I hate you first person…..I think

We were never meant to be

I never meant to write my novel in first person but when it happened, I told myself it was nothing more than a passing phase. Even now, in this exact moment, I’m pretty sure I believe that.

But no matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, I’m drawn to the damn thing. 

 

I trip a lot

I think a lot of it has to do with the clumsy narrator. I’m kind of a clumsy guy myself. My narration in everyday life never lives up to par and I’m probably the last person you’d want to give directions to.

Adding another layer to this, I’m also the one that is famous for saying the most inappropriate thing in a crowded room.

Maybe it all comes down to me writing a novel where I am the star. Good God, I’m an egomaniac. This is scarier than I thought.

 

Life imitates art

When I wrote Dempsey’s Grill I had a clear understanding why it had to be first person. The narrator and I had a lot in common. At one time or another we were broke, dumped by a girl and could never shake that constant fear of turning thirty. 

On the bright side I was never shot at, unlike the narrator.

 

I was supposed to dump you

When book two came around it was third person all the way. I would cover the landscape full of thrills and joy rides and all things luxurious. Snakes included.

But I could feel the pull. At first it was nothing more than a tug, maybe a little push, but at the end it became a full blown yank.

Hello first person.

 

Goodbye old friend

I have now decided this will be my last first person novel. Never, ever again I say. All the greats do third person. That’s where the action is. This first person stuff is just practice, right? Right?

So here I go. Onward to book two, first person. He too is a clumsy sort of guy but at least he’s his own person. 

I can hear the calling of third person. Now all I need to do is to figure out how to answer it. 

 

Advertisement