First or third. First or third.
Such dilemmas!
Choosing the POV for a novel is as vital as choosing the, well, the plot, the main character, the story arc, and so on. POV is one of the basic building blocks of a story. Many of the new adult romance novels are written in first-person, but yet the great tradition of romance writing is rooted in the third-person POV. Which is better?
As an example, here’s an excerpt from my upcoming novel CAUGHT UP IN YOU. Here’s the snippet in first person.
Then he spoke, and his words were sharp glass. “But I’m not in love with you.”
That was the last time I saw him. He left our house early the next morning.
Now, he was waiting for me, framed by Washington Square Park behind him. I’d have liked to say it was one of those movie moments – eyes lock across the crowded street and everything slows down and you know you’ve met The One. But I’d already had that moment with him. I’d already believed he was the one, and I’d been wrong. Because he’d told me so.
“So I was thinking,” he started, and then paused. I tensed because I figured now he was going to try to be reassigned. That would have pissed me off more. Being stuck with him was one thing; him not wanting to be stuck with me was entirely another. I reached for the charm, touched it once, as if it brought me power and strength.
He continued. “What do you say we start over? Just forget the past, and move on, and we’ve got a clean slate. We just met today.”
And then here it is in third.
Then he spoke, and his words were sharp glass. “But I’m not in love with you.”
That was the last time she saw him. He left their house early the next morning.
Now, he was waiting for her, framed by Washington Square Park behind him. She’d have liked to say it was one of those movie moments – eyes lock across the crowded street and everything slows down and you know you’ve met The One. But she’d already had that moment with him. She’d already believed he was the one, and she’d been wrong. Because he’d told her so.
“So I was thinking,” he started, and then paused. She tensed, figuring now he was going to try to be reassigned. That would have pissed her off more. Being stuck with him was one thing; him not wanting to be stuck with her was entirely another. She reached for the charm, touched it once, as if it brought her power and strength.
He continued. “What do you say we start over? Just forget the past, and move on, and we’ve got a clean slate. We just met today.”
Which do you like better? Do you have a preference?
xoxo
Lauren
2 Comments
Premier! Absolutement!
xoxo,
Simone Noelle
Glad you like first!