Point of view in fiction is all about who is telling the story. In first person, the storyteller is intimate with the reader, putting her/himself right into the story - thus, eliminating the illusion of complete objectivity in the narrator. A first person narrator is never totally objective, always the story is colored by who the narrator is. Sometimes first-person narration isn't even honest, when you choose a narrator whose viewpoint is so subjective as to be delusional or simply so self-involved as to lie.

First person has become very popular in novel length fiction and in shorter fiction for tweens and teens. It isn't a requirement for these forms, but it is popular. You rarely see first person in stories for very young children (as it can be a little confusing for preschoolers). But for writers interested in writing for older kids - it's worth learning the ins and outs of first person.

Not all first person narration is the same, and the type of narrator you choose for your story will make huge differences in the finished voice. Voice is one of the strongest benefits of first person - so whomever you choose for your narrator should be distinctive and consistent.

First Person - Main Character Narration

Most of the time, the person we choose to narrate the story is also the main character. This seems logical since the main character has the most invested in the plot and is likely to be the one we want to stick closely to. When your narrator is also your main character, you must not have any scenes in which the main character isn't present. You can rely on the "she told me" device for letting the reader know about things the narrator didn't witness but learned about later. For example, we cannot go into the principle's office for a private meeting with the narrator's parents, but we can hear about the meeting from the parents…just as the narrator would learn about the meeting.

In first person main character narrative, you need to decide on a specific verb tense for telling the story. Present tense lends a feeling of immediacy to the story. And it also carries a bit more tension since we're discovering things at the same time as the narrator. A first person narrator written in present tense might not survive the ordeal of the story.

The problem with writing in present tense is that is an unusual choice and it's very easy to slip into past tense without realizing it. For a writer choosing present tense, part of the revision step MUST BE checking all your verbs to be certain they are consistent.

Examples of First Person Present Tense narration:

Drawing the Ocean by Carolyn MacCullough
Excerpt: I can't help it. I laugh. Then I instantly feel bad. "No," I say truthfully, and there is an apologetic note in my voice. "I don't. No one's pining."

Magpie Gabbard and the Quest for the Buried Moon by Sally Keehn
Excerpt: I sit in Sweet Daddy's chair, placed firmly on the door to the Hidey-Hole, in which all our livestock now sleep except for the chickens -- roosting in the loft. Goblins have settled on the rooftop. Our chickens are clucking up a fuss. Other Goblins pace back and forth across the front porch. I hear the floorboards squeak.

In first person past tense, the narration is often a bit easier to write since that's the tense we're most familiar with. The "now" of the story is all written in past tense, with the "before" of the story written in past perfect. Some critics say that the real problem with first person past tense is that you know whatever happens in the story, the main character must have survived-otherwise, how would he be telling the story?

Example of First Person Past Tense narration:

When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
Excerpt: I'd always liked the sound of Japanese first names. "Tomo" meant "friend." I remembered learning that when I was little. It had pleased me so much that my best friend's name was "friend!" His sisters were Sachiko and Hiroko. Girl's names often ended in "ko," which means "girl" in Japanese.

I liked how Abuji had hidden our real last name in the new one he'd chosen for us. And he'd done the same for my first name as well. "Ko" meant girl, but it could also mean "the sun's rays." Rays of brightness, the same meaning as my real name.

[This is a particularly interesting book to read for viewpoint because the novel is written from two points of view, Keoko's viewpoint is in first person while her brother's viewpoint is in third person - the viewpoint switches at chapter changes.]

First Person Secondary Character Narration

Sometimes the main character of a story doesn't seem to be the right one to tell the story. This can be because the main character wouldn't make a good narrator because of personality, or it can be a choice made if the main character dies in the story. Sometimes the choice is made because a secondary character might be more honest or more objective. An example of this would be in Arthur Conan Doyle's choice of Watson as the narrator for the Sherlock Holmes stories. Holmes' personality would have lead to very different narration, and would have made the narrator strongly unlikable.

One of the dangers of a secondary character telling the story lies in having the main character flatten and seem less interesting because the secondary character's personality is so strong. One example of this is in the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. The character of Bartimaeus is actually secondary to the plotline - Nathaniel is the main character - but Bartimaeus is such a strong and engaging character that it's difficult for the reader to care deeply about the main character or his difficulties, especially as the trilogy unfolds.

Still the books are wonderful stories because Bartimaeus and his world are so interesting - even if the trade-off is lessening of the value of the overall plot arc. Bartimaeus is a demon summoned by a magician to do the magician's bidding. The magician is actually the main character and the trilogy follows his life and stuggles, but the demon is definitely the more interesting character. Also, because Bartimaeus is both a demon and strongly self-absorbed, it's also an excellent example of a highly subjective narrator - Bartimaeus' narration may not be strictly true, and the reader knows that. The pull on the reader to "read between the lines" of what Bartimaeus says is also part of the trilogy's success. Books that demand something of the reader are often more engaging.

Excerpt where Bartimaeus is talking about the main character:

He turned to the others and began giving additional instructions, but the lioness heard nothing. My tufted ears were buzzing with rage; I was so furious I could barely stand. The arrogance of it! He was happy to renege on a vow so recent its echoes were still resounding through the room! Very well, I'd go. I had little choice. But if he ever got within my power, Mandrake would rue the times he's cheated me.

First Person Independent Narrator

In some novels, the narrator's voice is very strong. He seems to know everything about everything. He can take you anywhere and show you everything but he's definitely not objective. You get a sense of a specific personality behind the narration, but the narrator isn't identified with a specific character either. And example of this is A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. In these books, the narrator addresses the reader directly and hints at being part of the story, while not revealing how he is part.

Look at how the author weaves information about the scene, the characters and himself into a mass in this excerpt from The Grim Grotto:

The Baudelaires looked at one another. The phrase "uncharted waters" does not only refer to underground locations that do not appear on charts. It is a phrase that can describe any place that is unknown, such as a forest in which every explorer has been lost, or one's own future, which cannot be known until it arrives. You don't have to be an optimist, like Phil, to find uncharted water fun. I myself have spent many an enjoyable afternoon exploring the uncharted waters of a book I have not read, or a hiding place I discovered in a sideboard, a word which here means "a piece of furniture in the dining room, with shelves and drawers to hold various useful items." But the Baudelaires had already spent a great deal of time exploring uncharted waters, from the uncharted waters of Lake Lachrymose and its terrifying creatures, to the uncharted waters of secrets found in the Library of Records at Heimlich Hospital...

This kind of narration was popular in books for children decades ago, but is very difficult to do well. Children like it when it is funny and witty at a level they can appreciate, but it requires an excellent handling of humor and voice. If done poorly, it can quickly sound strident or pedantic, like the narrator in The English Roses by Madonna:

Listen, I already told you why. Because they were a little jealous. Well, maybe more than a little. Haven't you ever been green with envy? Of felt like you were about to explode if you didn't get what somebody else had? If you say no, you are telling a big, fat fib, and I am going to tell your mother. Now, stop interrupting me.

Final Tips

Whatever type of first person you choose, there are certain keys to doing it well:

* Consistency - whatever narration you choose, you have to stick with it throughout. A narrator who sounds like a ten-year-old girl on one page and 40-year-old mom on another will not work. A narrator who jumps around in verb tense will not work.

* Voice - when I was in college, I took an abnormal psychology course because it sounded like a cool subject. Unfortunately, the professor spoke at a monotone throughout the entire course. It was almost physiologically impossible to stay away. No matter how fascinating your story, if you choose a first person narrator with no discernable voice you will deaden the story. When you choose first person, you take on the burden of creating and maintaining an interesting and believable voice throughout.

* Showing - first person can be tough because it's easy to get so into the narrator's head that you tell everything, thus resulting in a story with no action, no dialogue, no scenes…just snooze inducing telling. Strong first-person includes all the showing detail of third person, just with a more distinctive narrator. Keep an eye on your balance with showing and telling.

First person can be engaging and fun to write. It's a lot like acting, you take on the character in your head and let him (or her) tell the story. It doesn't work for every story, but since it's popular with reader and editor, it's worth a try. Just remember, have fun with it.