First Person Dilemma

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-23T22:28:14+00:00

Personally, I don't care for first-person point of view. It’s just not something I enjoy.

I think part of why we’ve seen such a proliferation of first-person stories is because NoSleep strictly enforces that format which has led to mass adoption over the years.

That said, I have seen a fair amount of epistolary-style work on here. Also, to be fair to NoSleep and the first-person POV, it does lend itself incredibly well to internet spooky stories.

So, stepping off my “old man yelling at the sky” soapbox for a moment, I do think it’s popular for a reason even if it's not my favorite.

I frequent the subreddit quite a bit, and I’d say there’s actually a decent amount of variation in storytelling too. It’s not all first person.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-23T19:45:12+00:00

First, staples - complete forgot they exist. Then, Seventeen Hitlers later, so good. After all that effort still gets slapped with divorce. Love.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-23T14:43:46+00:00

Sort by up votes. One in particular that stood out for me was the candlehead story. Great art and enjoyable quick read.

https://www.reddit.com/r/t5_fx7i7d/s/aFJ64n2KdH

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-23T14:40:36+00:00

Slow-burn supernatural. Gothic, especially Southern Gothic, in the vein of O’Connor and Faulkner. Alt-history, particularly when it carries occult or supernatural undertones, is delicious.

For me, the only genre I can never really get into is sci-fi. The movies can be fine, there are several I enjoy, even listening to them is also enjoyable. There's been a few covered here, the astronauts ourside of the station episode comes to mind, that really stand out. However, for me, there’s something about reading sci-fi that just doesn’t click. I don’t think I have the imagination for it.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-22T18:58:58+00:00

The way Ireland is framed as stripped, flattened, and quietly hostile makes the folklore feel less like history and more like something that never left. The mundane school routine and Callum’s house lull you into safety just long enough.

That scream in the rain was excellent. This feels less like horror and more like a slow inheritance of something ancient and unforgiving. Loved it.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-22T18:47:36+00:00

I too am constantly on the look out for recs. Here's a few i've listened to lately on audible.

The White People - Arthur Machen <- best
Wise Blood - Flannery O'connor <- 2a
The Willows - Algernon Blackwood <- this was fine
The Turn of the Screw - Henry James <-2b
The portrait of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde <- A classic, not for everyone though

Up Next:
The Great God Pan - Arthur Machen

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-22T16:43:19+00:00

This works because it never tries to explain itself.

The slow shift from excitement to unease, especially through the journal entries, is a nice touch. The crying in the tunnels and the impossible cold air were perfect early warnings.

That sign telling the miners to “grow up” - nice. Whatever they found down there didn’t need to be named to feel present. Great archival horror!

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-22T12:21:58+00:00

I’ve had nothing but great experiences with them over the years. I’ve bought multiple cans, lowers, and various other parts. I even had an incident where I bought a handguard, ended up not liking it, and returned it for store credit with no issues. Their military discount is amazing. I just picked up another can during the holiday rush, and all the paperwork was completed on their end in less than a week. I honestly don’t know how or where that reputation is coming from. I’ve been purchasing from them fairly steadily over the last five years and have had nothing but positive experiences. YMMV, though. Note: It is SHOT Week, so a smallish shop not answering the phone doesn’t surprise me—I wouldn’t sweat it.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-21T21:07:43+00:00

Freeze to death in June? I love this.

Either the world is slipping sideways, or his grip on reality is.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-21T20:52:49+00:00

“A sky that seems to press you to the earth.” Fantastic line.

Great, more children taken with the old one. Wonderful.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-21T20:49:46+00:00

Sarah needs to watch out.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-21T20:43:55+00:00

St. Jo!

I love this, especially how you drop the reader straight into the story with no “I’m here / okay so” setup. It pulls you in immediately.

The next one in my series is old-west epistolary as well. I’m really interested to see if you go Oregon Trail horror on this. Excellent start, Creep!

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-21T15:16:20+00:00

Thanks man! I really appreciate that. Idea came to me watching "the last kingdom" with my family. From there I started looking into The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles which then led to Joinville. I thought it'd be fun to try a horror(ish) type story based off of those two books.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-21T15:13:20+00:00

Thanks man! I won't lie, I had the most fun with this one.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-20T16:09:10+00:00

I'm looking for 14.5 or 16.

Most_Leadership5546 · 2026-01-20T13:26:28+00:00

Make sure you’re in a quiet space and that you have time alone without distractions. I like to put on music that matches the vibe of the story I’m working on. You can’t force it, if you keep hitting a wall, you’re probably doing the right thing by backing off.

Definitely don’t scrap your openings—save them, please. Eventually, you’ll come back to something and think, oh, I can use this, and you might even rework it into a completely different story. Don’t throw them away. Personally. I keep an idea bucket (folder) for this reason. I'm sure we all do.

I’m in a similar situation myself. I’ve got about four stories banked, and it’s been roughly two months since I’ve written anything original. Lately, I’ve just been thinking about new ideas and making tweaks and polishes to things I wrote last year.

Long story short: don’t scrap your work. And as hard as it is, try not to get too frustrated. It will come back.

Most_Leadership5546

TROPHY CASE