Do you write in first person or third person?

There are varying ways to write fiction. You can either delve deep into the mind of the main character and perceive the entirety of the book from their perspective, or take a more indirect approach and look at the scenes from a more third person perspective; but which is better?

First person - When writing in first person, you as the writer have one major advantage. Your writing is not your own narrated language but rather that of the character themselves. This can make it much easier to understand and develop your characters conflicts and motivations more precisely but also provide them with their own individual voice.

This can quickly become a problem however because as the creator of the story, we usually have a wider perspective on how the story is going to pan out and to a lesser extent, the characters and environments our character is going to be flung upon. With this knowledge, it can be very tempting during the writing process to deviate from the first person rule. We may want to give other characters more depth for instance or tell the story in part from others perspective. This ofcourse being impossible under a first person persona.

Writing in first person has its advantages but it also has its restrictions.

Third person - The more commonly used writing style, third person writing gives the writer the freedom to write the story from multiple viewpoints and therefore this gives scope for branching story lines and more developed character profiles.

Whatever your choice, its important to choose a writing style and stick to it, no matter how tempting it may seem to deviate. Breaking this rule only opens the story up to confused, disjointed writing which can be hard to follow. Personally, i feel a writer chooses very early on what kind of writing they are better suited for and sticks to that for the majority. For me, it is third person, but ofcourse, it purely depends on the type of book you are writing.

Watching A Film Before Reading The Book (or vice versa)

With the continual onslaught of new films coming out on a weekly basis, there seems to be a lack of creativity amongst the ideas and stories that are created these days. Resulting in the creation of films that have predictable plot lines and characters, and a story that I don't feel attached to.

With the exception of many, the majority of films seem like passable filler between more glamourous, thought provoking work. Why is this? Does the sheer volume of films outlaid these days mean that little work still results in a considerable paycheque? If this is so, then who buys into these films?

So brings me to my point. Films that tend to do the best are the films that are based on books. The ideas, the creativity and full plot are all already there, ready to be pixated onto the big screen. From our imagination, we can see for ourselves how near our imagination was to that of the author, or perhaps the film director.

However, does reading the book prior to watching the film create unrealistic expectations and possible imminent disappointment? I have found this recently with 'The Hobbit'. Having read the book I was excited to see how this was conveyed onto the big screen. Although it is a rather good film, I was left feeling slightly deflated about the whole thing. This is purely because i had read before I watched.

The End Of The Bookstore?

Could it be true? Are we on an inevitable course towards the demise of our trusty bookstore?

If it wasn't bad enough for the sole trading bookstore with the development of major chains such as WH Smith and Waterstones, the continuing onslaught of e-books is no doubt harming this sector considerably.

The one and only reason I buy the e-book as opposed to the real thing is for easy reading in bed. Countless times I've felt inclined to read my book in bed but have been unable to. This being because I'm unable to keep the bedside light on, or even use a specialised book light, as this is also too bright for my other half. It also takes up less room ofcourse. The e-book simply works.

Whilst the e-book is the practical choice, the traditional paper version cannot be beaten and its a real shame its being faded out as time goes on.

Is it the imminent end for the bookstore. If not now but in many years time..

One Project Or Many?

When writing a novella, short story or even a fully fledged novel, what is your approach? Do you centre your focus onto the one sole project do you tend to have many different projects going on at any one time?

Personally, due to my limited attention span, I have various projects going on at any one time. I feel this may be a bad thing. Yes, I get to delve into different genres, different ideas and create my own stories individually, but where is my focus?

Focus is a primary factor when writing and having the ability to commit yourself to an idea, a plot or a scene is the foundation for your entire project. Although, having many projects at any one time may also bring a wealth of new ideas which you could 'mix and match' between your works.

I guess creativity and how we tackle this is a personal preference and everybody works in their own way. So what is it.. one project or many?

Holiday Books..

In need of a book to take with me on holiday. Always prefer a traditional book to an e-book when abroad. Now to decide which one..

Too Much Choice!

Do you ever feel we may have too much choice these days? Personally, I say this from a gaming perspective as the sheer overwhelming number of games available can sometimes make it impossible to make a decision. This, ofcourse, can be the same for other things such as books, music and films, amongst others.

Is this a good or a bad thing though? The sheer choice could be considered as a wealth of possibilities that we, as a modern society, have become accustomed to expect. Boredom will never be an issue again it would seem!

On the other hand however, if you simply can't buy everything, then this leaves you feeling more pressured to buy the right thing and also reluctant and hesitant to make a purchasing mistake. Also, even if you can buy everything you want, are you then getting the value for money from what you buy?

For instance, if you buy an item but then something else grabs your eye, it can be so easy to move on and forget your previous purchase without even a second thought. This item you bought for £** is then condemned to the darkest corners of your attic, never to be seen again. We as consumers have then actively bought something, not seen it to its true potential and are therefore effectively somewhat chucking our money away.

Shopping used to be so much simpler.

The Cloud vs The Real Thing

What is your stance on purchasing from the preverbial cloud? The prospect of obtaining all of your media, whether it be your music, films, gaming or whatever else from an online hub/server, purchased from your e-wallet (to which you have full ownership of). This is rather than the more conventional method of using your real wallet, and purchasing an actual disc and case to put up on your actual shelve.

Is this simply the way the industry is going, is it something we should all adjust to for going forward? Or will we simply not have the choice in the future at some point?

Cloud Gaming - You may have full ownership of your media, but you have no physical object to signify it. Is this such a big deal? Not personally, but I can see people not adopting this with open arms. This also saves space, because your then not cluttered with discs everywhere.. I suppose.

The Real Thing: Maybe im just nostalgic, but I think I would miss not having an owned copy of something, whatever it is. There is, however, no huge benefit on having the physical item, as long as you can fully trust the cloud to keep a track of your purchases.

With E-Books, Itunes, Steam, amongst many others. It may just be the way of the future.. and lets not forget, it is greener afterall.

Book Thoughts: The Hobbit

The Hobbit is about a happy go lucky (or in this case, very very lucky) Hobbit who stumbles upon unexpected adventure when a wizard by the name of Gandalf knocks on his door.

The book is a must read, especially with the first film that has been recently released, which will be in a series of three that are expected to be premiered over the next few years. I read the book before watching the film and am glad I did. Although lots of people may of suggested not to, as 'the book will ruin the film' and vice versa, I must disagree.

The Hobbit keeps you entertained throughout and is a book you would rather not put down. Personally, it is a book which I could read from start to end in one sitting (if only I had enough time). From its quirky characters and signature landscapes from The Lord of the Rings saga, plus its never ending adventure, it is rightfully an instant classic. It would appear that the film has largely elaborated on the story, from what I remember, the ending to the film is still relatively close to the beginning of the book.

A renewed fan of Tolkien having never read this book before, I'm looking forward to seeing the film trilogy pan out over the coming years.