I've spent the last couple of days tweaking the prologue to the new story, and yesterday afternoon, I got an epiphany. The villain's point of view, from which the prologue is written, seemed a little flat. And suddenly it hit me: it should be written in first person.
So I reworked it, and now it sings. The energy level has gone through the roof. I find it amazing the way a simple act like turning "he" into "I" can totally change the feel of a piece of fiction. And in the case of my villain, getting inside his skin instead of viewing him from a distance makes him seem even more evil. That's what I was hoping for.
Believe it or not, there are a number of readers out there who refuse to read first-person stories. I honestly don't get it. What's the big deal? It's a longstanding tradition in the mystery field. Yet many readers of romance vehemently oppose first-person viewpoint. My last book, Die Before I Wake, was written in first person. It was one of the easiest books I've written, and in my opinion, one of the best. So I was surprised by the feedback from people who didn't like it because I'd strayed from my usual third-person perspective. One reader went so far as to give me a one-star review at a major online bookseller's site, admitting that she hadn't even read the book. She apparently felt betrayed, not only by me, but by the publisher and the bookseller, because nobody had warned her that the book was written in first person.
Wow.
I'm not intending to point any fingers at anyone here; this particular reader was just the most vocal of several who made themselves heard. I find it fascinating that readers attach such strong emotions to not just the story I've written, but to how that story was written. This leads directly to an even bigger issue about reader expectations and just how far a writer should go to meet them. Yes, I'm writing for an audience, and I want that audience to be pleased with my work. If not, I won't have an audience for long. So I always listen to reader feedback and weigh its value to my writing.
On the other hand, I'm also writing to please myself. I strive to continually improve with each book I write. I don't always make the mark, but I always try. And part of that growth as a writer is making sure that all the elements of a story work the way they should. This requires me to be open-minded and willing to try new things. And if a first-person viewpoint seems the most appropriate for my story, that's what I'm going to use.
I'd love to hear opinions on this, from readers and from other writers. How do you feel about first-person versus third-person stories? Do you have any pet peeves, anything that would make you turn away from a book without finishing it? Do you feel an author is obligated to write to reader expectations, or does writing to please her/himself create better books?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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6 comments:
Naturally I have an opinion on this matter. LOL First of all, congratulations for breaking out of the box yet again and lovin' it! *high five*
I actually went through this first-person POV thing myself when I wrote what was supposed to be a short novel last year (and my first story in four years). I wrote it strictly to please myself, not even thinking about the market. Right away, being so rusty, I couldn't get a feel for the heroine, so I started the story in first person POV with every intention of THEN shifting it to third person after I figured her out. Instead, the entire book unfolded in first person, and I loved the results. However, it did leave my hero as more of a shadow figure with too many unturned stones. My agent and I talked about this issue, and she said that she never got a feel for who he really was until the one brief chapter in the story that deviates into third person and is told from his POV. So in the end, I shifted the whole manuscript to third person and am now adding the hero's POV, and...well...so much for the short novel idea. LOL
My point is, after this experience, I will probably resort to writing in first-person POV for each new character for the first draft, at least until I get an idea of who he/she is. It's not difficult to shift the manuscript into third once the ball gets rolling. And if the story works in a way that pleases you in first person POV, and you decide not to switch it into third, then more power to you! Yeah, some people don't like first person. I happen to love any point of view that conveys the best story.
And that is my opinion. :-)
Interesting...I never thought about using first person to get a feel for the character, and then changing it to third to actually write the story. I always learn something new from you! As far as being rusty, I know exactly where you're coming from. I'm sure the writing muscle is there, somewhere...but I haven't exercised it in a very long time. It's creaky and crochety and complaining all over the place. Just like my body when I get up every morning. LOLOL.
Oops. I logged into the wrong Blogger account to post my response to your response to my...whatever. But it really was me!
Helloo!
In my view, it's good to try something new like writing in first person.
However, if you do it ALL the time, it gets tedious. I am not a huge fan of the first person narrative, I don't know what it is, it just irks me. If I had to read a first person novel for a class, sure, I'll read it. But for enjoyment I like to read 3rd person because you "see everything." instead of what the person who is telling the story sees.
I hope that makes sense, cause my brain is shutting down.lol...
P.S. Loving the site so far :)
Well, I don't like first person narrative and as a rule I won't buy a book written that way.
I did buy your latest because I've enjoyed all your books and I felt I kinda of owed you to give it a try. Unfortunately, although I loved Point of Departure I did not enjoy Wake Before I Die.
As in other books I've read with only the heroine's POV, the hero never really came alive for me. He was background along with the other characters. The only one I got to know was the heroine.
Also, generally speaking, I really don't like sex scenes told in first person. Kinda icky.
So, although I realize you have to write to please yourself, I hope your next book, aside from the villain's POV, will be told in third person since I would like to continue buying your books.
Oops...it's Die Before I Wake. lol. Proves my point. I remembered the earlier book and not the latest.
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