Questions tagged [grammatical-person]
Questions about the point of view of the narrator of a work.
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Blending First and Third Person: A Wording Question
I'm writing a book with a blending of first and third person, and it switches whenever I need it to and not across chapters. The third person follows every character until the perspective changes to ...
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Me, myself, or I? Which should I use?
In sentences such as the following, which is the proper pronoun to use and why?
All crew members other than me/myself/I should evacuate immediately.
Which pronoun is the appropriate one when it ...
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Writing from the First Person Singular vs. Plural
I encounter non-fiction books written by a single author who uses the first person plural to disclose findings:
"we found that this and that happened"
or
"we already discussed such and ...
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To rewrite or not to rewrite?
so basically, i am writing a story where there are two main characters. every chapter, the perspective swaps between the two main characters. the thing is, i'm writing the story in third person past ...
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What's the origin of the third person limited viewpoint?
I have searched for the origins and earliest instances of the third person limited viewpoint (TPL), but almost nobody talks about that. I got tired of seeing articles saying "Harry Potter is an ...
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I'm so angry! How can I show that in an interesting way?
This is in a sense a part two to my question on English Stack Exchange about replacement for word "bullshit", which I decided would better fit on this site.
A bit of background
Optional ...
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How to write Man vs. Self conflict?
CONTEXT: The action of my story takes place in a typical dystopian world, where society is harshly indoctrinated and restricted. The main character, who needs to raise money for his family, joins the &...
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I'm writing short stories in first-person view. How to include dialogue where there main character is not present?
I've started to write a book of short stories about a quirky nerdy guy and his growth into an adult man (see here for a description). I got a recommendation to use first-person narration.
While about ...
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How do I reveal the character identity from a first person point of view?
I am writing a book, and I'm trying to figure out how to reveal the main character's identity. It is a crime book set in modern day and is a story told in the perspective of a serial killer. I plan ...
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Does the title of a work have to be in the same person as the work?
In a recent work I wrote, the body of it is, as in most of what I write, in the third person. However, my title is in first person, using the word “we.”
Is this is an acceptable thing to do? Does the ...
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Sudden diary entry within a 3rd person limited story
I'm writing a 3rd person limited multi-pov Sci-Fi. The thoughts of whatever POV is being followed at any point are sometimes shown in italicized writing. Suddenly, 42K words in, starting off chapter ...
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When the main character talks to the camera, is that 3rd person or another technical term for point of view?
When the main character in Fleabag and Miranda TV series, talks to the camera, is that 3rd person or another technical term for the point of view?
It's often used in TV adverts I notice too.
They talk ...
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Questions in third person narration
I'm writing in the past tense, and in third person. Is it appropriate to include questions, like this?
A spell to conceal her would be helpful. If there was such a spell, of course. She turned back. ...
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Switching Between First and Third Person
So I've started writing a book. It's set in present time, but is going to be interwoven with flashbacks to a few years ago to explain how the character(s) got to this scenario in present time. I was ...
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Describing unrelated events in first person viewpoints
How can I describe a scene in a short story with the first-person point of view, when the main character isn't taking part in the action, or even viewing the event?
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Are there rules related to tense used? [closed]
I started my novel in third person, past tense, then I changed it to third person present tense, then I changed it to first person present tense, and now I've changed it to first person past tense. I ...
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Can the first-person narrator use both past and present tenses?
My first person narrator is telling his story in the past tense but there are present tense realities too that get me confused what tense to use.
For instance, here are two paragraphs:
When I came ...
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Does first-person have to be "recounted" after the fact?
I'm writing a horror short-story, and at the end the main character dies and his partner is whisked away forever. I had intended to write it in first-person, because the narrative becomes more ...
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How Should I Write my Character Discovering Superpowers? [closed]
Does anyone have any tips on introducing your m/c's superpowers? My novel is set as a supernatural teen flick playing on the roles of the cliche. My m/c is told she has powers and as it's written in ...
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How to write the thoughts of a character in a drunken POV scene?
One of my POV characters is an overthinker. Partly because she wishes to stop thinking so much, and partly because of peer pressure, she gets super drunk... and ends up doing something that she would ...
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Im wondering if for a unique writing tactic, could i shift from first to third person?
As a way to show exposition of my characters background,In a dream sequence could I use third person POV? Just wondering if this could work, as Im an aspiring writer and i'm looking for a way to make ...
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Tense change when referring to how protagonist currently is while he is describing events
I have written a novel that I want to send out to agents, but I'm now having doubts as to whether it is polished enough to do so yet. A big problem for me right now is tense.
My novel is written in ...
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What is this writing style called and how can I remove pronouns?
Some background. I am currently in the editing phase of my dissertation and I have no clue what 'tense?'/'personage?'/writing 'style?' I have used.
For example consider the sentence, "In this ...
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How do I avoid using to many "I and My in first person narratives [duplicate]
To give you a little context below.
"Yesterday, I was smiling, and tomorrow, I will try to hold my head up high. But today, tears welled up in my eyes, as my worst fear looked me in the eyes as my ...
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How to write in the first person showing that someone is drunk?
So I want to write a scene from a teenage girl in 1st-person present tense. She's drunk. I've never been drunk before, so I can't tap into personal experience to make this relatable and/or realistic. ...
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Multiple First Person Narrators: how should I differentiate?
I am writing a novel (it will eventually be a series of five novels) and there are multiple first-person narrators.
Each chapter starts of with the character's name in parentheses after the chapter ...
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When am I using "I" too much?
Chuck Palahniuk is an author quite well known for writing first-person stories. He has a simple piece of advice for others who wish to do so as well: "Have your narrator say 'I' as little as possible."...
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First or third person [duplicate]
I'm sitting with a bit of a dilemma.
I'm writing a novel and I'm struggling with the decision of whether I should use first or third person.
I prefer third person, also prefer to read novels written ...
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How can I portray a character with no fear of death, without them sounding utterly bored?
Imagine a fantasy hero with a 'time reset' ability like the protagonists of Groundhog Day or Edge of Tomorrow: they can 'rewind time' up to a few hours, resetting their own physical state and the rest ...
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How do I portray irrational anger in first person?
Characters (and people) get angry at all sorts of things that might not make sense to the outside observer: Marty McFly and the word "chicken," words that are terrible slurs to one population but ...
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1st person addressing a narrator
I'm writing a story in first person, but with a third person narrator for the secondary character. I was wondering if there were any books or stories to research how the first person character could ...
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Should I write in a style that is more conducive to a situation I am describing or write it the way I normally write?
I am writing a short story that describes a dream that I had as a child. I wrote a first rough draft and had my girlfriend read it to give me some feedback. One thing she criticized is my writing ...
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In one book can one narrator be in present and the other in past?
I'm currently planning a book series that is told from the first person perspective of 5 different characters. I have a different voice for all of the characters, but I think that 2 of the characters ...
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How would you write dialog in a 1st person story?
I'm a novice writer working on my first book. I've made the story 1st person from the perspective of the main character. The way I've been writing dialog goes as such:
C1: "So, where are you guys ...
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Describing Pain in First Person Present Tense [duplicate]
Just a scene I pictured- (Character receives a syringe in the chest but doesn't feel the after pain until a moment later)
Ex:
Johnny begins to feel a burning like sensation in his chest that's more ...
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Is using first person in academic/technical essays always bad?
For as long as I can remember, my teachers have taught me never to use first person in an essay. Yet, some of the examples we read in classes, or older writings we have to annotate, are written in ...
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What point of view is best to write a visual novel in?
I am currently working on a visual novel, and I am wondering if I should write it in first or third person. Which method is better to show all the characters’ experiences but keep the player engaged ...
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In a first-person web novel, how to make the reader aware of a motivator the POV is unaware of?
In my novel, the MC (and POV character) spares an enemy. He spared the enemy because he empathized/identified himself with them, but he was not aware of it. Later on he will understand his feelings ...
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How to best develop a history based on characters POV, reflections and experiences
I have several monologues of 6 characters. Each monologue starts with a little reflection, then tells an experience or an event the character had to deal with, and finally, concludes with something ...
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Point of view switching
I want to write a story mainly in third person, occasionally switching to first person. How would I do that most effectively?
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Switching POV from First to Third [duplicate]
I have written a complete book. However, as I was revising, I noticed that what I have in first person does not work entirely. I also noticed that I constantly invade the thoughts of the other ...
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first point of view and the problem of opinion
Is it better for first person POV to be treated in the same way as third person POV meaning that the POV person withholds opinions? (So the reader can form them?) Or is it okay to establish conflict ...
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Is head-hopping always bad?
The general consensus nowadays seems to be that being in the head of more than one character is bad. We should be "on the shoulders" or "in the head" of one character, and one character only, if not ...
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First person, third person [closed]
So I'm writing a novel myself and the main character is called Jasper.
Whenever he falls asleep, he goes into the dream world type thing. Same dream, same characters, same scenes. When he falls asleep,...
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Can I state a fact in a first person story?
If I have a sentence such as this:
Footsteps were heard coming down the alley.
Can I use that in a first-person story? I don't think it's technically third-person, but it sort of feels like it's ...
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How can I avoid repetition of "I", while keeping present tense in first person? [duplicate]
I'm writing a first-person fantasy novel. I can't exactly figure out how to avoid the repetition of "I" when explaining the actions of the character. Any way I have ever seen makes the story seem like ...
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Dialogue in First Person Fiction (Detective Mystery) [closed]
Karl is my detective protagonist. His girlfriend, Jenna, is with him. He is hospitalized, and his boss, Rob Tucker, shows up for a visit. Which example of dialogue is correct? In true first person, ...
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To what extent can a first person narrative tell someone else's story?
I've recently been working on some stories written in the first person from the point of view of what, in the grand scheme of things, would be called minor characters. Examples include a junior bridge ...
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Can I assign actions to broad concepts?
Whenever I write, I run into the problem where I have to assign human actions to subjects that, when I contemplate about it, cannot realistically perform those actions. A teacher told me years ago ...
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Is there such a thing as using too Many "I's" in a first person novel?
For example, would you say this section of copy has too many "I's" or even "my's"?
I woke in a daze. A drug induced daze.
I recognized it instantly, the feeling of being disconnected from my
...
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