As authors we get to choose the perspective of our narration. The most common are the first person (I say) or the third person (he says). Use different perspectives to achieve different results.
The first person perspective puts the reader directly in the mind of the main character. Every action is seen from his or her perspective. “I lifted the heavy couch, but my back ached and the nerve in my leg twitched angrily, so I dropped it.”
Now if we put that same idea into third person perspective it would read. “Pascal lifted the heavy couch with a grunt, but his arms shook and his leg twitched before he dropped it with a groan.”
Good first person novels bring you as close to a character as possible, however it has certain plot drawbacks. Unless the main character sees a murder, you can’t really describe what happens. Also, description is generally more limited in first person books. Descriptions should really only be given from the perspective of the main character.
Third person novels allow authors to weave different plot lines together, and offer a variety of main characters. As a draw back, the reader never gets as intimate with any one character.
The great part about writing is that you get to choose. Experiment with both kinds. You might surprise yourself! But remember, once you start going down one path you must not stray onto the other.
By Jeff Altabef, author of the thriller Fourteenth Colony. Half of my proceeds go to the Covenant House to help homeless kids aged 16 to 21. http://www.amazon.com/Fourteenth-Colony-Jeff-Altabef-ebook/dp/B00C2D97OS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encod...
