  Horror/Scary
This week: First vs. Third Edited by: blue jellybaby  
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| When writing horror we can write in either first person or third person. I'm looking at the advantages and disadvantages of doing both here. |
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When writing horror do you typically go for first or third person point of view? I know that when I write it's a mix. It depends on how I'm feeling and if it's something I've planned, how I want it to sound and the genre usually. Currently I'm writing quite a lot in the first person. Of course, both first person and third person have their advantages and disadvantages and I'll explore this a little here:
First Person
 Everything is written from the narrator's perspective which means the reader will and should get a sense of their perception, their personality and their thoughts on subjects.
There's a direct connection from the narrator to the reader so the author can create a sense of intimacy and believability.
First person can be used to show internal thoughts and emotions on things. You wouldn't normally get this with third person.
 It means the reader only sees things through the narrator's point of view which will be biased.
When writing in first person you tend to see a lot of 'I did this' and 'I went there'. This can become quite repetitive.
The character's viewpoint and voice has to be interesting to keep the attention of the reader.
Example: I walked into the dimly-lit bar. For a moment, my eyes refused to adjust and when they finally did I wished they hadn't. The floor was covered in pools of blood, a waxy sheen on the threadbare carpet. Glass was broken and tables upturned. And in the middle of it all, I saw a pile of bodies. I knew just who had been here. What I didn't know was what I was going to do.
Third Person
Third person provides a lot of flexibility and so it is usually widely used.
The narrator is not involved in the narrative which means it will (usually) be an unbiased narrative.
Third Person Limited
With a subjective third person the author focuses on one of more character's thoughts and feelings.
It allows the readers to get to know a character personally.
As the viewpoint is limited to one character it means a reader will only get an insight into their thoughts, emotions etc.
Example: Paige walked into the dimly-lit bar. For a moment, her eyes refused to adjust and when they finally did, she wished they hadn't. The floor was covered in pools of blood, a waxy sheen on the threadbare carpet. Glass was broken and tables upturned. And in the middle of it all, she saw a pile of bodies. She knew just who had been there. What she didn't know was what she was going to do.
Third Person Omniscient
Omniscient narrator has an all knowing knowledge of everything in the world.
It can give an insight into all of the characters' minds.
It can seem to lack an emotional connection with some characters as there is not always a lot of detail.
Example: Paige walked into the dimly-lit bar. For a moment, her eyes refused to adjust. It took a few minutes until she was able to make out the scene in front of her. The floor was covered in pools of blood, a waxy sheen on the threadbare carpet. Glass was broken and tables upturned. And in the middle of it all, she saw a pile of bodies.
Both first and third person points of view offer something different. Of course, it depends how you want to get the information across and the mood you want to create. I find a lot with horror that writing in first person works really well as it allows the reader to get into the mindset of the character and really understand the terror they feel. But of course, third person can work just as well.
The next time you write something, think about your point of view. Is there a point of view you normally write in? Try to write in the other and see what you come up with? Do you think it will work for you?
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Check out these great horror stories. Pay particular attention to the point of view it's written in and see what you think!
| |  | Invalid Item
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#365994 by Not Available. |
|  | Monster (18+)
If you call someone a name often enough they may soon believe it
#259585 by Andrea |
| | Possession (18+)
In an asylum for the criminally insane, a young orderly discovers true possession...
#1028269 by W.D.Wilcox  |
| | | Invalid Item
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#303750 by Not Available. |
| | Martyr (13+)
An old man, made cynical by years of working in a morgue, is given a new perspective.
#556174 by Penemue |
| | | Invalid Item
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#880975 by Not Available. |
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#1210221 by Not Available. |
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When you're writing a new horror piece is there are particular point of view you go with? Do you prefer first or third person? Take my poll here so I can find out 
[Linked Poll's access is restricted.]
Why not try taking one of your original stories and changing the point of view? It might change how you feel about it completely or encourage you to try something new.
Here are a few comments from my last newsletter
Bob DeFrank  said: I've got to put Annie Wilks from Stephen King's Misery as one of the best female villains in a horror story. It's also interesting to note that female villains and killers approach the villainy in a different way than males: women tend to kill indirectly, or through proxies, hiring a hit man or otherwise getting someone else to do their dirty work, or using lies to discredit someone or get them attacked.
When women do kill directly, they often target the vulnerable: children and babies, or the elderly. Again, like Annie Wilks.
You're right there with the way most female killers approach the killing. It's almost a more hands-off approach. I really wish I'd thought of Annie Wilks, she's such a brilliant villain!
Save the Turkeys!  said: As I read your awesome newsletter on the 'Darker side of Femme' I was reminded of a young fellow who had a mark on his neck. I inquired and he told me it was a 'hicky' from his EX girlfriend who he was breaking up with and he was gullible enough to agree to a goodbye hug. Hurt, he demanded to know why she attacked him like that and was told she suspected another woman. There was no other woman, she was just psycho! True story...and this on the same day I read this newsletter! Coincidence?
Coincidence perhaps... thanks for sharing that anecdote with us.
billwilcox said: Yeah I gotta agree, women kill me.
 We're not all bad!
drifter46 said: Oh I don't know. I come up with a woman more often than you might think. It's exactly because no one does think of them that they make the best assassins or serial killers and their ability to transform from that loving stay at home mother into the seductress who beheads or castrates some poor unsuspecting male makes them doubly deadly. Of course that's just my opinion.
Thanks for commenting I do think there are stories out there with female killers featured but I think it's predominantly male killers we might see when reading.
LJPC - the tortoise said: Great NL! I never thought about it before, but yes, there are far too many stories, novels, films and TV about male serial killers and very few about women. That can play to a writer's benefit because no one will suspect a female character, and the readers will be surprised! Tricky. 
~ Laura
Thanks for the comment, Laura. Perhaps you can feature a female killer in one of your pieces
Quick-Quill  said: I think female killers are the most scary. Its assumed that woman are the nurturers, caregivers and protectors. Surely they wouldn't kill. In all the Criminal Minds shows and others, women usually resort to poison, drowning, suffocation, and weapons that are less noisy. Times have changed. Evil in the hearts of women have become just a violent as men. Its when this happens that you can effect a reader to a different degree. Women like Lizzie Borden give us endless hours of conversation as to if she did it, how she did it and how she got away with it? What plot can you come up with to match that? Does your character have to be caught? Does it have to have a "happy ending?"
"Pizza Delivery "
Thanks for the thought. It certainly is very scary to think of someone we see as a caregiver being a murderer and I think that's often why women are forgotten about.
BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  said: While Brian Jacques didn't write Horror/Scary, he was known for having some evil females. In one story, the villainess poisoned her father in order to rule over the territory of Mossflower, framing her gentle brother in the process.
"Redwall Interactive"
I don't think I read any of his books but thanks for the heads up!
🌑 Darleen - QoD  said: The lack of female killers is exactly why I wrote this little piece. Hope you enjoy the ending! 
"Invalid Item"
Thanks for sharing this with us!
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Horror/Scary: May 07, 2014 Issue [#6306]
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