While assiduously writing my novel, actually rewriting it, I’ve come across many dilemmas worth sharing to anyone going through what I’m going through—whether novice or advanced—mostly dealing with writing perspectives. You know . . . first person, third person, multi-person omniscient or whatever. I read an article while back by David Niall Wilson—a horror writer with much experience and a growing body of work—about first person point of view, a very simple straightforward post that had a lasting impact on me. The post actually pissed me off at first, but after a few weeks, I realized he was correct in his assertion. I wish him great success and learned a few things from him (listening to others is very beneficial). He is also the site admin and contributor to Storytellersunplugged, one of the sleeper blogs often frequented by serious writers and is relatively unknown, but isn’t that how it is when a blog really has something to say? I highly recommend it as it has 30 contributors and offers a wealth of information on writing, from publishing to craft, a definite unsung gem in the blogosphere. I’d personally be honored to write a post for them if I get the chance.

While writing my novel, which was originally in first person—and I have a very distinctive and gripping voice in first person (or at least I believe I do hahaha)—I ran into dozens of plot problems. In first person, you cannot show or describe the thoughts or intentions of another character, which is a double edged sword. Most of my short fiction on this blog is in first person, and some of the tales are effective and riveting (some suck but I’m at peace with my shortcomings), but in the scope of a full length novel, it isn’t easy. Actually, it’s incredibly difficult. I agree with David completely. Most books written in first person suck, and many authors have voiced their opinions on 1st person POV—it’s always the same advice: when you’re starting out, write in third person, especially if you ever plan to get a book deal. He said that many editors in the real world won’t even look at a manuscript in first person, but it’s not just his opinion. Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club and the much anticipated Pygmy (a book I can’t wait to read) said the same thing—among a sea of others.

One of my favorite books written in first person was American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis, a book Stephen King hated, though he just doesn’t get Ellis’ work in my opinion (maybe you have to really appreciate the cocaine snorting counterculture and have been part of it in all it’s distasteful glory to actually like it). It’s a book with no plot, and purposefully has no plot. It is a twisted musing on 1980s yuppie culture, brand names, consumerism, sickening murder and pornographic tales of sexual insanity—hard core Dostoevskian themes and pungent sociocultural satire. I loved it, but I actually am a psycho. If you don’t have a powerful grip on first person AND a supremely fantastic idea, you will be better off writing in third person. Short stories are different, and first person is easier to employ, but in a vastly large story, it is unyieldingly arduous.

Clive Barker’s Galilee is in first person, an immensely powerful tale with a rich tapestry of elements rivaled by few. It’s not a horror novel, and not his most popular, but one of the best I’ve seen in first person in a long time. The amount of historical research he did in writing it is simply astonishing. Barker is almost inhuman in his skill, and it all came from perseverance and a dedicated love for writing.

I’m not saying to write your first novel, or any novel, in third person because it’s easier (even though it is), it’s because third person is a better bet for being read and liked by an agent or publisher (and it’s easier to tell a story in third person). I felt constricted somewhat writing a huge work in first person as it severely limits your possibilities. In third person you can create scenes where the characters are apart, alone, or anything you like. You can show the thoughts, intentions, perspectives, motives and desires of many characters in extreme detail. And it is much easier to tell a story in third person than in first person (didn’t I already say that?).

Some Problems With First Person Perspective

  • You cannot show the thoughts of other characters
  • You’re limited to the confines of your main character and everything the reader perceives is through that person’s eyes
  • You must have compelling, interesting, enthralling and readable conversation between characters. Actually, in first person, the character’s conversations are possibly the most important aspect. Few writers write great conversation, and first person complicates the matter exponentially.
  • The voice of your narration must be consistent, and can only be altered within the purview of their mental status.
  • Some types of stories lend themselves to be more effective in first person, and you must know if your idea falls in that category beforehand. Detective stories lend themselves to first person as an obvious example.
  • Be careful starting every sentence with “I” or using “I” too much in your prose ( it’s loathed by most publishers). A previously published author already successful has the imprimatur to do so and get away with it.

Rewriting my novel in third person has opened up the story and allowed me to add in crucial elements to make the story a real story—something I didn’t realize I wanted at first as I planned on having little or no plot in favor of postmodern culture and conversation driving the entire thing. Sure, I can write potent descriptions: particularly gore, murder, and sex; and I have a penchant for slowing down time during fast paced action sequences (a technique I transferred from playing guitar solos through rhythms of fast and slow tempos—and applying it in writing) . I am confident in my ability to limn powerful scenes . . . but so what? Great scenes are not stories!

Any competent and intelligent writer with a grasp on language can write shimmering and powerfully descriptive prose, but a story is an entirely different animal. Without a story, your writing is nothing. The story, and your ability to convey it with passion and emotional intensity, far outweighs your ability to write descriptive prose (in importance).

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