5 Tips to Mastering First-Person Point of View

You’ve told stories in the first person, using I, me, and my, since you were a child. It’s the simplest way to relay an experience.
But simple doesn’t mean easy.
In this video, Jerry Jenkins shares his tips for writing in first person point of view.
Writing Assessment: jerryjenkins.com/quiz/
Blog: jerryjenkins.com/blog/
Need more help crafting the perfect protagonist? Download Jerry’s FREE Character Arc Worksheet: leveragecreative.lpages.co/ch...
[00:29] What is Point of View?
[01:01] The cardinal rule of Point of View
[02:27] Why Use the First-Person Point of View?
[03:40] 5 Tips for Writing in First Person
[03:50] 1. Avoid head-hopping
[04:30] 2. Craft a strong voice
[05:03] 3. Don’t switch tenses
[05:25] 4. Show, don’t tell
[06:14] 5. Allow other characters to shine

[@Blessom]

"Hi, Jerry Jenkins here talking about all things writing." - the goat writer 🐐

[@coffeecreateconnect]

Truth. My absolute favorite person to get writing advice from.

[@Durandahll]

Jerry’s Guild member here-I would really love a third-person video to complement this one! After writing eighteen novels in first-person, I am finally giving third a try and the disconnect between the two has been a slight thorn in my side.

[@stevecarter8810]

I get smarter just from Jerry's concise speaking style, before I even listen to the words themselves.

[@Ramenko1]

Hey, Jerry. I recent discovered you about 2 weeks ago. I've written a short story totaling 20k words using tips that you provided in your Show, Don't Tell video. It was such an enormous infuence on my writing. I believe this story is one of my best, thanks in part to your influence. Keep going strong, Jerry. Jesus Christ loves you! Amen! Praise God!!! I'll be converting the story into a video production with visuals, music, sound design, and voice acting. If you ever are curious, I'll hopefully have the story uploaded on my channel by early next year. Keep well, friend.

[@SkyEchoPencilAcademy]

Thank you so much, Jerry ❤. I struggle to express my appreciation of you making the sole choice to share and ‘Pay It Forward’, as you say, with the writing help you share with us hear. For me, my life and death is dependent upon my finding a way to communicate my thoughts. I am deeply grateful to have recently found you. Thank you! You are truly a service to Humanity. P.S. I must confess that I have not read any of your books. With this education. Your new fan start here and now! I will find you. You have written over 120 books to have your final destination be here? You are truly a man of love and genius creativity! Thank you, Jerry! Thank you!

[@PureMagma]

I've been binge watching (and rewatching) your other videos today and you kindly drop a new video amidst my inspirational rampage?!!? 🔥🏆 🥳🎉 YAY!!! 🎉🥳

[@timflatus]

Thank you Jerry, that's really succinct. I have an idea that you should have a reason for choosing a particular perspective - even head-hopping can work if you have a reason for wanting to disorient your readers, but be aware that you might need to be Thomas Pynchon or James Joyce to get away with it. The aspect I'm having the most difficulty with is tense - the story I'm writing is kind of historical but based on "diary entries", putting all into a historical past tense reads a little oddly and I still have to be clear whether the text is something she's written or something she's relaying directly to the reader. Like your first novel the main character is not the narrator, this leaves me unsure as to who the protagonist is, I think it might be both of them in this case. Regardless, I'm now confident that first person is the right PoV for this.

[@ZitaGrantAuthor]

Great instruction. Thank you.

[@matthewchristophermyers9106]

I want to Thank you for giving yourself away to help others. I believe writing to be my purpose and the gift was evident at the age of four. I've written several novels over the years, but I didn't graduate high school. I never took classes. I learned grammar on my own. I've red hundreds of novels and write every day. I am in my fifties and have the 'Invisible Knowing' that it's time. A lot of folks have told me I'm great. I believe I am good enough to manifest my publishing dreams. And I am terrified! Your insight minimalizes that fear. You've inspired me to do well and be better than what I thought I was. Joining the Guild doesn't guarantee publication, I get that, but I want to be my personal best if I am to serve the reader well. I'm saving to join the Guild in January. It's such a pleasure to learn from you. You've Blessed my life and I am very grateful. Thank you for your time. Matthew Myers from Maryville, TN

[@GoonFaceMaster]

Hello mr jenkins, i would just like to thank you for sharing your wisdom with the world, i only discovered you earlier today and already i feel more confident in my writing ability, to become an author is my destiny, and your words of wisdom have inspired me today, so thankyou again, you are an absolute legend sir :)

[@lauraroberts2250]

Thanks, Jerry. Great advice.

[@WanjiruWaithaka]

Great advice Jerry. I only write in the first person when ghost writing an autobiography and these tips will really help my current project.

[@casualcarter4872]

Great video! Very helpful, thank you!!!

[@JoleneMarie123]

Thank you so much for these lessons. I’ve written short stories, mostly fanfiction, for years. Even though fanfiction is considered a poor cousin to original works, it’s brought me a lot of joy. I hope to take that joy, guided by your solid advice, and begin work on an original piece. God bless you and Happy New Year!

[@ascensionwalkies]

Thank you Jerry🙏

[@DaMusicluvT]

I’ve seen numerous videos on how to write books, but I gravitated towards your channel and website. I am more eager to continue writing my narrative memoir with every advice you have. I appreciate your videos and blogs.

[@MDK-qc9li]

Thank you very much for all this wonderful advice. continue like this.

[@Nbrolfiwriting]

Thank you Jerry!

[@RachelDougherty-tp3ji]

Could you make a video about present-tense, past-tense?? Which one is better, how to master it??

[@johnparnham5945]

Hi Jerry. This is the subject for this month for the Ultimate Novel Writing Course which I'm on at this moment. I have written in the first person for the first time. Your contribution in this video is very helpful.

[@desertgecko4549]

Thanks, Jerry. I'd sure like to see you making more KZbin videos. I'd never considered how cool it could be to write in a "compromise" POV where the first-person narrator is not the story's protagonist. I think I'll try a longer short story that way just for grins & giggles, or to see if I like it. In a way, it's the best of both the first-person POV and the third-person POV, as it allows us to switch to the protagonist's head for true first and to go back to the narrator for a pseudo-third-person POV. Intriguing. Thanks, Jerry. I once read, in a Facebook discussion group, about published books switching between third person and first -- substantially, beyond the famous Moby Dick opener of _Call me Ishmael._ I dismissed it as folly and too difficult to be worth the trouble, but now I think I see how it can be done.

[@tomaria100]

Thanks Jerry!

[@neofulcrum5013]

Even though I have an mc focused third person view, I’m learning how to shift perspectives to other characters thanks to the style of Dan Abenett’s Gaunt Ghosts series. Though it’s challenging.

[@gregroberts6710]

I find slipping into the omniscient point of view hard not to do when writing first person. I didn't even realize I was doing it until I started my second draft of my current work. I find that I'm still doing it. But I guess that's what the editing process is for. Great video as always, Jerry.

[@ndwerashinha3511]

Great video ❤

[@kamilla1960]

Thank you 💞

[@patriciagray484]

Just found you. Really am fizzling with my writing. This vid helps

[@zachemory]

Hello, Jerry. I must admit I haven't read any of your books, but I will definitely begin. Which one is your personal favorite? I'll begin with that. Thanks so much for this channel. It is helping me so much with my own novel, especially your videos about dialogue. You are a godsend.

[@archaontheeverchosen7980]

Soon is a good book of his that I have read.

[@c704710]

I'm trying to craft a story that encourages my audience to empathize and _agree with_ my main character. but then have my audience question their own assessments. I've probably bitten off much more than anyone can chew. I'm doing each scene in first person without internal monologue. Then presenting the scene again with internal dialogue. Then again with past tense narration by the main character. And then one last time with supposed omnipresence. But the omnipresence is provided by the protagonist who asks the audience to trust that she's being completely honest. By now, hopefully, the audience has learn to disagree wirh and view the main character with a great deal of skepticism. so the last perspective is intentionally a very hard ask.

[@pete531]

For my first book, i chose possibly the hardest style. It doesnt have any characters, its just monogue, its a book about minimalism talking about psychology, religion, history and my trip to asia. i know its crazy. the point is that each chapter is purposfully entirely different category in itself. i plan to embed stories inside each chapter to break monotony and because stories are very engaging to us humans, stydies have shown

[@EarlyGyrl]

Hello Jerry, thank you for your inspiring and helpful videos. When it comes to "Allowing your other characters to shine" it becomes slightly technical for someone like myself. Would it be possible for you to explain it differently? Thank you.

[@Anouarraz]

Interesting

[@dherokbattleborn]

I’ve seen some advice that said to bury the “I” in first person novels. Does this mean I shouldn’t narrate what the main character is doing only how others react? So avoid saying things like “I lean up against the door frame, It creaks.” And just say “The door frame creaks.” Or is that incorrect and I should be telling the reader what the character is doing even though it’s in first person? In real life I don’t consciously think about movements or actions. I wouldn’t think about walking down the hall I just do it to get to where I need to go. Do those things you don’t think about need to be narrated?

[@krisnafrsb]

Excellent guidelines. Clear and to the point

[@stebbigunn7690]

I have a book im working on, its highly written in first person. but how is it best to jump from past into present, and showing the current enviorment the narrator is talking from?

[@Aishwarya-wr7ym]

Imagine a powerful MC whose reaction and voice are different from one situation to another. How can I maintain consistency in the MC's voice?

[@salataYT]

😁😁😁

[@carolfactor1865]

When I wrote the opening chapter of my memoir I was told I have too many “I’s.” 😞

[@SkyEchoPencilAcademy]

It is extremely funny that I have a typo ‘hear’ in my message. I have to embrace your compassion and forgiveness. 😅 I have a long way to go.

[@amunrayay1446]

My whole manuscript is written in first person point of view.

[@framestomind7548]

Please reply to me, anyone and everyone, that still believes in reading and writing... Q: Why be a novel writer of serious literature still in 2024 despite all of WOKE tv series, short stories, movies, and leftist agenda that will edit Your story for their political narrative and never will give a damn about your story no matter how good a writer you are unless you submit to their rules and give up your voice! tell me, Why and How shall You keep writing and publishing despite a world that does not want you to aspire and readers that have given up books years back for simplified plot-driven woke TV series at Disney and Netflix for in-depth reading of real stories? - You tell me the truth!

[@archaontheeverchosen7980]

Well I guess I qualify as someone. You don't necessarily have to sell your work to those companies. Instead, consider emphasizing your desire for some level of control over the project. Just like 'Game of Thrones' began as a book and retained most of it's essence, you will need to try expressing your wish to retain a high level of creative control or exploring options that don't involve outright selling. I understand your fears but there are still people who read and those people have voices that can be heard.

[@user-rw9cb8qq6x]

You’re speaking the absolute 100% truth my friend!

[@user-ul8cf7po8k]

Hi, my name is Elias chonta.when I was praying today, God dropped a movie in my mind.....but am only an aspiring writer- I completely don't have an idea about what it takes to put a movie together. Mr Jennings, will you help me for heaven's sake. I live in Africa and I don't have a penny in my pocket! Will you, please!