Liberating First Person

When it comes to writing, one of the most important decisions an author makes is which point of view to use. Most of the fiction I read uses third person, specifcially limited third person (also called single-third). The pronouns are "he" or "she", never "I" or "me".

In the past, I have always used third person. I vaguely recall using first person for a story I wrote in high school, but on the whole, I've used third person singular. This doesn't mean I had only one character, but rather that the character's thoughts are limited to a scene or chapter, switching to another character's third-singular point of view (POV) later.

You can imagine my surprise when I sat down to start my most recent story (set in 1774 Boston) and the words started pouring out in first person. I typed away Kate Johnson's thoughts (my character) and at about 1,000 words, I took a break, read what I had written and wondered if it would be safer to write the same scene in third person. So I opened a new document and started typing. After two paragraphs, I realized it was hopeless. If this story and set of characters was going to work, it had to be told through Kate's thoughts and personality alone.

At 7,000 words in, I find using first person challenging yet refreshing. I have the chance to make the story much more personal and bring the character competely to life. The entire story is told from one person's POV, similar to real life where we have one mind to interpret the world around us. Just like real life, it can be frustrating. We never really know what another person is thinking unless they tell us. A lot of times, as readers, we expect to know how two or more characters think, but this is impossible in first person. The dance between a solder and a woman out of place becomes more complicated and subtle; we must be convinced of their feelings through dialogue and actions alone.

I finished my first book last year, and know I am capable of finishing a 300+ page work. Now I have a new challenge: see if I can finish a 300+ page work told through the eyes of one person.