Why the Third Person? By Joe Abercrombie

[Ankari]

Joe Abercrombie address the following question(s):

When writing, what made you decide to use third person? Because its easier? Would you recommend writing in third person, or do you think it’s more of a personalised choice? Also, when describing things, do you think it is better to write to much or too little?

You can find his answer on his blog

On creating a dynamic cast through application of voice:

I also try and vary my style as widely as possible depending on the point of view — so a Logen chapter instantly has a different voice, a different vocabulary, a different rhythm and feel from a Glokta one, and the style hopefully communicates something about the nature of that character right away.

On description and tight POV:

On description, everyone’s going to have a different take on what is too much or too little, and it all depends on the style and atmosphere you’re going for, not to mention the particular circumstances. If you’re writing in third person limited, the description needs to be rooted in the experience of the point of view character. So in a combat scene you wouldn’t necessarily pause to talk about costume but details and thought about the weapons might be a pressing concern for the people involved. You probably wouldn’t want to interrupt an impassioned conversation to blather on about the furniture and what it said about its owners, but a scene in which an investigator looks at a crime site could reasonably involve a lot of considered forensic detail.

On what he emphasizes in writing:

Personally I find description one of the least important elements — usually the thing I do last once the dialogue and action is in place. But where possible I try to bear in mind a character’s emotional reaction, rather than just to literally describe — so that even description becomes about character to some extent.

 

[Twook00]

Very good advice. Third person has never really been a question for me. I like reading third (limited) and that's how I want to write. Occasionally, I'll start off in first (usually after reading The Dresden Files or something), but I'm not very good at it.

 

[Steerpike]

I'm not sure I agree that 3d person can't be as intimate as 1st. I certainly don't agree with the implication that you have to be in third person to switch viewpoint characters. That's demonstrably false simply by walking into a bookstore.

But I like Abercrombie's writing and appreciate his thoughts on the whole

 

[Sheilawisz]

Even though I normally write in Third person I have written a few stories in First, including my little stories in the Showcase and also my biography-style novel called Entre el Hielo y el Cristal.

Writing in Third feels more natural to me, because I prefer to imagine my story from an outsider point of view (I have a very movie-like style of writing) but in my experience with First I have discovered that it can feel very natural and comfortable, too =)

With First person I feel more in contact with the character telling the story, and that is great, but there is at least one major advantage that writing in Third person has over writing in First:

In my stories, sometimes I describe things that are happening outside of the point of view of any character. I give the full picture of events that my characters only find out about later, and that is definitely something that you cannot do when you write in First.

 

[Steerpike]

You could do it, but it would be awkward I think.

 

[Jamber]

I'm not sure I agree that 3d person can't be as intimate as 1st. I certainly don't agree with the implication that you have to be in third person to switch viewpoint characters. That's demonstrably false simply by walking into a bookstore.

Steerpike, I agree completely -- it's quite common. But I can also see JA's point.

For me, in 1st point of view switches the reader has to stop and make sense of the change, as it breaks a small but fundamental belief (or conceit) of first person telling: that 'this is solely and wholly my story' (the reward for such close identification being that you know your character survives to tell the story). It seems to me that some of the joys of first person narration are removed by swapping narrators, and a metafictional element is introduced whether it wants to be there or not. I find it clunky.

By contrast third person switches are completely within the bounds of third person generally (including omniscient). We know when reading third person that there's an author behind it all, so there's no surprise when there's a head swap; the author is both entirely out of the story and always arranging things (like a good invisible puppet-master).

I always wonder why first person switch writers who aren't playing at the edges of metafiction choose the latter tactic when third person might suit their core narrative better. The only answer I can come up with is that they simply like first person and can't think of how else to incorporate different storylines. Then again I'm probably a bit old fashioned in how I read. Still, it's about finding the best method to tell a story -- I wonder how many writers who switch first person perspectives think through the various effects and consider what suits the work best, even if it isn't their natural mode?

cheers
Jennie