Do you prefer first or third person?

[Panpan]

I'm making an outline for a second BL novel. My first novel is third person, but I'm considering trying first person for this next one.

Just wondering which POV you guys prefer when reading? Does it matter to you?

[Legendofgenii]

I prefer third person. I like to know what all the characters are thinking.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

Always third person.

First person can be hit-or-miss for me due to the likeability and personality of the narrator. If I don't like the personality or vibe which narrator radiates from their description, I feel it harder to read. Third person (especially omniscient) is usually more detached and impersonal (which is my personal preference). Also, I think third person has potential to provide a wider scope of information and ability to describe more things. The downsides are maybe the description can be too hefty, and this POV is prone to head-hopping (esp. omniscient).

If the story is intriguing enough to keep me reading, I wouldn't mind the POV.

[Toastbuster]

Third for me. I feel like it gives you more freedom to explore the thoughts of other characters. I’ll read first person if it’s just for the prologue and/or epilogue and MAYBE if the story is interesting enough, but for the most part it’s kind of a deal breaker for me.

[FGC_Checkmate]

Third Person. I have a hard time reading first person works for some reason.

[kwestlake99]

That's tough. In my experience, it depends on not only the writer, but the characters too. If it's first person, then the narrator not only has to be likeable, but reliable. Same thing applies to third person too.

[DiegoPalacios]

Guess it depends of the kind of story......If it focuses more on the psique of the main character, first person can work better, but otherwise having the full picture fits more.

However, there are cases when changing perspectives can make wonders if one can pull it off without disorienting the reader.

[DesiredUsernameTaken]

Personally... I love 3rd-person! Something about 1st-person always feels stilted to me, no matter what style it's written in. I think it's because of how it's reminiscent of someone telling you their story when you meet them at a bar. Of course, all of your own stories will be 1st-person as it is from your perspective, but I feel like I'm being told a tale, as opposed to actually reading a story. I don't register the writer as a 'narrator' in 3rd-person, but in 1st-person I'm far too aware of the narrator. In almost all cases I prefer 3rd-person. ^^

[AmysGames]

With first person, you get to describe events with the character's own words. This can make events feel a lot more personal, like you're actually experiencing them through the character's eyes. This can be really good for introspective stories about a specific character.

On the other hand, third person is more flexible. Since you're not confined to one character's viewpoint, you can describe things that the main character might not notice. You can even look into the thoughts and feelings of specific characters at any time. The one issue being that it can get a bit confusing if you swap between characters too much.

That being said, I don't have a strong preference toward one or the other; I think it depends on the needs of the story. As a writer, though, I usually go for a pseudo-first person, where I write in third person but focus primarily on one character's viewpoint. I find that to be the most flexible while also being the least confusing.

[lexhera]

I really like third person! I love seeing the overall picture of just not one character but a bunch at once. However, with first person, I feel like you can use it to show and hide certain things since the reader will only be able to understand everything through the narrator, if that makes any sense. If you feel that is a good tool to use for your story, I say go ahead!

[BOMB]

I typically write all of my stories in first person, but I'll read anything in either first or third person. I like how personal first person can be. And I also like how third person allows the narrator to jump around. If I had to say I have a preference for one or another, it would probably be first person.

[Kura]

Third person, to the point I tend to refused to even read first person and keep putting it off. I really have to fight with myself to read first person.

[BOMB]

If you really want to try a few 1st person stories I have plenty.

[NatAberdeen]

There are pros and cons to both, I think. My current story uses the third-person because it's a big and deep look into the whole environment and the characters within. Other stories I'm working on use the first-person to make it more personal and focus specifically on the psyche of the main character. I definitely prefer third-person omniscient to third-person limited though (even if the context for it doesn't make a lot of sense)

[The_Syzygy_Epoch]

Omniscient third person all the way! It’s getting less popular, but there’s something really fun and dynamic about having complete freedom I really love. Bonus points if the narrator has a personality.
Though it doesn’t fit every story. The best POV depends very heavily on what you want to achieve. As a general rule, I find first person puts you in the head of the character and third person puts you in the head of the world or the people around the character. But it depends on the writing style.
You could write out a sample few pages, have them be the same except for the POV, and see which you and your beta readers like more

[DiegoPalacios]

An interesting trick when doing a story with the first person perspective is showing the same story, but making versions with the perspectives of different characters involved

[Iris-Grimoire]

Third person, but not entirely omniscient. I like managing the state and place of characters and it's way easier in that format, and also, first person feels better in types of stories I don't usually write, or only in small sections.

[cherrystark]

I am in the third person crowd but for the most part, it depends on what works best for your story. I have grown to hate 1st person because of the trend of "announcing" who the narrator is before each chapter. 9 times out of 10, third person would serve the story better.

If you do pick 1st person, the narrator should be your top priority. Their inner dialogue is key to telling us who they are. Develop their voice and make it uniquely theirs. I push for this because I've sampled stuff from other writers where I can't tell one character from another. They all sound the same.

[Flauschwurm]

Personally I always prefer third person. It makes a story much more versatile in it's perspectives, and I find it kind of irritating to read in first view, but I think that's just a me problem haha

[vholdfield]

I don't mind reading one or the other but I prefer writing in 1st person. I find it easier and more natural