When the narrator has questionable credibility, it keeps the reader guessing about the gap between reality and the observations of the POV character. Aja Pollock - an editor who has worked on books by writers like Neil Gaiman, George W. While this lack of credibility can be fatal in non-fiction, it can be a real delight in fiction. An unreliable narrator makes the reader second-guess whether the narrator is telling the entire story - which is extra-exciting if you only find out theyвЂ™re unreliable partway through the tale. First person can foster an intriguing unreliable narratorДЇirst person narratives also excel in establishing intrigue and questions about the true nature of the narrator - are they representing an objective truth or are they pulling the wool over our overly trusting eyes?ДЄs most first person POVs are inherently limited by the biases and personal motivations of the narrator, authors can easily create intrigue through unreliable narrators who turn the concept of honesty and trust on its head. Because we can follow his thought process from start to finish, we understand why he makes the decisions he does, however imperfect they may be. Example: Great Expectations by Charles DickensДickensвЂ™ classic, about a young boy born into poverty hoping to improve his station in life in order, showcases the immersive effect and intimacy that a first person POV can offer Told in PipвЂ™s voice, this early passage deftly captures his internal conflict over his identity, which drives much of the novelвЂ™s plot. Of course, neither fiction nor nonfiction is immune to the phenomenon of unreliable narrators (more on this below), as real people are just as likely to suffer from biases as fictional ones. In nonfiction, a first-person voice can also lend credibility to the writing: вЂњI know this to be true, because I actually saw or did these things.вЂќ Readers get to relive the experience through a primary source, safe in the knowledge that this person knows what theyвЂ™re talking about. ThereвЂ™s often a sense of honesty and trust that first person narration can communicate, pulling the reader into the story by evoking empathy. ThatвЂ™s not to say that second person POV or third person POV canвЂ™t create intimacy, but first person tends to be the most intimate, as youвЂ™re getting direct access to the characterвЂ™s internal thoughts and feelings. With first person, the writer or reader becomes the character as they get deeper into the story, and that's the kind of immersive experience that makes me love a book.

Writing first person makes it easier to get deep inside a character's thoughts and feelings. Tracy Gold, Reedsy editor and Adjunct Professor of Composition at the University of Baltimore, corroborates this: That is, many authors and readers prefer first-person-POV writing because it creates intimacy. One of the main benefits of first person POV is what is sometimes referred to as the вЂclose psychic distanceвЂ™ between the reader and the character. HereвЂ™s a little more on why first person is worth learning to write well. While it may not perfectly suit every story - hence why we also have second person and third person alternative - itвЂ™s definitely a popular POV, and one thatвЂ™s important for authors to master.

It can lend authority and credibility to a tale, and has plenty of other useful storytelling functions.

First person narration brings readers directly into the story, experiencing its events as the POV character.

First person lover