1st or 3rd person?

If you had to choose between first and third person only, which would you prefer? Do you only ever use one of them or do you sometimes change it?

I think personal preference plays a large part as well as how you want the readers to see the world you've created.

I have used 1st 2nd and 3rd person quite easily, it all depends on what you are doing.

I usually prefer being inside the characters head although sometimes this can make it difficult to write and you need to develop a pretty solid character.

It really depends. I think for really complicated stories 1st-person just isn't a good choice. But there are some stories where I believe first person is great. It leaves a lot of question marks till the end, and you get to know the character better over a shorter amount of time.

I think action stories are easier to read in third person because you can describe sequences easier and switch between different viewpoints

Personally I like using a narrator who is not just a normal narrator (Simon went to the beach) but more of a human-narrator (then, of course, he went to the beach). This is from a really great series called Simon Bloom. Theres a movie coming out this year . Anyways...

It depends on the story in question. I admit, that I would rather read first person because I feel like I can connect with the character more, but third person sometimes must be used!

I adore novels that switch between third and first person.

Adding in the "Depends on the story" option completely defeated the purpose of your question.

Well, that's what I would've picked all along, so naturally I had to add a suitable option for myself

While I prefer a limited third-person perspective, sometimes a story just works better in first-person.

What about second-person?! ( !!!! )

I think first person is usually better, because it allows you to add a personal feel, and use more emotion. But I use a lot of mystery in my stories, so I have fun trying to write on a personal level while still allowing the main character to preserve secrets until the appropriate big bang moment.... (Jennifer Nielsen was really good at that in The False Prince.)

Oh! I thought this was in terms of what you like to read, so I voted 'depends on the story'.


Well, for writing, I find that it's easier to write in first person, for I find thag stepping in the character's shoes allows for a more... personal connection and possibly more interesting story that way.