one of the best pieces of advice i was ever given was, if you are writing in first person (the book is written from the character's perspective) try not to use "I" and "me" too much. it makes your character look like a narcissist. make sure your character doesn't just talk about himself. make sure he describes other people and places as well.
"I can't stand him. His ego is splattered all over that screen and it's making me nauseous."
~Me referring to Ashton Kutcher.
"I think the dragon should eat him."
~My boyfriend referring to Eragon
For the most part, I agree. If your character talks about himself/herself so much that nothing happens, there are problems; however, if the action is moving, I think having a character talk about themself a little gives the reader some fascinating impressions.
And if you have a character who does act like a narcissist, frequent and long-winded introspective explanations by the character can be very handy.
Yeah, that's something I have to remember, as I write in first person a lot. Try not to start each sentance with "I" and end each one with "me," and that helps a lot.
-Twit
"TV makes sense. It has logic, structure, rules, and likeable leading men. In life, we have this."
It's more about sentence variation, say 'I' as much as you need to in order to keep the reader in check.
It's the same as third person, don't say the name too much, or it gets weird.
But yeah, for people who aren't used to writing in first person (which is my main POV...I tend to stray away from third) that's really good advice.
-JC
But that is not the question. Why we are here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come. -Beckett
It's the same as third person, don't say the name too much, or it gets weird.
I actually find third person easier (in being able to variate) because you can flip from "Ivan" to "he", whereas is in first person you are stuck with "I". Though I enjoy writing in both.
I've never struggled much with first person...At least in the saying I too much. the MC is still telling the story, so it has to be "I....this/that/and the other" you just have to not repeat yourself so much.
I have an odd habit of all my novels being first person (finally broke that habit though!) and all my short stories in third...It's weird.
“It's necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.” ― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
i've done both; but i like first person. another good tip for first person is, make sure you know your character really really well. like, now their style of speaking and the expressions they use and their hobbies and their quirks. bring out their personality in the writing. it makes it more fun too.
"I can't stand him. His ego is splattered all over that screen and it's making me nauseous."
~Me referring to Ashton Kutcher.
"I think the dragon should eat him."
~My boyfriend referring to Eragon
These were autumn mornings, the time of year when kings of old went forth to conquest; and I, never stirring from my little corner in Calcutta, would let my mind wander over the whole world. — Rabindranath Tagore, The Cabuliwallah
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