Writing in the First Person

Point of View                Perspective          Me, Myself, and I

Each person or character in your book will have a different perspective–a point of view. The first-person point of view is used primarily for autobiographical writing, such as a personal essay or a memoir. Academics and journalists usually avoid the first person in their writing because doing so is believed to make the writing sound less objective. When writing in the first person, the reader sees what the person telling the story sees and hears. The reader is inside the character’s head. Some readers prefer the first person point of view because the reader usually bonds quicker and more closely with the character. Others want the multiple perspectives of other characters when the narrator chooses the third person to tell the story. Consider the first person if you want a single perspective of your story.

Writing in the first person can be more challenging to a new writer because the voice can come across as annoying, especially if the character is trying to speak in a regional accent or from an upper or lower class in society; the character’s educational background must also match the character’s speech patterns. In the first person, the reader has only the character’s perspective; if the character is mistaken about another character’s thoughts or actions, the reader won’t know it. It is important that you fully develop additional characters, though, or the readers will tire of a one-person book.

The author must also consistently involve the character in the narration. He or she must react to events physically and verbally. Often, a new writer begins describing the reactions of other characters and the writing becomes monotone. Providing information to the reader that the narrator would not know is another shortfall in writing in the first person. Practice seeing through the eyes of your character to determine what he or she would be able to see or know in a situation in your story. Avoid the excessive use of “I.” Find alternative phrasing of your sentences to “I saw, I heard, I did…”

Work with the third person until you become a more proficient writer, but don’t avoid the first person perspective. You might find that you are good at it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Frederick Jones is an attorney, professor, and bestselling author of Publish Me Now.  He is the founder and president of Publish Me Now University™ and creator of Write Your Worth™ live events.  To learn more about his Write Your Bestseller course, go to bit.ly/PublishMeNow to book a free strategy session and start writing and publishing today.  

NOTE: While I am an attorney , I’m not your attorney.  The content of this blog is for business coaching and educational information only.  It is not legal advice.  Readers are encouraged to seek legal counsel regarding specific questions about this post.