Different Point of Views
Making Mistakes the Right Way {a writing tip thread}Hey everybody! I'm back with another lesson--I'm updating quicker, aren't I? Teheh. Anyway, this chapter was suggested by zarawrshi . Comment below if you have any more suggestions! I'll be giving my own opinion on each point of view, and it may or may not turn into a rant--so stick around to find out. Again, this is ALL of my opinion so if you have a problem with my opinion and want to disagree with me, THIS IS ALL MY OPINION. (Let's get this straight, alright?) At the end, I will be saying what I feel is more user-friendly. My bestfriend dancekokoro helped me with this chapter, giving me her own personal opinion on this too.
First Person Point of View (using personal pronouns such as "I" "me" "ours" etc.)
Honestly, I usually write my fanfictions in first point of view. It gives the reader a more personal connection and whatnot. However, readers may or may not disagree with your character's thoughts. And what really bugs is me is when they're thinking in their head, the writer's use the asterix symbol. (*) <-- that's the asterix symbol. But it doesn't really pertain to the first person pov, but I put it in here nevertheless. Example, what really ticks me off is this. *Ugh, Lay's just too beautiful.* You get the gist of it right? Use italics, please. It makes it look...more professional--I don't know if that's the right word to use though.
Second Person Point of View (using pronouns such as "you" "yours" etc.)
OKAY. So. On AFF, we have the tags, correct? The top tags are romance, then followed by "you." OKAY. When I first signed up on AFF, there were too many "you" stories that I just couldn't stand it. It's like the author tells you WHAT TO DO. How to live your life, how to kiss someone, how to talk to a guy, etc. It's annoying to read and after spending a year on AFF, I've gotten used to it, but I'm still somewhat annoyed by them. (I read them occasionally when I review stories.) Sure, "you" stories are really entertaining to read since you, as the reader, are imagining how Myungsoo hugs you. Blah, blah. But it's not professional at all. Do you ever see authors of best-selling books, such as JK Rowling (author of Harry Potter) write in second point of view? No, you only write in second person point of view when you're instructing someone to do something.
Third Person Point of View (using pronouns such as "his" "her" "he" "she" etc.)
This is the second point of view which I write in. I like it because the readers get to see both sides of an argument/story, if you know what I mean. Sometimes it works the best when you're introducing a new character--to make them seem more mysterious. However, you don't have a personal connection with either character, and I really like hearing the character's thoughts. I mean, as the author, you can use as many italics you want. Example:
Daehyun sweetly smiled at her as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She's beautiful. She returned the equally sweet smile, forcing her eyes to shape into half-moon crecsents. I love you so much, Jung Daehyun.
But isn't it annoying? It's just me, maybe, but it's rather aggravating to read these. Also, you may or may not get confused about who's thinking what--feel free to continiously read the same paragraph though. AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THE AUTHORS USE THE ASTERIX SYMBOL. /dies inside. But yep.
This is answering your question now, zarawrshi! Honestly, I find that all three overviews are equally reader-friendly, but as a reader and writer, I feel more comfortable reading first and third person. Of course, I do read second person when I come across really great writing. You would be surprised by how many great stories there are in second person--I'm not joking. But, ultimately, I think first pov is the easiest to read. It makes you have a deeper connection with the main character and whatnot. I hope I answered your question now, and if you have any more suggestions for me to cover, feel free to comment below. And this is to all of you--don't be afraid to comment below--I won't bite!
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