Friday, February 8, 2008

POV Preference?

IN THE NEWS: According to World Magazine, "Researchers at the University of Tokyo are testing a paper airplane they hope to launch from their International Space Station to see if the origami glider can survive the rigors of reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. If the plan succeeds, the paper airplane should hit speeds upwards of Mach 7 as it hurtles toward Earth, shattering any and every paper airplane record."


Over at my writer's forum we're discussing--because we love to chit-chat--POVs in books and what we prefer to read and/or write.

I love 1st person and 3rd person POV. What can I say? I'm not picky. I read both, even though I write in only 3rd person. But it's kind of interesting to hear my crit partners' preferences. Some really have a strong feeling one way or another.

Personally, I love the intimate bond you get with the main character in a 1st person narrative, but I do miss getting the hero's POV sometimes. I only had the best of both worlds once. I read a really good Chick-lit last year that used 1st person POV but also added a few scenes where she put the hero's 1st person POV, too. It wasn't jarring at all. And it was pretty cool.

I've never written in 1st person, but I'd love to try someday. I feel it inside of me, wanting to break free and run--or write, as the case may be. It'll be good for me to branch out. I think. Maybe when I finally decide to write that Young Adult novel...

Do prefer to read the POV you write?

7 comments:

Chicki Brown said...

Until recently I've always written in third person POV, but my crit partners seem to think first person is where my voice really shines. Haven't gotten any agent/editor comments on it yet though. Who knows what they'll think...

During the past year I've read several books in first person where the author does both the hero and heroine's POV. It works beautifully, and that's what I plan to do next.

Have a great weekend.

Stephanie said...

Third person definitely! But if anything catches my eye or attention strong enough, I'll read whatever.

Kristen Painter said...

I like to read and write third. And I write YA, so it works there as well.

PatriciaW said...

I write 3rd person but like you, I read both. I enjoy 1st person only if it is really well done. I find that many authors actually jump in and out of 1st person, usually into omniscient POV, and it makes for a disjointed read.

Kristen Painter said...

By the way, TAG, you're it.

Gwen Mitchell said...

I started out only in first person, because that was the only way I felt I could control a story. Then third person came along and knocked my socks off. I love alternating the points of view and putting different spins on things. The idea of alternating 1st person is intriguing though. I've never read it, but that might be fun to try. =)

MsSnarkyPants said...

I used to write primarily in first person, but then somewhere along the way switched over to 3rd. I'm with you. I really like to get the hero's point of view and sometimes the bad guy's(or girl) too. It makes them so much more three dimensional as characters.