Writing Style vs. Reading Preference

[Patrick Haines]

Obviously there are hundreds of ways you can write a story, but some come more naturally to us than others. For example, I have written in first-person, third-person (single focus and multi-focus), dabbled in a diary style, and failed utterly at pose and poetry. However, I find myself most comfortable with third-person.

That being said, what writing style do you prefer to work in (obviously, there are more than the ones I just listed)?

Secondly, is there a style you prefer to read? I have been trying to get more involved in reviewing and commenting on stories, but have been struggling because I have seen a lot of stories written in movie-script format...

Mike: Hi, I am Mike
Sally: Oo, hi Mike, I am Sally

I, personally, have trouble getting drawn into stories like that. Thoughts? Opinions? Thanks.

 

[diamondpearl876]

I've written in first person, third person (omniscient and limited), and second person; I prefer first person, though I think I could like third person limited a lot if I tried it more. I've tried poetry, and it's... okay. I'm gonna try to get back into it soon. Even if it's not really good, per se, it's a really good writing exercise for my prose, since I apparently have a rather poetic writing style... without veering into purple prose territory, thankfully. :V

I don't have too many specifications for what I like to read. I try to keep an open mind, and that goes for both fanfic and novels. I find myself most drawn, though, to memoirs, experimental pieces, contemporary works, fantasy, and poetry.

If you're looking for stories to review on Bulbagarden, I'd highly recommend the Directory to get an idea of what's out there. It's been recently overhauled, so there may not be much on there yet you'd be interested in, but it's a start. There's definitely plenty of non-script stories on the board either way!

 

[Juliko]

I've written in both first and third person, and both have their benefits and drawbacks. Whether a story I read is in either POV doesn't really matter to me as long as it's done well, the story's good, and if I like the characters.

 

[Deleted member 72389]

I have mostly written in third-person omniscient or third-person limited.

I think the benefits of writing in third-person are as follows:-

- We get to tell the story from different perspectives without confusing the readers much. Mainly because we would be using different names for each different P.O.V. (in case of omniscient) like Ash, Misty, Brock etc. Whereas in first person and second person we use the words 'I' or 'You' respectively for every character's p.o.v. This can get confusing for the reader.

- A lot of tension can be built up in third-person because it is generally not possible to tell which characters would survive and who wouldn't.

Although there are some disadvantages too, such as:-
- It can be difficult to make the readers empathize with the character. This is relatively easier in first and second person.

- Third-person omniscient also presents the challenge of presenting distinguishable personalities for each character.
Although I think multiple perspectives in first-person are more difficult because there we have to create a unique voice for every character.

I had once written an original story in first-person. And I think this type of narration has a lot of advantages too:-
- Much better connection with readers
- The option of writing an unreliable character.

Writing in second-person has been the trickiest for me. Mainly because I can't find the right balance with it. If we don't give enough motivations and characterization to the main character, we risk making it look like a choose-your-adventure type of story, or worse it might even appear to be half-baked. But if we put in lots of details about the character, we might risk losing readers who can't see themselves in the character anymore. Or who don't want to be instructed about what their motivations are.

As far as reading goes, I prefer third-person and first-person. Because second-person feels too personal sometimes.
It's the same reason why I stopped writing in first-person actually. That felt too personal.

And script-style is cool, I use to even enjoy it in school. But now I just don't feel like reading it.
Eg:- I had loved the first seven books of Harry Potter. But I found the script format of Cursed Child very distracting.