first person verses second person

I just thought i would put this out there from personal experiences writing and reading specific novels in both first and second person.

If you are trying to get into the emotions of the characters very deeply and connect the reader to it then first person would be your best choice. when writing, you can put yourself right into it, make yourself the character by putting I instead of he/she. it also transports the reader right into the body of that person.

If you more going towards the story side of it, like the adventure, the thrills and excitement and cliffhangers, sort or deal, second person would be a good necessity. You get to take your character through all the trails and excitements of the thrills and quarrels that you create in your brain. Basically speaking, your probably going to enjoy writing about the setting and the problems around you more then the character in himself/herself, even though you still get a nice glimpse of the characters thoughts towards things.

so to speak, if you more of a emotional writer, and you like to get into detail with a lot of things such as how your character feels and such, first person would be the best choice, so you could put yourself and your reader right into the character, instead of watching from the outside.

if your more of a type who likes the storyline and likes watching the characters do things, not so much the emotions behind it, then second person is for you.

Thats my advice!

In my opinion. If you're going to write a story, then you should write in first or third person. First person makes the reader feel more connected to the main character and the third person makes the reader see the story like they're watching tv.

I'm thinking that you should use second person if you're making an instructional manual,book,etc.

But that's just me!

--John

Second person perspective is rarely used in writing. This isn't saying that second person is bad, but it is quite difficult to pull off. Maybe you mean third person? Third person is using pronous like he and she. Second person is you. First person is me and I.

I can switch from third person, second person, and first person perspective quite easily. It just seems natural to me. Anyway, I usually write in third person. And I disagree with the fact that you need to use first person to get closer to the character. Third person omniscient can work well enough. You can get into the thoughts of all the characters that way, not just one. Well, that's just my opinion, of course.

I like third and second but I always use, and read books that are in first, it makes the reader feel closer to the characters and I always find that if it is in first person you ALAWAYS end up liking the person they like and hating the people they hate. If you were to write in third it would be harder for the reader to get into the story, I think you have to be a very talented writer to be able to pull it off and keep the readers attention.
But maybe thats just me >.< I find it hard to get into third person and harder to wirte, but I think I am going to give it a go now

Second person is tricky because it's such an unusual style that it draws attention to itself, instead of letting the reader focus on the story. Really good second person is invisible after a few pages -- the reader will forget what person it's in.

I use first person when the main character's voice (their way of speaking and thinking) is unusual or interesting, or necessary to the story in some way.

I use second person rarely, but I use it when the narrator needs to have a distinctive or unusual voice, and yet not be a character. I always think of second person as like reading a monologue. (I've also read a couple of really good stories in the imperative -- commands like "Do not think about the boy. Look away. Walk down the hall." which is a form of second person.)

And then third person is for everything else.

I've never been a huge fan of third person for some reason. And yes its hard to find a second person book but i do enjoy them in a sense.

I prefer first person more then anything else to be honest. its just easy to write and it all flows.

thank you for your points. they're quite interesting.

First person is just plain restrictive for novel/novella writing. As much as I try to practice I for character thought maps, I just cannot do it when it comes to write the story. Every attempt at first person ends with me being frustrated from the limited perspective and the creepy feeling that you are reading a diary and not a true story.

Personally, I feel that if you need to use a limited crutch like first person to avoid character emotions and internal conflicts, then you are just forming bad writing habits. Third has more to offer and that is probably why its the main choice of most writers.

I think maybe you've got second person and third person muddled up?


First person: I

Second person: You

Third person: He/She


So a story written in the second person would be like:

You climb through the window, and find a sleeping girl in the room. Smiling to yourself, you do what any dashing prince would do, and lean down to kiss her. Half way through your smooch, however, the girl wakes, and punches you in the face with a hairy fist. It's then that you realise that the girl isn't a girl at all, but rather a hairstute man who apparently doesn't believe in haircuts.


And third person would be:

He climbs through the window, and finds a sleeping girl in the room. Smiling to himself, he does what any dashing prince would do, and leans down to kiss her. Half way through his smooch, however, the girl wakes, and punches him in the face with a hairy fist. It's then that he realises that the girl isn't a girl at all, but rather a hairstute man who apparently doesn't believe in haircuts.

~Excalibur~ wrote:First person is just plain restrictive for novel/novella writing. As much as I try to practice I for character thought maps, I just cannot do it when it comes to write the story. Every attempt at first person ends with me being frustrated from the limited perspective and the creepy feeling that you are reading a diary and not a true story.

Personally, I feel that if you need to use a limited crutch like first person to avoid character emotions and internal conflicts, then you are just forming bad writing habits. Third has more to offer and that is probably why its the main choice of most writers.

...try saying all that after you read Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.

I do agree that first person can often be limiting (coughTwilightcough), but in some cases it can truly work--Poisonwood, in particular, showcases the power of first person done well. It probably helps that the book constantly switches viewpoints; this has become the only kind of first person writing I now tolerate when it comes to long and epic stories. Switching among a handful of different narrators helps develop the characters strongly, as well as provide unique perspectives on the same events (here, you're relying on the fallability of first person, not being limited by it), and believe it or not, can actually challenge the writer--because now you have to make each narrator's voice unique.

I'd say the switching first person viewpoints approach works best for more character-centric stories in which it's critical for the reader to become intimate with every character's thoughts and feelings, and third person for more impersonal and plot-based stories. Both can work equally well for epic and sweeping works. As Poisonwood demonstrates.

2nd person is really only good for 'how-to' books and "choose your own adventure" stories. Not much else.

First person and third person both work - however, it IS possible to delve into emotions deeply. Remember, third person CAN delve into thoughts, which is a powerful tool. First person requires skill in developing the voice of the character.