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Thursday, January 14, 2010

A Trip With I


I travel with words all the time but I rarely traveled with I.  Of course I traveled with self but it's books that are today's topic.

Confused?

Books written in first person, I avoided them like the plague.  Interesting that I should mention plague as that is one of the key elements in the book I am reading.  A book written in first person!

There was a time when I felt first person didn't allow me to get deep into the story.  I felt like I was skimming the surface.  Yes, I know there is great literature written in first but I always thought that's what made it great, the ability to pull off a good first person read.  We won't even contemplate the fact that today's post is written in yep, you guessed it - first.

Ironically in the past two weeks I dove into two books written in first person, "Stripped' by Marcia Colette and "Heretic Queen" by Michelle Moran.  And while they are completely different books I am enjoying them both, first person and all.  Both these books take me away into another world, one into the world of urban fantasy and the other into the world of ancient Egypt as easily as third person ever did.

I'm not saying that I'll ever write in first.  As a writer I find it challenging to get deep into the worlds I create from the perspective of one character.  It's a talent that I can now say I truly admire.  What I am saying is that if there's a book written in first, by an author I've never heard of, I won't skip on by.  Not anymore, I'm a convert.

Oh and to the two authors I just mentioned above - I am also a convert, first person and all.  Wait - back up, maybe because of first person!  Fab stories.  Great job ladies!


Will you travel with I or are you strictly into she and he?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Ring of Desire
From the Dust


The contest for Michelle Moran’s, "Cleopatra's Daughter" is still running. Commenting here or anywhere on my blog counts as an entry. Post often through January 17 to up your chances to win. 
But to make things easier for me, if you’re responding to an older post, please enter the title.
Good Luck!


6 comments:

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

Ryshia,

In some ways, to me at least, it's easier to write in 1st person. It allows me to express how I (who has become the character) feels about things without all the 'he said, she said' stuff we have to go through. Good read and thanks for inviting me.
Paidra Delayno

Eva S said...

I've been avoiding books in first person, but perhaps I should try a good one....

Ryshia Kennie said...

Paidra - Maybe that's the secret - I never feel like I become the character. I emphasize with them and sometimes I love my secondaries every bit as much as the hero or heroine. I love when they get their time on stage.
Eva - Ah a fellow avoider. Let me tell you one good book and you'll be a convert!

Judy said...

This is an interesting topic. For the longest I did not realize that novels (like I read) were ever written in the 1st person. I had heard of it from English classes mostly. Several years ago I started reading a book, and realized it was written that away. I had to change my thought process, but I enjoyed the book.

Ryshia Kennie said...

Judy - There are more and more that I see written in first person. I still think it's not an easy style to pull off. I agree it is a different way of looking at a story for the reader as well as the writer.