Narrative or Journal?

[The OP3RaT0R]

Hey everyone, I have question I want your input on.

I'm starting my second character whose adventures I intend to publish, but I'm not sure if I should do so in a journal format, or in a 3rd person narrative. When I look at my two options, I see fairly equal pros and cons... in a journal, I can give my character a bit of a voice, but in a narrative, I can write all of his thoughts and actions, all the time, without portraying him as OCD with a desire to write every detail of his actions down. So now I ask you to convince me of one or the other.

 

[kyleekay]

Try mixing the points of view. In some parts, do 3rd person omniscient. In action scenes, maybe try 1st person POV.

 

[Lady Imp]

I actually do a first person narrative...I had originally intended it to be journal format, but it wound up being more like a first person story than anything, done up in short chapters. I prefer the first person perspective, telling a story like I'm the one experiencing it, kind of a "OMG guys, guess what I did last night!" sort of thing....not that I actually do what my character does every night, but you get what I'm saying...I hope...

 

[Shyrith]

Maybe you could have him do something like..

He sat down as he recalled the events of the last few days, writing them in his journal (for whatever reason here).

"I am not having much luck hunting lately. It's been a week, and I've not caught even a rabbit. So I'm having to use all the money I saved for new armor on food... Hopefully this dry spell doesn't last much longer."



Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Moris]

Shyrith's suggestion is a seamless and clever way to incorporation 1st person accounts into a 3rd person narrative.

When I write, I find that the more like me that a character is, the more it helps to write in 3rd person, because it helps me distance myself from that character, and not impose too much of my own thinking.

The less like me a character is, the more it helps to write in 1st person, as it brings me closer to the character and gets me inside his/head more effectively.

 

[Neriad13]

It all depends on what sort of story you want to tell. If you've got an overarching theme, plot or end that you want to use or reach, you would most likely be far better served in writing a narrative than a journal. If you're more interested in reliving moments of exploration or chance encounters, a journal would then be the better option. Either way would grant your character a unique voice, depending what writing style you employ to do it.

You could even meet halfway and write a narrative in 1st person perspective, entirely told through the protagonist's unique thoughts. Probably the absolute best example of a 1st person narrative that I've ever personally read is the Pagan Chronicles. The parts of it that I still remember years later are the battle scenes, as viewed through the eyes of a panicking teenager who has next to no idea what's going on in all the hubbub.

 

[SherlockJones]

Try mixing the points of view. In some parts, do 3rd person omniscient. In action scenes, maybe try 1st person POV.

I agree 100% with this, it would definitely make for interesting reading.

Write the sort of story you want to read, that way however it's accepted by other people at least you an say you are happy with it