Writing First Person: What You Need to Know

When people talk about writing a book in first person, they usually talk about two major struggles. Your main character has to be likeable, and you have to be careful not to infodump. For character likeability, that's an incredibly vague concept. How do you make a character likeable? And to avoid infodumping, how to do you weave exposition into your story? Let's explore those questions!

How to Choose a Point of View:

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//VIDEO CHAPTERS//
Introduction - 00:00
Character Likeability - 00:56
Ferris Bueller - 01:55
The Fault In Our Stars - 05:00
Exposition - 07:46

[DebErelene]

Perfect comment about "those books weren't written for you". It's so freeing, as a writer, to realize you're not writing for everyone.

[ricardosobral]

Masterpiece casually playing in the background

[Avionne_Parris]

The points you made about Ferris Beuller were spot on! I think he's a great way to make a main character likeable without being boring as he has particular traits that make him unique like sporty things and nerdy things while at the same time nothing too concrete that could put him into a clique or category.

Furthermore, this was during the 80s where most movies had those stereotypical roles: Jock, nerd, princess, goth, etc. What also makes Ferris work is having his worry-wart and always-by-the-rule-book best friend, Cameron state all the things we were probably yelling at the screen. The fact that the dean was insufferable might've help too lolz.

[garykotowski]

Adam. My novel has just been professionally edited, and I begin the query adventure soon. The only media I consume is writing channels on YouTube. Your videos are not only funny as hell but very helpful. I'm going to subscribe and hit 'like' buttons for all your shit.

[MrRosebeing]

First person point of view is probably the easiest point of view to use for writing, especially short stories. Even after forty years of writing I still haven't mastered it, though. I don't write in first person pov very much.

[Narrlina]

I have to go to bat for first person narrators who talk directly to the audience by some twist of plot or worldbuilding. They can dump all the info they want on me, as long as they are doing it in-character. Feels like going on a trip with a friend. Or a snarky lecturer talking down to you. It's so much more personal and the easiest way to use exposition to introduce a character by highlighting what they focus on in a scene they're describing. Char A might talk at length about the fascinating magic system behind conjuring fire elemental creatures while Char B focuses on how to fight them - and Char C will explain the best way to get out of a burning building your stupid mage friend set on fire. Again. (Not based on real events or existing original characters.)

[fathomcolcleaser]

Thank you for this. I actually love writing in first person. I love the idea of the reader going on an adventure with me. But most of the readers I talk to like this POV the least. And many opt out when they find out the story is written in first person. I know that like you said you can't write for everyone but how do you insert the hook in a first person to get over that initial hump of 'i don't like first person?'

[gorequillnachovidal]

Actually. American Psycho is a master class in this. With everyone being so interchangeable we hear people say bad things about Bateman TO Bateman because they think he is somewhere else. Both the move and book is the final doctorate thesis on 1st Person POV

[Skittles.x]

Love the fact he s watching totoro in the background 🤪

[XYouVandal]

just found your channel and I am finding it incredibly useful.

[mr.e]

this was honestly super helpful I knew probably 42.67% of what he had to say but the other half was really helpful

[Bizarro]

I jumped on the horse and tweeted: 'man I need a new ride!'

[jasonlouro]

Kicking off 2022 by writing first person!!

[fullmetalwolf]

I'm working on a book series called "The Lost Wolf." You have any idea's what the story is all about, let me know in the comments.

[adambassett]

Getting into first person more lately. Used to think it was a worse form of storytelling but I'm really starting to appreciate it as I read more of it. 🙂

[BlueSky-ufoy]

Is Campfire Blaze going to be released on Steam in the future?

[lifeinsaltlakecity]

I'm a quarter of the way through a bleak, future noire with paranormal and romance elements. (Because I'm stupid, and a masochist).

1st person narrative, lots of inner monologue. It's something that's almost a trope in noire, and I love it provided the character is interesting. (intelligent, nihilistic, self destructive).

But it won't save you from a dogshit exposition dump. So I'm doing my best to connect the exposition to his world views and experiences, which are also vital to the plot and his character arc.

Still a bitch though, as you're always trying to keep it under control, not over doing it.

And it's also challenging because that type of narrative (think the Scorsese films), while almost a genre expectation, invites over-telling.

Ultimately, I'm saying fuck it, I'll let the editor trim whatever fat he thinks needs to go. I'm writing what I and our audience wants to read.

[AlexanderBennett]

Dissing Lotr? You might be losing some cred there.

Most interesting use was in the The Dresden Files, which is narrated by Dresden, but some of the short stories aren't and they create a fasinating view of the world, the other characters and Dresden himself because you get to see him from another perspective. It's important to remember with 1st person, your narrator can be wrong, and probably are regularly, because most people are fallible.

[gorequillnachovidal]

as soon as he said "wish fulfillment" I turned off.

[epiccthulu]

I'd say the best concept for a first person character is to surround them with more interesting people he/she/they can talk about and compare themselves to. "...And there goes Bob, looking like some cookie-cutter Chad from Chads-R-Us. I won't blame him for his blonde hair and blue eyes, and the women that chase him I wouldn't chase myself, but I could damn him for how smug he is about it. Though he isn't all bad, I have a about twelve inches on him. So I get to stare down at...I'm talking about his height...perverts."