Every story has a narrative. Has a voice. Someone is telling the story. As an author, you choose what kind of voice a story has. Whether there is an all-knowing narrator, or the voice of a character within the story. First person is one of these voices. It is often used to express the view of the protagonist in the story, and very occasionally, to tell the story of the protagonist from another point of view.
Here are three examples of the same story that I wrote recently to experiment with point of view.
Narrative examples
First Person
My red cloak flapped around the backs of my knees as I stared at the man before me. He wasn’t a handsome man, but he was taller than any man I have met before. I tilted my head as the man avoided locking eyes with me. What was he hiding?
I took a step towards him, my hand stretched out. He flinched. I stopped. What was he afraid of?
Shannon Weston
In this extract, it is clear we are in the protagonist’s head. Not only does the narrator—the protagonist—use the pronoun I, they are in charge of the action. They describe what they see and the movements of their own body.
The reader sees everything how this protagonist sees things. On this narrative, the reader will have the same knowledge of the protagonist, or at least, the knowledge that the protagonist wants us to know about. This extract does not give us a description or a name of the character because they haven’t chosen to give one. All we know is that they wear a red cloak and there is a strange, tall man afraid of them.
However, they compel us as they explored their surroundings, clearly just as unfamiliar to them as it is to the reader.
Third Person Limited
Gretel’s red cloak flapped in the wind as she stared at the man before her. She didn’t think him to be that handsome but he was taller than any man she had met before, but it didn’t frighten her. Her instincts were strong and she knew this man posed no threat to her. Gretel tilted her head as the man avoided eye-contact. He was hiding something, she could see that, but she didn’t know what. She took a step closer, her hand reached out to him, her green eyes shone with awe.
The man flinched back and Gretel stopped, her head tilted the other way. The man seemed to be weary of her.
Shannon Weston
In this Third Person Limited, the narrator is an observer. The pronouns, he and she gives this away. What makes this the “limited” kind is that the narrator only slips into Gretel’s mind and not the nameless man’s mind as well.
Like first person narrative, the reader is limited to the knowledge Gretel knows, and the knowledge the narrator knows about her. However, the narrative is distant enough for the little bits Gretel may not want the readers to know slip out through the narrator’s description. Gretel is not in control of what is being told in the same way as she is in the first person narrative.
The Reminiscent and Unreliable Narrators
The Reminiscent Narrator is the character that can recall everything that happened in their life to the utter-most detail without flaw. True, some events, that may be the case. Ruby in The Darkest Minds experiences a tragic event that I am sure every details are ingrained in her mind.
However, some backstories may need to be told without a tragic event. Maybe the character had lived in a time that was previously good and now it had gone to pot. This character reminisces on the good times. But memory is fickle. It fades or can be changed over time. It’s usually why a witness’s statement can be deemed unreliable in crime scenes, especially in times of stress.
This type of narrative is interesting because the author can play around with the reminiscent narrator and make their account as reliable and unreliable as needed.
The Unreliable Narrator does not have to centre around past events. Gillian Flynn demonstrates this in his book, Gone Girl. Both central characters lie to the readers from the beginning, telling different points of view of their marriage and relationship. This is what I meant earlier when I said the character is in control of what is shared with the reader.
Their own bigotries may not seem bigotries to them and so they will see the world and themselves without those flaws. Usually, these biases reveal themselves as the story moves on. The character slips, or interactions from other characters may force the truth.
Alternative First Person Narratives
Inside My Head by Jim Carrington uses alternative first person narratives. If anything, this book alone is proof of the bias voices characters can give when their story is told in first person. It follows the perspective of three teenagers: Gary, who is bullied; Zoe, the new girl, and David who is the friend of the bully.
Each chapter is clearly labeled by using the character’s name to tell the reader who is telling the story. Similarly, Good Kings, Bad Kings uses this method. Used well, it is a great tool for writers to tell the story from several character’s perspective and give different voices as an alternative to Third Person Omniscient.
Types of First Person Monologue
Interior monologue is probably the first type of first-person narrative a new writer may use; experienced writers will also use this type. It is the type above, with my character’s own thoughts, logic and feeling as she explores the surrounding environment. The character lives in the moment – or at least is present as they tell us the past.
Dramatic Monologue is one that breaks the fourth wall. They are aware they are telling us a story—it is as if we are a character in the book and they are addressing us in some way. It could be through a letter or diary entry
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1942
Diary of a Young Girl — Anne Frank
Dearest Kitty! Let me get started right away; it’s nice and quiet now. Father and Mother are out and Margot has gone to play Ping-Pong with some other young people at her friend Trees’s. I’ve been playing a lot of Ping-Pong myself lately. So much that five of us girls have formed a club. It’s called “The Little Dipper Minus Two”. A really silly name, but it’s based on a mistake.
Although the above is an autobiography, it demonstrates the dramatic monologue well. Anne addresses her diary as a friend. She is telling events that happened to a character—a friend—she has invented within the diary as she hopes that the diary will one day be read.
Fictional characters can also do something similar. Either through speaking to a character or the audience throughout (still with the I pronoun), or through a diary entry. Alan Bennett uses dramatic monologue in his book Talking Heads.
Advantages of Writing in First Person Narrative
First person narrative is a useful tool for writers. It lets you get into the darkest part of the protagonist’s mind, brings both reader and writer closer to the character. It is the most straightforward and simple story technique—although all writing techniques have their drawbacks and difficulties.
Limitless ability to show feelings and biases
This technique enables the writer to show the narrator’s biases and passions without any limit. Also, because it is told by a single character, accessing their thoughts is easy and smooth. The reader can tell what the characters are thinking without a secondary narrator slipping it in and filtering the intensity.
Fears, hopes, loves, passions, hatred. It all comes from how the character portrays themselves through their actions and thoughts in certain situations. It brings the reader closer to the character and builds on the empathy, which might help the readers to forgive the character’s flaws. Understanding and empathy can go a long way. Especially if their motivation and logic is clear and understandable by their backstory.
Some writers, such as Emma Donahue and Patrick Ness, purposely use idiolect, colloquialism and grammar mistakes to give a more authentic voice, and it works. Have a look at The Chaos Walking Trilogy and Room to see what I mean.
This is limited to dialogue with a third person narrative. The voice of the character’s may not come out as clearly in third person narrative.
Hide Exposition
Additionally, it is a little easier to hide exposition into first person narrative by turning it into character’s thoughts. However, this can also be a drawback. Sometimes, writers will hide exposition in the first person narrative when it could easily be shown within the story, maybe at a later time. This is one that may both help and hinder a writer.
First Person Narrative allows an author to create a character with a clear voice that draws the reader into the character’s world.
Write a short story in first person, no more than 500 words. Find your exposition and see if there is a way you can get that exposition to be shown threw action.
Impersonation
First person narrative allows an author to be in the head of any character they choose to be in. Elsewhere has a few chapters from the point of view of Lucy, a dog. Their logic to where their owner has gone is understandable.
In my creative writing degree, we had a task to write from the point of view of an inanimate object, such as a clock, a chair, a table. Please feel free to have a go and let me know how you get on in the comments.
Limited view
Although this is a disadvantage as well, if handled correctly, it can be an advantage. As long as the character is active enough and they are getting results, we are compelled to want to know more. Especially if there is conflict or danger in them finding out that information.
Protagonist as Anything But the Hero
The protagonist can be any character whatsoever. As much as I hate this book, The Great Gatsby is told by Nick Carriageway who comes along to Gatsby’s events and parties.
As long as your character is active and has a character arch of their own, the story can focus on any other character. Think of Little Red Riding Hood and tell the story from the point of view of the grandmother. Let me know how you get on in the comments.
Disadvantages of Writing in First Person
Repetition
First person narratives run the risk of being repetitive. It is almost impossible to not overuse the word I. First drafts of pieces with this narrative may make the character seem self-centred, whiny, unlikable. However, by focusing on another character (as Gretel does in my first person piece) and the surrounds may help to deter this.
Description of the surroundings and characters is always important, but should also be used in first person narrative to break up the self-centred vibes of the character. It is a difficult balance that must be managed, because the character must be centre stage, but not to the degree that they are annoying to the reader.
Writing as Self
Another disadvantage of the first person can be the writer’s inability to detach themselves from the character. By writing in first person, an author is more likely to put themselves in their writing. This is not a bad thing, everyone does it. It is unavoidable to some degree. However, writers who are new to the craft may not realise how much of themselves they have put in the story.
I did the same with my first story. I gave it to friends to read. Every single one of them said the main character was me and tried to see if they were in the story too. The interesting thing was that all the other characters were fiction—some of the habits and traits would have been what I observed, but they wouldn’t be links to just one single person I knew. It was the distance from I that helped with this.
But, writing characters based on yourself might actually make them seem less convincing, especially if you are not aware of it.
I tend to write third person now, it is just my preferred style, but I am sure that my first draft of a piece in first person would be drawn from myself. As long as you are aware of it, you can iron it out and make the character convincing in later drafts.
Limited view points
Third Person Omniscient allows the narrator to slip into the head of any and all character. They know everything that there is to know as they switch from one character to the next.
Third Person limited has the story told by an outsider. This stops the bias from the first character seeping in, and there are still little hints, perhaps in the description of something or in the action of the character, that will give the reader information that the protagonist may not be aware of at the time.
However, with first person narrative, we are limited to the information that the character knows. This may be counteracted with interaction from other characters, but for the majority of the story, what the character knows, we know.
Describing the Narrator
This is almost impossible. Unless the character looks at a mirror, a photo, or a reflection in the water, they will not be fully aware of their presence. Trying to describe how they look in this way can come across as clumsy if it is not done just right.
There may be ways around it. Maybe they’re a teenager who died their hair and their parents are angry about it. Maybe they are vain and the slightest bit of acne upsets them. But unless it is important to the story, the way they look may not come through.
Protagonist’s knowledge & Passiveness
There is a danger that the protagonist knows too much when writing in first person. You want them to know little about what is around them so that they explore their surroundings to find out answers. It has to be harder than having a conversation with the right person.
If your character only has conversations to figure things out, or lightening bulb moments, then they risk becoming passive.
Passive characters are bad! Protagonists especially need to be active. Their lack of knowledge should help them become active if used correctly. Have them break into a locked room to get a book or a scroll. Have them stumble on evidence or witness an event. But, personally, I’d avoid earwigging. Make it harder than that. Add danger. Conflict.
Is First Person Narrative a good narrative?
First Person Narrative is a good narrative. In fact, there is no such thing as a bad narrative. However, you must be aware of the advantages and disadvantages so that your story comes to life from the page. It is used by both new and experienced writers.
Jacqueline Wilson in particular is fond of first person narrative. Her characters come to life as the children try to navigate an adult world.
What did you think of this post? I hope you enjoyed it, and do have a look at third person narrative if you would like to know more. Also, find me on Facebook and twitter.
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