FIrst, second or third person?

Yesterday we received an entry into the September Global Short Story Competition which was written in first person. This touches on a debate that all writers have - which person to write in?

Traditionally, there are three categories, first, second or third person. First is when you use refer to I, second person is you (as is in ‘You might have thought I would have liked that‘) and third is he, she, they, their, his, hers, him, her, etc.

Most stories tend to be written in third person. I write in third person because it gives me the ability to oversee all of the story. I can mix in narration, plot information and reporting of incidents happening elsewhere instead of being restricted to what happens where ‘I’ is standing. If something happens round the corner, ‘I’ cannot see it but the third person narrator can. Helps create tension and perspective.

However, first person has its advantages. As most of our spoken communication takes place in the first person and much informal written communication is in first person (letters, e-mails, for example), many people are more comfortable writing in first person.

First person is a great choice when you intend to write informally or casually. It can be chatty, relaxed, intimate. Some writers would also say it is a good choice when writing about personal experience. If you are sharing a story about your life or an event that you witnessed it can be more powerful in first person.

However, many writers would still go for third person. Why? Well, third person creates a sense of objectivity and distance and allows the writer to get on with telling the story. Some would say that third person means the writer's feelings and personality become peripheral and that the author can simply tell the tale.


John Dean