Lemma Soft Forums

I'm writing my first story that I intend to turn into a game in the future. The narrative needs to be in first person because it is an Otome game where the player will control the main character. The problem is that I have no inspiration writing in first person. Everything I write looks bad.

I don't know how to explain it, but I feel that the third-person narrative is much more interesting. Maybe it's because the only example of first-person narrative I've tried is from some fanfics I've read, so I end up with the same narrative vices of this genre. Meanwhile, the third-person examples I have came from books.

So what do you consider a good first person narrative? Any romance books recommendation?

My favorite examples remain Robert Heinlein's classics: Starship Troopers (yes, yes, I know), The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and especially Double Star.

If you're simply starting the first draft, my advice would be to write from whatever perspective feels natural. Once you have a completed first draft, you can change perspective without simultaneously trying to compose the narrative, and it will probably feel much easier. Third person vs first person perspectives don't really change the story being told, just the lens through which we view the story. So figure out the story first, then figure out perspective.

I agree with phantmoftheomsi, there's certainly nothing wrong with a visual novel being told in third person, and many have done it. Honestly, I can't even give you good recommendations for first person narratives because both it and third person narratives are common enough that neither one of them really stands out as interesting to me when I read it. (Second person stands out more to me because it is much rarer, and in my opinion much harder to do well.)

If you're more comfortable with writing in third person then I would just go ahead and do that. (:

I just remembered Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber. Another all-time favorite. The viewpoint character even changes mid-series, without missing a beat.