Tag Archives: narration

First Person Drawbacks

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As cool as I think writing in first person is, there are, of course, some drawbacks. (Wow, a lot of commas there, huh?) So, before you get 30k into your brand spankin’ new WIP, let’s consider a few of our favorite POV’s shortcomings. 

 

1. Suspense killer. Usually, if the person is narrating the story, you know he or she is going to be alive on the other end. Now, there are creative ways to get around this. Carrie Ryan wrote Forest of Hands and Teeth in first person present. The narrative could have stopped any time, no problem with suspense there. Some writers might try alternating a POV if the MC died during the story. That is tricky, but can be done if handled with care. Jay Asher, in Thirteen Reasons Why, had alternating first person narrative. One of the narrators was Hannah Baker who the reader knew would be dead at the end of the story. [It's a story about her suicide. She's dead at the beginning of the book, too. Not a spoiler, people.] 

2. Claustrophobia. First person is the most restrictive point of view. It’s easy for a writer to feel boxed in. Especially when trying to lay clues and the groundwork for what is to come. How can you highlight clues that the narrator doesn’t catch? Again, this can be dealt with by having a very sleuthy MC who does pick up on the clues, but doesn’t piece them together. But the reader can’t know anything the narrator doesn’t. Very tricky…very tricky, indeed…

3. The almost-autobiography. There is a temptation, in writing first person, to inject yourself into the narrator and into the narrative. After all, you’re throwing around all these “I”s and “mine”s. It can be difficult to separate. But, as interesting as I’m sure you are, the story you’re trying to tell might be more so. Moreover, as I mentioned yesterday, the key to first person voice is consistency. If you’re randomly inserting your “in person” voice for the narrator’s you are going to be left with an inconsistent and artificial-sounding voice. 

4. Still have to show not tell. We know that the cardinal sin of writing is telling rather than showing. But, in writing first person it can be so easy to ignore because you think: how would my character describe how she is feeling right now? Oh, well she’d say she is tired. So you write on the page, “I felt exhausted.” Or some derivative thereof. But no! We still can’t do that. She has to feel like she has five-pound rocks dangling from her eyelashes, or blocks of dried cement around her feet. We need to feel the weight of her exhaustion even if the character really would just say in her own head “I’m exhausted.”

5. Varying sentence structure. In first person, it’s hard not to write “I [verb]. I [verb]. I [verb].” And so on. That is what is most natural for the writer. But, a book with that kind of repetitive sentence structure isn’t exactly going to be a feast for the discerning reader. So, while you might be used to different types of sentences flowing easily from your fingertips, expect to have to make the effort when writing from the perspective of your MC.

 

*If you’d like to check out yesterday’s post on building fenceposts for your first person narrative, click here.

Say What?: How Dialogue Can Keep Your Readers Sane

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“You know, fellow blog reader, Chandler’s blog is beginning to read a lot like a monologue. She keeps talking and talking and talking-”

“I know what you mean! It’s like she can’t shut up. You’d think she believes she owns Fumbling with Fiction or something.”

“Yeah, like yesterday, she wrote two posts. Two posts! How could one person have so much to say!?”

“Exactly my point! I mean, let someone else chime in, why don’t ya?”

“Right! She can’t just sit there and narrate the entire publishing industry to us. I’d rather smell like Funyans for the rest of my friggin’ life than listen to that!”

“And we thought Stephenie Meyer’s descriptions were tedious! I’m sitting here like, ‘Chandler, hello? Some dialogue might be nice!’”

“No kidding. Doesn’t she know that a few snippets of witty repartee might keep her readers from being bored into rigor mortis?”

“Not to mention speed up the pacing. Geez!”

“Um…guys?”

“Oh shoot! Do you think she heard us?”

“Too soon to tell!”

“Of course I heard you, you’re on my blog!”

“Classic example of a heavy-handed author, no?”

“Excellent diagnosis.”

“Guys! I can still hear you!”

“Awwwkward!”

“Ugh! I do use dialogue! The comment section. Ever heard of it?”

“The comment section…the comment section. Nope! Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“No ringing here either.”

“The comment section, y’all! And! If you get your bony bums over there you might just win yourself a copy of Heather Terrell’s The Map Thief while you’re at it.”

 

 

Status: Goodies from Random House today! I now have the advance reading copies of The Gargoyle in my hot little hands and Random House threw in a couple other books for fun. I got One More Year by Sana Krasikov and the bound galley for When We Were Romans by Whitbread Award Winner Matthew Kneale. They all look great and I look forward to reading and reviewing them.

Point of View’s a Point of Contention

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When writing a novel–or anything for that matter–one of the most pivotal decisions an author makes is choosing the point of view from which the story will be told.

I write Young Adult fiction, but the same holds true for other genres as well. Right now, first person point of view is “hot.” It seems that industry professionals have decided that writing in first person adds voice and spark and a closeness to character unachievable through third person.

I’ll agree that it is easier to find a voice while writing in first person. After all, you’re using your main character’s pattern of speech. This works especially well in YA because the narrator is usually the age of the reader and clear “teenspeak” can add both biting wit and humorous perspective.

But, is it the most natural?

I have long been an advocate of third person (preferably limited) even as it has become increasingly passe. Third person written in the past tense is the natural way to tell a story.

Even when first person is correctly “framed” (I’ll explain that later), the description given by the narrator is still often unrealistic. How someone’s elbow is bent, the narrator’s body position. These are all odd things for a person to tell regarding their own story.

I’m currently writing in first person and I am enjoying it–a lot. It’s fun to write from your character’s perspective. But, I’m constantly plagued by the question of why my character is telling the story. That’s what framing is. I’ll give you two examples. In The Confessions of Nat Turner the story is told by Nat who is in the process of confessing his crimes along with his motives to an attorney prior to his execution. Framing.

In The Immoralist, the main character is telling about how he has changed to his three friends who are, in turn, judging him.

Another common device is using a main character who is a writer and therefore it is natural that he or she would be describing in flowery detail the events that have passed.

However, even in something as fabulous as Nat’s tale, I’m thinking, Why would he relate every snippet of dialogue ever? Really. Why?

I don’t have anything against first person. I promise, I don’t. I’m only pointing out that it is a less natural way of storytelling and conversely, that third person is the most comfortable way to be told a story. Therefore, it’s the most comfortable for the reader.

And there is no reason that third person cannot remain extremely close to the characters. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr provides an excellent example. Wicked Lovely is written in third person limited with alternating perspectives. Melissa does a fabulous job and at many points, the reader forgets that the author has written the book in third person. That’s how close the narrative is. With third person, we can still be tied to the character’s thoughts.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is another example of a recent YA novel written in third.

While I may not always follow this myself, my opinion is that unless there is a compelling reason to write in first, stick to third. 

 

What do y’all think? Feel free to disagree.

 

For other posts on the process of writing read: The Squee and 7 Ways to Beat the Block

 

Status: I just finished Betrayed by P.C. and Kristin Cast. This is my second novel this week. Two books! And it’s Wednesday!! I think something must be wrong with me. No wonder, I’m having trouble getting things done. I’m going to try to snag the next House of Night book, Chosen, asap. But, in the meantime, I plan to read Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr and then Eclipse once Nate is done.

My SCOUT query is 2 for 2! I am incredibly excited about the latest request and the agent seems enthusiastic, too. Keep your fingers crossed, guys!