October 15, 2015. Welcome to the 15th day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is about, read my original post HERE.
Now that you've chosen your narrator, or narrators, what voice will he/she/they use: first, second, or third person? Second person is not used in novels, so it is really a choice between first or third. This will partly be determined by your own preferred writing style, and partly be convention. If your story is young adult, the most common voice is "I"; if it's romance, mystery, or science fiction, the most common voice is he/she. Regardless of which you choose, the story must be told from the point of view of one character; or at least, one character at a time. If you have chosen to have multiple narrators, in order to portray multiple points of view, it is best to devote different chapters to each different narrator, and stick to that narrator's point of view withing his/her chapter.
First person narration is best for emotional impact. In first person, the author disappears; there is no narrative barrier between the reader and the character speaking. In third person, even though the narrator's thoughts are still recorded, a slight distance between the reader and the narrator is maintained by the use of "he/she" rather than "I". That distance makes it easier for the reader to evaluate the reliability of what the narrator is saying, to maintain a slight intellectual distance from the character narrating the story.
1. Will you write your story in first or third person? Why?
Your next decision is whether to write your story in past tense or present tense. Present tense can be more difficult to maintain, and may be less familiar to your readers, depending on the genre. It does increase the urgency and immediacy of the action, however - the reader is right there with the characters as the plot is unfolding, not hearing about it afterwards. Use of the present tense also increases the suspense - in past tense, the narrator obviously survived, but in present tense, he/she might not.
2. Will you write your story in the past or the present tense? Why is this the best way to tell this story?
See you tomorrow!
Now that you've chosen your narrator, or narrators, what voice will he/she/they use: first, second, or third person? Second person is not used in novels, so it is really a choice between first or third. This will partly be determined by your own preferred writing style, and partly be convention. If your story is young adult, the most common voice is "I"; if it's romance, mystery, or science fiction, the most common voice is he/she. Regardless of which you choose, the story must be told from the point of view of one character; or at least, one character at a time. If you have chosen to have multiple narrators, in order to portray multiple points of view, it is best to devote different chapters to each different narrator, and stick to that narrator's point of view withing his/her chapter.
First person narration is best for emotional impact. In first person, the author disappears; there is no narrative barrier between the reader and the character speaking. In third person, even though the narrator's thoughts are still recorded, a slight distance between the reader and the narrator is maintained by the use of "he/she" rather than "I". That distance makes it easier for the reader to evaluate the reliability of what the narrator is saying, to maintain a slight intellectual distance from the character narrating the story.
1. Will you write your story in first or third person? Why?
Your next decision is whether to write your story in past tense or present tense. Present tense can be more difficult to maintain, and may be less familiar to your readers, depending on the genre. It does increase the urgency and immediacy of the action, however - the reader is right there with the characters as the plot is unfolding, not hearing about it afterwards. Use of the present tense also increases the suspense - in past tense, the narrator obviously survived, but in present tense, he/she might not.
2. Will you write your story in the past or the present tense? Why is this the best way to tell this story?
See you tomorrow!
RSS Feed
