[DanaC]

Good point griff.

The two styles each have something different to offer. First person is immediate and direct. It invites the reader to associate directly in to the experience of the character/narrator. But it has limitations: it does not allow the 'God' perspective, which would invite the reader to associate directly into more than one character and see the wider setting.

All depends what you want from your reader really.


As a minor point I'd also say that 1st person is easier to get wrong. Or, rather, it either works completely or it doesn't work at all. 3rd person is slightly more forgiving I think.

My own preference, as a reader, is 3rd person (though I quite like it when something jumps between the two). As a writer, I have an attraction to the first person style, because it has a big impact and forces you to get to grips with your character's internal world. I often find, though, that whilst I might start a story in 1st person, I then find myself wanting to jump to 3rd person because it allows for a greater reach. One of my favourite styles, both to read and to write is the narrator style: a first person perspective on a third person story. So, you have a character from the story telling the reader the story from a future point.