To Write in the First-Person Narrative, A Personal Account

Having only written two novels, I’m not about to preach that my pros and cons of first-person narratives are deemed sacred rulings in the bylaws of literature. There are seasoned authors that can broach the subject with the backing of a lifetime of experience. Yet, having written novels using both first- and third-person narratives, I can hopefully provide a fresh and unique perspective when it comes to this all-important decision.

My First Soirée with the First-Person Narrative

My first novel, Chaos in Tides, was written in first person. I’ve progressed so much as a writer since releasing this novel, but nevertheless, I learned some valuable insights about the first-person perspective. While there are a fair share of positives to employing this narrative, I, as most writers do, noticed the downsides first.

The Cons of Writing in the First Person

One of the biggest misgivings about my first novel is that I had multiple first-person narratives. I wrote from the perspectives of my three main characters along with numerous supporting cast. Yet, this did give me a crash course on writing from a multitude of personalities. Here are some of the cons I noticed:

• Death Gets Complicated: In my first novel, I wrote in the past tense, and there were a few characters that bit the bullet. I realized too late that writing about someone’s death through their perspective in the past tense gives the illusion that a ghost is retelling the story of their life. A bit strange in a setting where ghosts don’t exist.
  

• Limited Vocabulary: You may want to fill your story with flowery prose and complex metaphors, but if you’re writing from the perspective of a down-on-his-luck orphan, you’ll be confined to simple language.
  

• Feelings and Motives are Bottled: When describing a character who has no perspective within the story, the only way you can convey their thoughts and opinions is verbally or through expression. It will feel as though these characters need to wear their hearts on their sleeves for the reader to understand how they’re feeling. Even then, the biases of the narrator can twist their intentions if the two are adversaries.

Now, these are just some issues I encountered. These issues may not be as much as a hurdle to seasoned authors, but they’re some factors to consider when picking your style of narrative. Though, this isn’t to say I didn’t notice the positive aspects of first-person storytelling.

The Pros of The First-Person Narrative

Sure, I am insinuating that writing from the viewpoint of differing personalities can get complicated, but this style of writing is certainly not all bad. It was fun living inside the minds of my characters and watching the story unfold through their eyes. The factors of the first-person narrative that most interest me include:

• The Unreliable Narrator: Of course, this is the most obvious aspect of first-person writing. Misdirection in the third-person breaks the trust between the author and reader (not necessarily a bad thing, mind you), but an unreliable narrator in the first person can lead the reader to search for clues and form their own interpretations based off the same information perceived by the character.
  

• Stronger Emotions: This is a bit of a subjective factor. (Then again, this article itself is mostly subjective.) I feel I could evoke emotions in a stronger, natural sense in the first person. You can delve deeper into the feelings of the character without falling victim to blocks of exposition that distract from the scene.
  

• Limited Viewpoint: This may seem like a con, but when writing my latest novel, Bleeding Iris, which is in the third person, I felt like I tended to jump between viewpoints during interactions between characters, potentially confusing the audience. First-person storytelling reins you in, urging you to remain consistent with the point of view.

Despite these advantages, one of the dangers of first-person narratives is you run the risk of injecting your own personality and tone into the character. While this could be useful in literary fiction where you’re trying to express your beliefs, it can detract from the story inherent in genre fiction.

Would I recommend writing in the first person? Of course, the decision lies with you. There have been plenty of short stories and audio dramas where I relied heavily on the first person. Though, for new writers, it might be useful to heed some of these considerations when making your choice. If you should have any further questions about my thoughts on differing narratives or wish to inquire about any of the services I offer, don’t hesitate to contact me. As always, thanks for reading!