Which is Better: First Person or Third Person POV?

[AliceRose]

I think in general, I prefer third person. It offers a more non-biased view of the other characters and situations, which allows you to make your own decisions about them. It's also easier to switch character POV (if you're writing from multiples). First person is good for things like memoir or diary writing, but on the whole I think I like third better.

[Gresca]

I personally like the third person POV. It allows you to give more to your story because in first person you can only do write was is seen, heard, thought by your character. In the third person there are so many more possibilities.

[CheekyAless]

I would normally write from third person as you can describe things that are not seen by a character, but then saying that I quite like reading from first person. I think it kind of depends on the character, If the character is similar to you or experiencing things you have experienced then I think first person is more appropriate it makes it more personal and you can get in their mind set.
It's up to you as a write how you would like to tell the story.

[Clareta]

First or third person, I really don’t have a preference, although most books I read tend to be written in the third person.

[scorpreader1970]

One of the best approaches many authors use is the third person approach. I guess the best advantage in using a third person POV is that not only do you narrate the story better, but also can take yourself out of context or rather involvement in the blink of an eye. This is not possible most of the times when you try writing an autobiography - which is the best example for a first person account.

[herkowskia236]

As a writer I often struggle with these two very different POV's. I feel like you can use more raw emotion with a first person POV, but you can go into greater detail with a third person POV. The only way I can write successfully is to read a classic short story with a certain POV before I use that same POV in my own writing.

[Kimpaluch]

I love the intimacy of first person! Writing it can be difficult if you haven't fleshed out the character. But I also like to shift the point of view to tell the whole story. Sort of a modified omniscient POV.

[kcartwright]

I really like 1st person because I feel like I can connect more with the character by knowing exactly what he/she is thinking

[Krystie]

I really like 1st person because I feel like I can connect more with the character by knowing exactly what he/she is thinking

I totally agree. First person makes you feel closer to the character.

[david980john]

First person

[Dawn Ireland]

I think of first person as the perfect choice for a very entertaining character that readers will want to get to know. (Think Janet Evanovich's "Stephanie Plum.") Generally, the stories are mysteries, gothics and the occassional romance.

I'd always thought of third person omniscient a little differently from the strict definition. I think of "omniscient" as a camera (narrator) that is telling the reader about the scene. (Think the opening of "To Kill a Mockingbird.") While this encompasses all the characters and the setting, it doesn't usually cause the reader to connect with the characters. This comes closer to "telling" a story for me, but it can, and has been used very effectively. Third person uses he/she/it to experience the story from the various character's points of view. (By the way, the deeper the POV, the more the reader tends to "become" the character.) We tend to do this in romance because we want to "feel" what the hero and heroine do as they fall in love. All the uncertainty, elation, jealousy, etc. Or, it can allow us to know what the killer is going to do, and adds suspense when the reader sees the hero walking into a trap. However, with several points of view you have choices to make. I always try to keep my scenes in the point of view of the character who has the most to lose.

[oliveyou416]

I personally relate to a character much better when the POV is first person, but occasionally a third person POV can be very effective too. I think it depends on the author's connection with their character. A third person POV can create the opportunity to look deeper into the emotions of secondary characters, but I still prefer first person.

[joreasonable]

I prefer third person, but I enjoy both, a few years back I didn´t like at all first person, but I have grown to enjoy it, if the book is well written.

[Zain]

Similiar to Dawn Ireland, I think that some genres/themes just support one POV more strongly than the other. Personally, I prefer third person limited or omniscent because I often have two characters to switch between. And if I did first person, I couldn't leave their inner life as much in the dark as sometimes needed. Some secrets are just needed to be preserved to keep the story flowing. I don't think one or the other offers advantage over the other by default. It depends on your writing style, the story to be told, and the focus of narration.

[CaptainNemo]

I think third person perspective allows the best option because it allows multiple interpretations. And, with third person, you can view the interior monologue of characters and not be stuck within that one character.