Easiest perspective?

[Dragonfree]

For the authors of TPM:

What perspective do you find easiest to write in?

To explain those made-up terms of mine a bit better... "Focused" is when the story is told from a character's 'point of view' through the whole story (that is, not neccessarily in first person, just so that what happens is what that character sees) unless it's neccessary to tell about something the main character doesn't see, "Varying" is when it flicks between characters for no special reason except to show many points of view, "Insided" is when it includes the thoughts and feelings of the characters, "Outsided" is when it doesn't but only tells the story as if there was a ghost watching the characters.

Myself, I find myself the most in focused first person, a la The Type Chart and Irony of Fate. What about you?

[mistysakura]

I find insided third person easiest; while first person provides a good focus (varying annoys me), it can be hard to do character development (because of the bias of the character), and it can get annoying sometimes when you have to include stuff that the main character doesn't see (I jsut find doing that in first person very illogical). Third person solves that problem. Actually, I use a combination of insided and outsided third; I have everyone's feelings and the main character's thoughts, but I don't intrude into anyone else's thoughts.

[The Rusted One]

Not that I'm an author on TPM to any degree aside from in that competition on right now, I tend to write in "Insided Third Person"; it allows me to explore the feelings and thoughts of a number of characters as its needed, or perhaps enables me to show how different characters feel about the same issue at the same time. Really, I prefer it because of the way it allows intimacy with more than one character to be built up, and the actions of those characters, as well as the bonds formed between many of them, to be understood by those following their story/ies.

[Damian Silverblade]

Insided or Outsided third person easily work best for me - I think first person doesn't really work well outside monologues and the like which are a rather separate category of fanfics themselves - first person imply that the character himself is telling the tale, which often doesn't work at all for me because it them means you lack a lot of key story elements.

Insided third person with varying point of views works well (ie, written from the POV of a character in third person, then switching to another character and so forth) for me, outsided is something I also like to do.

[ChicRocketJames]

By default I write in insided third person. It's just the most fluid and versatile way to write, since you can hop around different character's perspectives at different times, and you can show what they're thinking and feeling without having to write the fic exclusively from their perspective. The problem with first person is that the character narrating it has to "be there" for all of the big events of the plot, which can sometimes be something of a stretch to achieve. I also like not having all of my characters knowing everything that's going on all the time, but with first person narration it can be difficult to move the plot along and keep your narrator in the dark about some things.

The main reason I use insided third person is that you can go anywhere you want next and the readers won't expect it. You can take on the POV of any character in your fic, however minor, and allow them to observe the events. It's a much less restricted way to write.

[Chris 2.1]

The 3rd perspective is by far the eisiest, because you don't really have to express the characters emotions as such. Most people, myself included, started to write in the 3rd Perspective, but I then started writing in 1st and thought it pretty fun to do; you could eisily add little tidbits of information in at any time.

Monica's Army, and it's sequel Monica's Revolution are both in 3rd because they deal with a large group of people - MA had eight main characters, and the group in MR will consist of 14 people, If i calculated properly. Like the main character cast is 14 people. This means it has to be less personal and more from an overall point of veiw, taking in and expressing each person's thoughts instead of a heavily based opinion of someone in 1st POV.

Of course, I tried a 2nd POV once, it was awfully difficult and rather imperative. My english teacher always said they were interesting......weird guy, hehe.

[Darien Shields]

Ease and results do not always go hand in hand mind... Third Person Perspective is easier, particularly for adding details and descriptions, etc, but often first person perspective can be more gripping. I think that the first person's non-involvement can be a good thing, I like the idea of a mystery developing, and the reader being as hazed as the main character until it is (or isn't...?) cleared up later. I wrote a bit of first person perspective once (way back, but I just found it on my hard drive the other day, does anyone remember "Bizzare Evolution"?) that was furthermore a pokemon perspective, and it seemed quite enjoyable, but at the same time there werte drawbacks, I found it difficult to find excuses to describe things, and... it's almost as if you can't write as yourself, but you have to write as someone else, dig?

2nd person POV? Is that where a non-main character is the POV? Like in pokemon it'd be Misty, or... the random guys they meet every epp., like AJ, etc?

[Lady Vulpix]

Speaking of the Type Chart, how is it coming along?

I normally use varying first person (as in the Battle Range) or insided third person (as in Quest of Twelve). I've used focused first person a few times too, and focused third person fewer times. Outsided POVs don't appeal to me. I feel a story lacks something when feelings and emotions are not expressed in it, but well, that's my view.

[Chris 2.1]

Originally posted by Darien Shields
2nd person POV? Is that where a non-main character is the POV? Like in pokemon it'd be Misty, or... the random guys they meet every epp., like AJ, etc?

I can see the logic but no, 2nd Perspective is in the second TENSE, like 'You did this and you did that'. We, the author/writer, place the audience into a situation. It's very rare to do these and I've never seen a book published in 2nd Tense.

[Lady Vulpix]

I've seen a whole collection of books written in 2nd person. The choose your own adventure series.

[Dragonfree]

Interesting... people appear to be much more for third person. I find it easier to be biased for some reason... I like making myself into a character I made up...

I'm also not good at third person description, I have a much better feeling for the right amount in first person.

The Type Chart? I have two things and I'm wondering how to link them. Once I figure that out, I'll be able to finish chapter 7.

[PancaKe]

I find that the easist perspective, for me, is both focused first person and inside third person. The reason I chose to write Full Moon in third person, i think was so that i could express the others feelings, rather than just Sal and how she was feeling all the time. Although I feel Sal isn't developed as much as a character as she was in LVH, its really opened doors for me to work on Lucidia, and other characters who were stereotyped once. ^^;;; But First person is often really easy for light hearted fics, and ones that have the occasional sad side.


I think for fantasy, and dark genre fics though, third person is much easier and entertaining. Thats only me though. Does anybody else agree??

~Mist

[Andrew]

For me, its 1st person, I get in the characters head, and write from there, get into their mindset. Seeing the world from someone elses POV is always great to adding dimensions. When I try 3rd person it ends up being incredibly stale.

Choose your own adventure books were wierd, there was one where you were a crabperson and another where there were vampires from space, and in fact I read a lot of them. The goosebumps books were simply awful really... But everyone loved them, every chapter would pretend to "Scare" you. hehe.

[The Decapitated Mole]

I personally can write in any perspective. Two examples of that--TMAOH[focused/semi-insided third person] and The Ivy League [varying first-person, between "narrator" and character]. Anything is good. I suppose I feel more comfortable writing third person, but first comes just as naturally.

o_0
jimm