Please do.🙏🏻🧐😁👍
Discussion
I like to be a ghost or third person when reading fiction. It allows the reader to retain their own character, world view and morality.
I don't mind reading characters thoughts but I want to retain agency of myself, it allows me to decide when to empathise with whom and for reasons defined by me. I don't mind a narrator style guide.
When the story is written as the first person it forces me to inhabit a character, suddenly I have to understand the history and motivations of a person I do not know. I have to internalise their/his monologue and pretend to understand his feelings, fears and ambition in spite of the fact that I can barely relate to him seeing as I prefer to retain agency while studying characters and judging them.
A good book in this style has a narrators feel seeing as the older Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island is giving account of his life and adventures. This puts you in a position of being guided by a narrator to better understand the person but you are still given respect as a spectator of the tale.
If I am forced to be a character in the novel I have cognitive dissonance and I struggle to be immersed in the story. Is basically what I am trying to say.
Thank you very much for taking the time to explain your feelings about this; it's a valuable perspective that, up until now, I have not consciously considered...🤔🧐🤨😀
You've given me an opportunity to reflect on my choice of first person narrative style in most of my fiction.
At its core, I suspect mine is a rather selfish choice; truth be told, I write fiction mostly for myself, an escape from "the real world" into some more desirable alternate universe where my fantasies are realized.
And, I also suppose I haven't considered your viewpoint because mine is quite different; when I read fiction and fantasy, I have a strong desire to descend into the story, to become--at least for a time-- the character experiencing the unfolding events.
Robert A. Heinlein is my favorite author of science fiction, and his voice of choice is predominantly first person; I have little doubt this has also influenced my own writing.
And so, thank you again, my friend, for sharing your perspective and bringing your reaction to my attention.🙏🏻😁 You've given me something new to think about.😃
Should you happen to be able to overcome your aversion to first person and read my story, I would value hearing your response.🙏🏻😀👍