Many of you know I’ve started writing my first novel. I have to be honest, I’ve been struggling like crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem writing, but with a novel, it all comes out awkward and weird. I think it’s because I’ve been trying to write the way “standard” modern novels are written, which is in third person limited. Here’s the skinny:
Third person means I tell a story about someone else.
Limited means that as the narrator, I only know what the current character knows.
Limited also means that I don’t actually talk to the reader, but rather the character’s actions and words tell the story.
That format is the most common, and supposedly the easiest to write in. Quite frankly, however, it’s kicking my butt. So I read up a bit on other narrative voices, etc. I read about third person omniscient. That’s like third person limited, but you’re not limited to a single character’s perspective. Basically, you get to float around like God and see in everyone’s head, etc. I like that. 🙂
The downside is that writing in third person omniscient requires really good writing, because it’s harder to develop individual characters. The advantages, I hope, will outweigh that for me. I guess we’ll just see. Here’s what I see as the advantages that play into my hand as a writer:
1) I get to be all-knowing. That’s always nice.
2) I can address the reader, because I’m separated a bit from each character. I’m telling a story more than showing the story.
3) I don’t have to beat around the bush regarding details. I can show a character’s limited view, but I’m not limited to it myself.
It makes it more difficult to make characters that readers will care about, but hopefully I’ll be able to pull it off. At the very least, I hope my writing will flow easier, even if the end product isn’t very good. 😉
Well, remember that what you’re writing is the first draft, not the finished product. That means you can write it any way you want – go nuts with the 3rd omniscient – and only after you’ve gotten the whole story done do you need to worry about making it sound good to a reader.
Anyhoo, good luck with it. Come join the Whateveresque team for Nanowrimo. 🙂