Thursday, June 14, 2012

First Person POV

I write in first person POV, which means my stories are "I did..." and "The water brushed my toes...". I like to think that the reader might be listening to someone telling them the story.

BUT

I have people read my work and hate it with a passion. The comments are: It's too personal. You can't read a sex scene where you're in it. You can't develop characters in first person (even though she liked my hero, who was not the story teller).

It's been a huge debate for me whether to continue with this way of writing or to change. In the last 2 years I've made a commitment to continue with first person, but some days my commitment wavers in the face of strong criticism.

I want to write in the first person because I strongly believe in it as a form of communication. In reality, you only ever know one person's side to any story - yours. You hear other people speak their side, but you still interpret it your way. So, to me, first person is closest to reality.

Most romances aren't written in first person and I wonder if that's because we don't want romance to be real. We want the story where we know how each person loves the other and we fight for both of them to overcome their hurdles to end up together.

I think my romances are real... but I have to admit I struggle getting the happily ever after ending. I go for the happy for now ending - it's more realistic :)

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