After becoming interested in writing short fiction thanks to Stephen King’s exceptional book, On Writing, I found myself at a bit of a crossroad. I faced the question all new writers eventually face when they attempt to place pen to paper: Should I write in first person or third person?

If you’ve looked into the matter, you’ve probably read a few strong pieces of advice stating to write in first person when first starting out, as it’s believed to be easier. As a writer that started out jotting down quick short stories in first person, I can’t help but agree … perhaps because it’s easier to imagine a story from your point of view rather than a God like narrator’s.

Question of ease aside, I’d like to explore the choice of writing in first or third person itself, and furthermore, the best way to make a decision for your story.

First of all, let’s look at the differences:

First Person

This perspective of storytelling consists of I, me, my, we, our, and so on. Because we speak in first person most of the time, the perspective is considered casual or informal to the literary world

Third Person

This perspective on the other hand consists of he, she, his, hers, their, they, etc. Unlike first person, this form isn’t usually used in everyday speak — unless you’re that weirdo referring to themselves in third person, — therefore it’s considered formal to the literary world.

While it might be true that a disturbing percentage of educated, professional people can’t write, I recently read an article (Wired maybe?) that covered an experiment conducted to measure the effects the web had on the writing of present day; presuming it was about to reveal that we were all monkeys on keyboards, I read on. To my surprise, the article revealed that the experiment had recorded an unprecedented amount of writing going on in present day thanks to the social web. As you may or may not know, the web has become a very social place with sites like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and blogging platforms.

The point is this: There is a lot of writing going on, and 99% of it is probably in first person.

This said, it all comes down to the story at hand. If you’re writing a story about someone experiencing something others might not get a chance to experience, whether a good thing or bad, you should consider using first person. First person will provide a sense of immediacy and authenticity that third person might not do such a good job with. For example, a story about an assistant working their way through the movie business in Los Angeles might be pretty interesting to experience from first person. On the flip side, a story about a cop in the bad part of town might also be effective as a story told in first person. Both examples would work for the same reason — the reader will experience the story from a close vantage point. If either story were told in third, they might be exciting and entertaining all the same, but those feelings created from first person would be missed.

How to decide between first or third person perspective

Now comes time to make a decision! You’ve got a great idea for a story, you’re excited by the character, you’re connected with the theme, yet you’re still not sure which perspective would work best.

Again, consider the relationship between story and reader when deciding which perspective to write. Will the reader benefit from experiencing the story in first person? If not, maybe it’s time to give third person a whirl? If you’re not quite comfortable enough to write in third person, consider writing in first.

It all comes down to two things:

1. The story – every decision made should serve the story

2. Comfort – you should be comfortable with the perspective you choose.

Whether you decide first person or third person perspective for your story is ultimately up to you — there are no rules or formula to follow, you simply need the passion to tell your story, a comfort zone you’re aware of, and a sense of what form will serve your story and reader best.

For more about writing short stories, check out Stephen King’s book, On Writing — it’s one of those books that you’ll wish you would have found it earlier.

If there’s anything true about writers, it’s most likely that they usually compile a vast collection of books in very little time — so what books have you found helpful with your own writing?

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