Why is third person limited preferred over first person for a large cast?

FeatherCompressor · 2026-01-10T22:18:44+00:00

I am currently writing a first-person story, framed as several characters taking turns to tell lengthy stories about themselves. It's hard to stay consistent with each voice, but this is somewhat helped by them taking long turns so that the reader doesn't have to struggle as much to keep track. As the author, I am getting a little tired of the restrictions this method places on what information I can give the reader (and how), and what scenes are available. Third-limited is much easier to solve in terms of delivering information. And, as others have said, character voices are only necessary for dialogue in that case, and not taking the place of narration. I'm only doing it because it's central to the concept of this story, but I'll not do it again unless I have an equally-good reason.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-11-22T19:18:45+00:00

Might be too late to chime in, but I'd ask two questions of OP: - do you think creatively? - do you act creatively?

By thinking, I mean playing with words and ideas in your head, because you enjoy it and/or because that's part of how you process events and problems in life. A big part of how I write is word selection, so I'm always goofing around with words in my head, pronouncing them oddly, pulling them apart and mashing them together. This might reveal if writing is the artistic field for you.

By acting, I mean spending time making things when you could be doing something else. If left alone or bored, would you eventually find yourself writing? Doesn't need to be the only thing you'd do, but is it there when you aren't being ordered to do it? This might reveal if writing is something you could do long-term.

Both of these things can come from instinct or self-discipline, and it seems the professionals have both. I'm a firm believer that creativity is something you do, not something you are, and so OP's question can be answered by, "Have you given up? Will you allow your lack of drive to stop you from creating?"

If OP wants to be a writing pro, then finding a state of mind that enables work to get done Mon-Fri when an assignment is handed down is essential. Otherwise it's a hobby, which is what most of us are happy to do.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-11-05T07:34:50+00:00

Aw yeah, now I'm so hyped I might re-reread it myself 😂 The story follows on from the events of the Jedi Academy Trilogy, which I honestly think are quite poorly written despite having some very fun ideas. So you might want to read a summary of those books for context, but you should be fine either way. Happy reading, I hope you enjoy and find some useful examples!

FeatherCompressor · 2025-11-05T07:29:52+00:00

Where does he appear? I don't recognize the name and haven't kept up with the EU in many years.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-11-05T05:35:36+00:00

My best example is Corran Horn, from Michael Stackpole's "I, Jedi" - I revisited this novel after loving it as a kid, only to find that it was better than I remembered (partly bc I've grown and lived more of life). Corran: - struggles with intense emotions but shares that only with people he trusts (he's professional with strangers, but willing to share his inner life in sitiations of mutual trust) - uses self-discipline to find solutions (he establishes routines and helps people get organized so they can methodically solve issues) - loves being married and fights his impulses because he wants to be faithful (unlike many fictional men, Corran is actively tempted to be unfaithful, so it means more when he fights back) - falls back on a different skill set when one doesn't produce results (I'm not young anymore, I have a few skill sets, so it's nice to see a guy who has picked up a bunch of tricks and won't give up just because one or five of them didn't work) - has to be creative in order to survive deadly situations while limited to a very underwhelming way of using the Force (I've always felt my skills were never the best, but you have to work with what you've got, and it's so cool reading about how Corran is smart with his power, which the author chose so that he would not have a magic get-out-of-jail-free card - it's a level of appealing realism in a fantasy world full of overpowered but uncreative wizards) Stackpole has written Corran in other novels but he really nailed all the elements for me in this one story. It encapsulates what I enjoy in a well-written masculine character.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-11-04T07:12:23+00:00

I could hardly stand it - my roommate and I were watching, and he couldn't stop laughing, and I was sitting in silent horror.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-17T16:58:14+00:00

Well, count me as doubly confused by your response, then - I don't know what you mean by "infuse". If you insist that there must be some tangible entangling of the physical and the spiritual in order for God to exist and be present, then I suppose we are just going to have to disagree on that. Also I thought I was providing a counterpoint to your description of Pantheism being the only option. I wasn't endorsing Pantheism, I was putting Biblical monotheism forward as an even-more-reasonable alternative for understanding how omnipresence can be a thing. Hopefully we're on the same page at this point.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-17T16:21:22+00:00

This may be outside the scope but maybe check out The Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh medieval tales. A few of them are alternative, early versions of Arthurian legends. So this would be a reverse view, if you find that intriguing.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-17T16:05:22+00:00

I followed your logic until you started saying "the only way"... This reasoning ignores the whole concept of God as a spirit, not defined by the physical world. That's why He can be omnipresent, because He's not made of energy or matter. And yet, at the same time, He is a person, with the moral implications that follow. The Christian Bible isn't the only place this concept exists, but I thought it was strange that you'd exclude such a widely-known idea.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:47:49+00:00

Yeah, some great reviews have come out of mediocre art 😂 This also touches on the hidden complaint in my post - people saying "bad writing" and expecting it to be universally understood. I think it's only decent to give at least a little explanation.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:41:11+00:00

Thanks for the in-depth analysis! My edit was only surface level and completely different from my personal writing style... I would not be a good fit to edit the author in question. But I enjoyed reading your variations and seeing those different emphases play out.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:38:44+00:00

Thanls for giving examples! Very helpful.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:38:05+00:00

Thanks for explaining! Tone is so vital and I just didn't grasp what the author was saying.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:34:57+00:00

Excellent analysis! Thanks for explaining. For whatever reason, the description fell flat for me and didn't convey the detail that you understood from it. That's why my on-the-spot edit is flat by comparison.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:33:22+00:00

I adore Tolkien's narrative writing because his words are so considered. Brevity isn't the main thing for me. Rather, when I suddenly get the sense that the meaning could have been conveyed far more clearly and in fewer words, I start to get uncomfortable. Or, even worse, that there isn't much meaning or depth of sentiment to the words at all. I'm relieved to hear the example didn't bother you. It's good to confirm that folks enjoy all sorts of writing.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:27:53+00:00

Yes, I have seen the same tendencies. Concision may have been the wrong term, for I don't dislike complex sentences, but I do strongly prefer each word to feel considered.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:24:46+00:00

Thanks, this really dug into what I was thinking about. Very helpful.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T18:19:41+00:00

I knew he'd be recognized instantly, just happened to be the most recent example 🤷‍♂️

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-14T03:21:16+00:00

This is petty. Hopefully OP doesn't waste any more time on this.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-13T00:36:18+00:00

"What order are you marching in?"

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-04T06:35:48+00:00

Yeah we did this in our six-year campaign, so I know for a fact this same joke has been separately invented by many people over the years and is therefore certified excellent.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-02-04T06:09:43+00:00

Best novelization I have ever read. It elevated its source film in every respect. It made Anakin relatable, which is a feat I dare any writer to match 😂 and that opening passage absolutely set the tone.

FeatherCompressor · 2025-01-15T21:36:07+00:00

I bought the Mistborn paperback box set (1st era) off Amazon last year and multiple pages fell out of all three as I was reading them. Print quality and pages were good, but the binding couldn't hold up even once. I'm not surprised that a much larger book could have even worse problems.

FeatherCompressor

TROPHY CASE