Imagine if you will the story The Hunger Games written in Third Person Omniscient instead of First Person? Seriously, just imagine it a little bit. Since the readers of the Hunger Games are so used to the story in First Person, that to have it rewritten in third person would be odd to them. But what if the Suzanne Collins decided to write the story in third person over first person from the get-go? The story will feel totally different than what we are currently used to now. Not too totally different but just enough that it feels well different.
So, choose your favorite fiction novel and imagine what it would be like in a different POV. To make it more enjoyable, imagine what your current story that you are working on would be like in a different POV.
Bonus Questions:
Are there stories that you feel work better in either first person or third person?
Would you read your favorite fiction novel if it was written in a different POV?
There’s an argument for writing my book in first-person, and I’ve done that for some of the accompanying short stories when thematically appropriate, but it’s something I would only consider in full seriousness if a reader were to suggest it in a critique.
I personally think it works better in 3rd omniscient. I think similar books on Wattpad would be more likely to be written in first-person, or perhaps third-person limited, but those are also likely to be less literary books. IDK.
I feel like one of my stories work better in third person limited because that is all I know unfortunately.
While another story I might try in first person even though it might come off as weird, but there’s no harm in trying and seeing to be certain if I am wrong in the end.
Yeah. That’s why I went back and applied Nathaniel’s views of what his wife/Mate Rachael wrote. (Begging is for Losers)
She treats the narration of the story seriously, pulling everything through her views, digs into how and why she thinks certain ways at different points in the story.
Him? He’s cracking jokes, refusing to write in a linear story, getting interrupted by current life, occasionally upset at what she wrote, doesn’t care if his thoughts are unappealing, and plain baring his fears because he is secure in them.
Both are fairly intelligent people, but they don’t think the same way.
Sometimes, I get to work in multiple character’s thoughts in-story. In In the Game of the Gods, Sssyraine sees herself as a monster (she is a Lizard Elf hybrid, so she thinks it’s natural to be a monster). Wraith (2nd Male Lead, sometimes antagonist, Dark Elf) sees her more as a lackey that will mold herself to either him or Dreithan. Dreithan mutters to himself about how she doesn’t know what a monster is as he kills some competition in self defense up in the mountains, as if he sees her as an innocent creature he’s taken down this path. Sssyraine’s Elder thinks that she’s compounding her subconscious issues and just needs to get on with it.
It’s pretty important because it’s part of why she’s balking the shift in their relationship.
And in the Assassin’s Journals, there’s points where the conflicts with the MC (Gan-Ma) is specifically because her worldview doesn’t mesh with others. Less blatant than ItGotG, but that’s because it’s a tighter woven story.
I would have continued reading the series instead of watching it if that was the case, honestly
One of my favorites, recently, was The Storm Keeper’s trilogy by Catherine Doyle. First person past tense. If it was third person? I honestly don’t think I would like it more or less. What about omniscient? Idk, I would probably still love it just as much because it would then give a new insight into some of the antagonists of the story (only the kids, because middle grade).
For my own story, I have written exercises in first person present tense to better understand Pinti whose story is in third person. It’s honestly been tempting to write the story that way, but I know if I did that, the story would lack certain descriptions that are better told in third person in my opinion.
I already answered this. The Hunger Games. The only reason is because of the monologue scene where Katniss is alone. It was the first time a book bored me
Also Change: Shadow and Bone trilogy...mini rant
If I can add another book, Shadow and Bone trilogy would have been so much more fun to follow if it was third person. Because I could not relate at all or even remotely understand Alina, I could not enjoy the books at all. And I would constantly think that third person would have been so much better because I did like the world building. Even if she made no sense and sounded whiny, because I would be more distant from her as third person it would be easier to accept her as this undecisive, whiny girl. I can’t understand her at all in first person. I just can’t.
For The Storm Keeper’s trilogy? Absolutely. Because it’s my favorite novel for the plot, writing style, and the type of characters being fun to follow or being relatable in some ways. And the world building is awesome. The POV, in that case, doesn’t matter what it is to me.
I have one with first person, but that works because it’s a slice of life with Max. Most of my stories, however, are third person. It depends on what works, but mostly first person doesn’t work.
Fully agree. Especially since Alina is being manipulated throughout the entire book, and therefore her information/perception is extremely limiting. Which isn’t a bad thing objectively, but in this story (and fantasy world setting) it feels like something’s missing–mainly because you as the reader aren’t exactly sure about what’s going on, the fantasy mechanics, etc. which makes it really hard to understand her decisions and the stakes/consequences of her choices. I also feel we would’ve benefited from Mal’s POV–would have been a cool way to introduce lore/worldbuilding and his perspective conflicting with Alina’s would have really added something.
The pov doesn’t matter to me as long as it fits the story. The only case where I know in advance that pov will have to be 3rd person, is when I know that the main is an oppressed minority that I am not an OwnVoice for. Then, there is simply no choice but to write third. In all other cases, I would try first and third and see what works.
In most books I like, I don’t even remember what pov it was written in, because it was written well. Usually, the Pov sticks out only when the writer is not skilled.
That’s interesting. Although, I’d still prefer it as third person, I think. I don’t get why he’s with her But in third person, I could follow along the train wreck.
I’ve thought about this a lot because Hunger Games would sound so much more different if it were of another perspective or in multiple. Then again, for that book, I kind of got an idea through the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes which is third person (limited, I believe?) and it… it wasn’t all that.
As someone who doesn’t have a preference, I think books do well in specific perspectives. Some books do better with third, others in first. Unwind by Neal Shusterman, for example, wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t in third person omniscient/multiple. It’s perfect the way it is. Divergent by Veronica Roth is also perfect in first person.
I would! Especially since you can get so much more out of it. Like, if I were to read the Hunger Games in third person omniscient, it would be amazing to see the different sides like Snow’s side, Haymitch’s, even Effie’s. I’d love to see what other tributes would do and think, their own backstories, etc. I love first person, and I love the Hunger Games with first person, but it is a limiting view point and you can only see life through that one lens which can be difficult sometimes.
