I guessed wrong, of course! This reminds me a little of Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Because we're stuck in Katniss' first-person point of view, there are a lot of important events we only hear about second- or third-hand, making her feel very passive while she has her mental breakdown or whatever (not to minimize the story's message about trauma, it's just been a while since I've read it). I remember that book feeling like a slog after how quickly I read the first two.
Personally, I tend toward third person in my writing. I think this is because, as much as I love reading, a lot of my storytelling inspiration comes from visual media like movies and video games, so I usually visualize scenes from outside the main character.
I haven't gotten around to reading any Atwood yet. Would you say MaddAddam is a good place to start?
I love the Hunger Games books and think they do an excellent job with first person overall. I see what you mean about Mockingjay, but I actually found that part really compelling, because I could relate so much to Katniss’s breakdown!
That makes sense about why you gravitate to third person, and how interesting!
Hmm, I’m not sure what to recommend first for reading Margaret Atwood. I think each thing she writes is very different from the rest. I’ve only read the MaddAddam series (and each of those was different from the others, too!), the Handmaid’s Tale and its sequel, and her short story collection Stone Mattress, though it’s been a while. I’d say just look through the blurbs of her books and pick the one that sounds most interesting to you.
A thoughtful consideration of character viewpoint that both demonstrates the importance of viewpoint selection while understanding 'one size doesn't fit all.' I naturally gravitate toward third person, but I think that is because I am a deep observer by nature. First person might be a challenge for me, but now you have me thinking... maybe. 🫣
I guessed wrong, of course! This reminds me a little of Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Because we're stuck in Katniss' first-person point of view, there are a lot of important events we only hear about second- or third-hand, making her feel very passive while she has her mental breakdown or whatever (not to minimize the story's message about trauma, it's just been a while since I've read it). I remember that book feeling like a slog after how quickly I read the first two.
Personally, I tend toward third person in my writing. I think this is because, as much as I love reading, a lot of my storytelling inspiration comes from visual media like movies and video games, so I usually visualize scenes from outside the main character.
I haven't gotten around to reading any Atwood yet. Would you say MaddAddam is a good place to start?
I love the Hunger Games books and think they do an excellent job with first person overall. I see what you mean about Mockingjay, but I actually found that part really compelling, because I could relate so much to Katniss’s breakdown!
That makes sense about why you gravitate to third person, and how interesting!
Hmm, I’m not sure what to recommend first for reading Margaret Atwood. I think each thing she writes is very different from the rest. I’ve only read the MaddAddam series (and each of those was different from the others, too!), the Handmaid’s Tale and its sequel, and her short story collection Stone Mattress, though it’s been a while. I’d say just look through the blurbs of her books and pick the one that sounds most interesting to you.
A thoughtful consideration of character viewpoint that both demonstrates the importance of viewpoint selection while understanding 'one size doesn't fit all.' I naturally gravitate toward third person, but I think that is because I am a deep observer by nature. First person might be a challenge for me, but now you have me thinking... maybe. 🫣