Norwescon I

I went to Norwescon in Seattle again this year.   A lot of people dress up in costume, like so: 

The most interesting discussion panel was on viewpoint in a story.  For some reason, when Young Adult first became a hot category, many people thought the stories had to all be written in first person (“I did,” as opposed to “he did” or “she did”).  But unless the main character has a strong voice, this becomes a problem.  (“Voice” is the term writers use to describe a character’s distinctive dialog, thoughts, and way of describing surroundings.)  Without a strong voice, authors tend to use third person. 

These writers were skeptical of using both first person and third person in a novel.  Of course, H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds used both first and third person, in different parts of the book.  My reimagining of that novel will do the same. Hopefully it will be published so you can read it someday. 

 

[Permission granted to use any photo on this post, so long as it is labeled “Photo by Mark Murata”]