# Writing in first person



## Belluavir (Jun 13, 2011)

I've got a story swimming around in my head and I'm eager to get started in a few days. 

Because of its introspective nature, I thought it would be best to write it in first person, I think it will allow me to explore every emotion in the amount of depth that I want. 

The difficulty I'm having at this point is deciding how to write it. I came up with something that might be too gimmicky but might also be interesting. I thought of writing it in the form of livejournal entries (unfortunately the username I wanted, Smegmata, was already taken). 

I kind of have a feeling that it's a bad idea but I can't let it go, so I'd like some input on it. Would writing the story as a series of livejournal entries be a boon or a hinderance?


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## CannotWait (Jun 13, 2011)

Belluavir said:


> I've got a story swimming around in my head and I'm eager to get started in a few days.
> 
> Because of its introspective nature, I thought it would be best to write it in first person, I think it will allow me to explore every emotion in the amount of depth that I want.
> 
> ...


 
Hey! Look at that, you're already good at first person writing! I couldn't even tell you were talking about a character. :V


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## Belluavir (Jun 13, 2011)

So that's one of those back-handed compliments everyone is talking about. 

I guess I'll take what I can get at this point.


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## CannotWait (Jun 13, 2011)

I would suggest writing on something besides livejournal as if it were livejournal. Kind of like the book "Stowaway" wasn't actually several journal entries, but it was written like shipmate's logs. I mean, is the story fitting for this writing style? If it's intended to be descriptive then that kind of thing could actually hinder the way it's written.


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## M. LeRenard (Jun 13, 2011)

That's actually not a bad idea at all.  Interesting way to make use of that particular internet site.  I think people would probably catch on, if you pulled it off well enough.  Sort of like movies that are shot like documentaries even if they're fiction.
I say go for it.


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## Waffles (Jun 14, 2011)

Just gotta be careful, if you use past tense in one you gotta use it in em all. Like, keep them as a "as it's going" thing (present, writing DURING the scene) or "what happened" (Past, post w/e, with a more broad perspective... more thought.)


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## Belluavir (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

As for the character, I've considered making him into my fursona and  using the story to develop him. He's an author and therefore it may be  believable that he would write his entries in a such a way. I often  write my college assignments in narrative when I can, though a business  style would be a bit more appropriate.

CannotWait: Yeah that's exactly what I'm worried about. It might not  believable that the character would write so extensively about such  things. I'm not sure if I should change how I want to write it to fit  this style or not. EDIT: I was considering writing it normally first and then later rolling it out on livejournal, though maybe it's not necessary to do that at all.

M. Le Renard: It doesn't have to be livejournal but I think it's a more  modern way of writing in the form of a diary. I would like the world to  be very similar to our own, the main difference being obvious and I'd  like to throw in some more blog like entries as well.
 Would it be alright if I pasted a short, two paragraph sample here?  Though I'm a bit more convinced that the idea could meet my needs and  expectations, I'm still worried that it won't turn out. 

Waffles: That is something I struggle with a bit actually, I try hard to  be cognisant of that but still have trouble with it. Thanks.


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## scavola (Jun 17, 2011)

I agree with CannotWait that livejournal could be a hindrance.

- Writing introspective first-person, you may be self-conscious, may pull back a bit, because it's being viewed, and also may be too concerned about quality and correctness, and viewers comments. If it really is to be something intimate, best to make it a personal journal.

- It would also be difficult to do an edit, having to flip through postings and comments.

- Also, came across a publisher today that stated for submissions, they 'do not want work that is or has been available on the web,' so it could be an issue if you're considering being published.

Just my thoughts,

Good luck!


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## ScottyDM (Jun 19, 2011)

Sounds a bit like what you want to do has already been done back in the 90s. Check out _*The Spot*_ on Wiki.

*The Spot* was set in southern California and was very blog-like in that each character would make an entry that detailed something he or she had done that day. It might be go to the mall and meet a celebrity, take a walk on the beach, or maybe meet their parents who came out from Jersey for a visit. Most entries would be accompanied by a few photos.

What Wiki doesn't mention is the controversial nature of the site. Many people _believed_ the characters were real people and that we were witnessing their real lives--that's how it was presented. I stumbled over it kinda late and the controversy was just starting to bubble up on the message boards when I joined.

Of course the whole thing was scripted.

A few fans seemed to feel a touch homicidal when they discover this. Far more were dissappointed.


YouTube phenomenon _*LonelyGirl15*_ (Wiki) isn't all that much different from _*The Spot*_. *LonelyGirl15* started as if it were a few friends vlogging back and forth about teenage stuff. For example this one from September 18, 2006. Then the posts started to drift into an unnamed cult and Bree's involvement and something called "the ceremony", which resulted in posts like this one from January 13, 2007 (starts to get freaky about 1 minute in). Once they were outed as a scripted show, rather than real teenagers vlogging back and forth, the producers blew off the vlog style and opted for a more serial cinematic style, such as this episode from January 17, 2008.

What I'm trying to say is, *GO FOR IT!* And have fun.

S~


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