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Monday, June 25, 2012

Contemplation on First Person Point of View


An Amazon writer/reader forum was a question about first person point of view and seeking comment on the beginning of the poster's story. It prompted me to look at my own works in which I've used first person, but in different ways. I'll list them here and if you want to find them on Amazon and do a look inside you'll see what I mean. I took a class once at KU from James Gunn, the classic sci-fi writer who said that first person POV was the most difficult to do, but when done well, the most powerful.

3 Very Quirky Tales: 2nd story called It Was Me (I) is normal first person

Blue Kansas Sky, snooker short story: normal first person

Crazy About You, novel: first person but with a twist. At times the narrator takes a step forward in time and looks back and able to use his gained wisdom to contemplate the story.

Downswing, golf short story: first person (is this and the snooker short story the narrowest of fiction genres?)

One More Victim, novella: first person from three different years. This is my most downloaded work. Has Holocaust element.

The Saltness of Time, novella: This is an interesting one, rather a steal from Joseph Conrad. The real first person point of view is a listener, but of course the narrator is also in first person as he tells his story to the listener.

Then and Now, novel: First person but with a twist. The writer addresses the reader and then writes a different character's section in third person and then again addresses the reader in the first person as the author commenting on what he has written. I always thought it set up an interesting tension with a hell of a payoff at the end. I cry every time I reread that damn book.

2 comments:

  1. Tag, you're it: http://katysozaeva.blogspot.com/2012/06/liebster-blog-award.html

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    Replies
    1. 1. What is the weirdest thing you have ever done in public?

      Sang a country western song I composed and wrote the lyrics:

      I can't stop seeing you,
      Though you want me to
      For in my pickup when I drive
      You're always by my side.

      I can't stop seeing you
      Thought you want me to
      For at our favorite bar
      They all ask where you are

      (three more stanzas)

      2. Why did you get into blogging?

      So I could make myself miserable by promoting my works and having so few people, especially friends, buy them.

      3. Whose idea was all this, anyway?

      Gin-infused brain

      4. What is your favorite genre to read?

      Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu series. What genre is that?

      5. What is your favorite genre to write, just for you?

      I hate genres. Hate, hate, hate. What genre is Dante? How did we get into the categorization mess? I blame Aristotle.

      6. What is your favorite book you wrote?

      Everyone one of them. But when I reread "Then and Now" damn book always makes me cry at the end

      7. Do you have a favorite book? If so, what is it?

      I used to reread, once a year, Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness"

      8. What kind of music do you like to listen to?

      When I get depressed I put on the pianist's Kemp's Bach, Handel and Gluck. This is the music that I want when I'm on my death bed. Does that count?

      9. Favorite food?

      Tagliatelle con burro and a good chianti

      10. (this is bloody exhausting) Will you still be friends with me after all this?
      If not, what friends would I have?

      11. There is no question 11! You're welcome (hopefully this will relate to Question 10).

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