Writing Dilemma - 1st or 3rd person

Though it wasn't always a simple decision whenever I started a story, I used to think I had it figured out.
It sort of came natural to get inside a character's mind and share the narrator's limited viewpoint. As a result I used to enjoy writing in 1st person. I still do.

However as I got to developing other characters and a more complex story, it no longer became a cut and dry decision. I tried to compromise by switching between viewpoints (splitting off on chapters) and a 3rd person voice to bridge the gaps.

Now in 2011, as I'm rewriting parts of the story, I'm contemplating if it is worth dropping off that 1st person cliff and using 3rd person for most, if not all of the stories. I'll greatly miss the 1st person voice, but the 3rd person voice may work out better in the long run. It's a trade off as with any decision.

When I am unsure of something , I turn to the web and do a search. I like to see what other people have to say on the same matter. This posting helped push me over that cliff.

That said, I'm trying it out. I've conducted a few trial stories using 3rd person limited to a character or a couple of characters. I've done it before, various years. So far the results have been pleasing with most attempts. It may not be much of a loss to make the switch from 1st to 3rd person narration. I'll see.


So far I notice these differences with my own writing:

1st person: easy to get into the thoughts of a character. I can write what the character is thinking. What the character is feeling, not so much. I can write what the character thinks he or she is feeling. Things like body language tend to get dropped off. It's hard to see what the narrating character is doing when they are talking or thinking. At least I find it harder. The narrator becomes an "existence". At least that is my best attempt at describing the experience of living as a sentient being taking in all the outside stimuli and making sense out of my environment.

3rd person: Body language of the character becomes much easier to describe. What the character is feeling also becomes easier to describe. It is easier to break through situations where the character doesn't know what they are feeling or think they feel one way but really feel another. (unless the character's internal confusion is something I want to play off, then that effect seems to get lost easier than in 1st person) But getting into the thoughts of the character seem to be trickier. I can do it, but it feels more distant and doesn't make as much sense. But this distance may not be a bad thing. Just takes getting used to. Limiting to one character at a time helps to keep some mystery about other characters as well as the whole plot (something that is nice with 1st person). I also get the "existance" without having to be involved in the story (so to speak).

I'm interested to see what your viewpoints are on 1st and 3rd person narrated stories? Which do you prefer to read?

Who I Am

I'm taking part in some kind of series called Believe it or Not You Rock! offered at our local independent living center. Lately I've been trying to take advantage of more of these activities to gain more skills outside the computer realm.

For the first assignment we are supposed to answer the question, "Who do I claim to be?"

It's a question I've asked over and over in my head, Who are you MJI? I could think about being a human being, my religion, age, my gender, my accomplishments and my autism. All those may be pretty good answers but they still don't quite define who I am. They tell what I am.

So who am I really? I am a writer. It is not just a hobby for me. It's a way of thinking. Being a writer affects the way I perceive things. Any new thing I learn can be used in something I write down the line. I've always been curious about the world around me. I remember vaguely when I learned to ask who, what, when, why and how?

"Why" turned out to be one of my favorites. I found if I kept asking why I could learn lots of things. Asked too much eventually I'd get, "I don't know" for an answer. This frustrated me as a kid. I'd ask people why they didn't know and they would just keep answering with the same question... Going in a circle like that didn't give me what I wanted to know.

How does all this tie into writing? In order to write, one has to be able to have a good grasp and understand their ideas. The more I take in, the more tools I have to build things in my head.

I think like a writer. I am almost constantly lost in thought about something, speaking softly in my head as if I am giving a speech. I edit and revise scenes in my head. If I get the chance, I write them down. Most of the time the essays I think in my head never get written. They stay locked in my head ready to be released when a thought triggers them.

I could also say I am a detailed thinker. Obviously I wouldn't have chosen to name my blog this way if I wasn't focused on details. To me it comes natural. I glance at a wall and I may notice a brightly colored butterfly wing left from a butterfly who fluttered into a building. How did the butterfly get there? I don't know. It could be simple or it could be complex. As a writer I have the freedom to make a story up if I want to.

Flash back to a time when I was looking at the back of a truck with a trailer. It was covered in dust and dirt. Someone had smeared it clean with a smiley face and "Have a nice day."
As a writer and a detailed thinker, I notice this little detail. My mind plays it in my head like a movie. The truck unloads its stuff and a guy later writes the message, likely smiles and speaks to the driver, "Have a nice day."

Another day I noticed a little toad climbing around a moving car in the city. How it got there I don't know, but it sure was fun imagining the toad was on an adventure of some sort. If I wanted to develop that further I can.

I have my imagination and it's my best tool. With it I can go anywhere. It is how I get by from day to day. My imagination helps me understand people. Each person I interact with becomes their own character. If they do something funny I sometimes remark, "Keep it up and you will be writing material."

If I were to go back in time, ever since I was about 5 or 6 I've been using my imagination and writing stories in my head. I continue to this day doing what I always did, imagining and writing. Some day I hope to write more than just a hobby.