in.

 

[Boris_Spider]

In games, always 1st person. It's more difficult/realistic. In most shooters in 3rd person you can see around corners without looking. In first you have to risk the look. Besides, why waste a portion of your screen looking at yourself? Unless you plan on shooting yourself, it's unnecessary.

For rts games like WC3 I don't see how anything but 3rd could be useful, as you need to see large areas simultaneously.

In books, both are required and the appropriateness is dependant on the scene and characters present. Some characters you can [should] never get a 1st person view, as they're too old/powerful/dangerous/knowledgeable. 3rd person can be useful for learning other charaters views of a particular event you just witnessed as 1st person.

//\\oo//\\

 

[Zealon]

When I read a 3rd person, I find it much more believable and interesting. Whenever I write a 3rd person it always ends up way better than my 1st person storys. I still like 1st person books and novels, but I enjoy 3rd person more ^^
1st persons sometimes make the story seem unbelievable, it somtimes makes you wonder if the storyteller is exajurating or lying to make themselves seem better then they really were. Well so is somtimes seems with me anyway.

I do admit that you do get some very good 1st persons, but I vote for 3rd person.

 

[TwistedImage]

When I read a 3rd person, I find it much more believable and interesting. Whenever I write a 3rd person it always ends up way better than my 1st person storys. I still like 1st person books and novels, but I enjoy 3rd person more ^^
1st persons sometimes make the story seem unbelievable, it somtimes makes you wonder if the storyteller is exajurating or lying to make themselves seem better then they really were. Well so is somtimes seems with me anyway.

Unreliable narrators are often the author's greatest focus when writing in first person.

Whether or not you can be 100% sure what the narrator's saying is true is the main difference between first and third, imo. Whereas in third person you pretty much always know what's being said is the truth, you can get a massive surprise and plot twist at the story's end if it's first person with unreliable narrator. Think Fight Club.

 

[trolman]

2nd person

 

[Aeroblyctos]

3rd.

 

[Zealon]

Unreliable narrators are often the author's greatest focus when writing in first person.

Whether or not you can be 100% sure what the narrator's saying is true is the main difference between first and third, imo. Whereas in third person you pretty much always know what's being said is the truth, you can get a massive surprise and plot twist at the story's end if it's first person with unreliable narrator. Think Fight Club.

True, but some people might prefer it being easy to desern the truth. Not me anyway, coz thats boring But a 3rd person can also have a twist, it just depends on the way the narrator tells you the story, he might not always reveal the details; or he might make you believe one thing, when its actually another. But yeah I get your point.

 

[MySpaceBarBroke]

I think the camera should fit the gameplay, but I'm getting tired of first-person. What the hell's the point of making a cool, badass character if you're never going to see him save for a couple cutscenes? Incidentally, what's the fucking point of making complex character animations if you're looking at your back the entire time? This is why the fixed-camera angles of Resident Evil and the dynamic camera of Ocarina of Time were pretty good.

 

[TwistedImage]

I can't tell if the people who're on about games are trolling or not.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Well my intention was for the thread to be about written work, but I don't see why gaming should be disallowed - it's actually quite a valid point.

Your still following a story and their are differences between first/third, though I'd prefer camera angles didn't come into it... Some points made about horrors working well in 3rd etc are quite interesting

I like the replies so far, it's given me a lot to think about.

@Twisted/Zealon - I find this first/third comparison especially intriguing, have you ever read a book/series where it's in 1st, but from several different perspectives? I like to think it's not always the author writing it as themselves, but rather a 3rd person view of a characters perspective of the events.

An example would be the Song of Albion Trilogy by Stephen Lawhead.

1st book = person A's first person.

2nd book = person B's first person.

3rd book = person A's first person.

 

[TwistedImage]

I read a book by Phillip Pullman which was told in first person from several perspectives once, and I've done the same myself. I suck like a freaking suckerfish at that, and the book wasn't very good either (No hate on Pullman, it was translated; read it when I was 9-10), but I've no doubt it can get really good.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Well it's an old series, but it's well worth the read ^ (Song of Albion).

The only downside, is the char swap upset me a bit on book 2, but you grow on them with time =)

otherwise epic story... I'll have to read again sometime, maybe after Barclay's "Once Walked With Gods".

 

[Deleted member 157129]

I don't really pay much attention to what perspective a story is written in/from.

I think you should include 2nd person as well. Even if it isn't as broadly used, it is used. Certainly makes the story more personal when you are yourself the protagonist. Problem being if you don't fit the role.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

I would, I would also add both/all as someone suggested, but I don't have permission to edit the poll once posted =(
I can't find out how to edit it anyway... (if I can)