What's your preferred POV for Roleplaying?

[7SinsFTW]

New around here and wanted to get an idea of what people like!

 

[Lydia]

Welcome! I’m pretty sure the majority of writers around here prefer third-person past tense, some third-person present (though I find present tense awkward in my own writing).

I’ve seen a few who are open to first-person, and I think that can be very impactful in the right story, but I never actually do it. I usually just use an omniscient narrator to get inside my character’s head.

 

[Carefree_Snake]

Well it kinda depends of the writer. Some people like to experience their fantasy more personally and with more immersion. So first person will work for them. Other will prefer third person for a variety of reasons.

Personally, I like both, I really don't mind since it just changes the way I imagine the situations taking place, kinda like a videogame! You know that in fist person it isn't you who is doing the actions, but things can feel more intense, and thus, can be more awkward. While in third person it allows better tools for world building. I don't mind and don't give it much thought, but if my partner allowed me to chose, not having any hard preference (like me) I would ask "what do you want to do? Do you want an experience or a story?"

But yeah, some people can even not think much about it and just think it feels better one way or the other!

 

[Sync]

For me: third person, past tense only.

It's a great narrative style, and I find I can do a lot more with it.

Plus...first-person creeps me out. It makes me feel like we're writing as Me and You, instead of My Character and Your Character - which is just wrong in sex scenes.

But that's just me. Others here may feel similarly, but I'm not going to speak for them.

 

[Cantarella]

Third person only.
I prefer past tense too. Like Sync said above... first is way too personal for me. I like to keep a clear delineation between myself and my characters. They are not me, I am not them. Period, end of. And I find first person blurs those lines too much for my comfort. ​

 

[Lydia]

Third person only.
I prefer past tense too. Like Sync said above... first is way too personal for me. I like to keep a clear delineation between myself and my characters. They are not me, I am not them. Period, end of. And I find first person blurs those lines too much for my comfort. ​

That’s really interesting. I don’t find it to be any more blurry than writing dialogue or narrating a character’s inner thoughts and feelings, nor would I ever assume that someone writing in first-person is writing as themselves. Just different perspectives, I guess.

Strangely, I find F-lists a little blurry, but I know most other people don’t.

 

[Cantarella]

That’s really interesting. I don’t find it to be any more blurry than writing dialogue or narrating a character’s inner thoughts and feelings, nor would I ever assume that someone writing in first-person is writing as themselves. Just different perspectives, I guess.

Strangely, I find F-lists a little blurry, but I know most other people don’t.

I narrate character thoughts in third-person too. For example, instead of Oh, I am so screwed, I write it like this: Oh, I am so screwed, she thought.
To clarify, I don't demonize people who write in first person, it just isn't for me, for many reasons.
Also, now that you mention it, yeah... F-lists are kind of blurry. I personally use it to list things I will and won't write about. My favorite subjects and least favorites. I assumed most people used it for the same reasons, until I found out that there are people who do ERP on that site. I heard it gets crazy in there.

 

[gob bee]

Third person, don't really care about tenses (I forge ahead so swiftly writing posts sometimes, that my tenses get screwed up and switched around a lot in a single post).

I've done first person in D&D where that's just generally what you do, but then I started playing multiple characters at a time and it got awkward. I'd need a good reason to go first person... I might do it? For the right RP? It'd be an interesting writing exercise anyway. Edit: I genuinely like writing first-person portions in an RP. Text messages, emails, etc.

My characters aren't me but many of them have tiny shreds of aspects I find important about myself in them, or occasionally I will use them as vehicles to safely explore ideas I myself am interested in. The connection inherent in this is important to me and my writing and creativity. I've also found it's easier for the characters to start acting on their own and surprising me, verus when a character is 100% unlike me. That's probably because then I have trouble simulating their brain because I have no basis for connections.

 

[SoleAccord]

I'm with the majority; third-person past tense.

Can't get into first person. Feels more like cybering than storytelling.

 

[Silk]

I guess that I'm one of the weirdos here who prefer first person, especially because it brings me closer to the characters. I don't find it difficult to keep a healthy distance though. I also write third person, but that is a bit harder to get into

 

[Mint]

Third Person exclusively-- don't really care about the tense. I like to THINK I do past tense but there are times when I'm accidently present tense and I don't really know anymore lmao.

 

[Strange Days]

Third person, past-tense. I reserve first person for D&D or TTRPGs because it becomes sort of tedious to go "Billy did x" every single time a roll needs to be made.

I'm not opposed to writing things like letters, e-mails, text messages in FP as I treat that bit as the character talking about themselves during a scene, sort of like an inner monologue or shared dialogue.

But yeah, I prefer third as it allows me to get IC better while keeping the right amount of distance.

 

[obieblu]

3rd
Past tense preferred. I've played with partners who wrote present, but it just messed up my consistency with tense. I understand TT RP is present tense, but if we're not rapid 'chat' RPing online, present tense just seems weird.

2nd is just bizarre to think about RPing in (if not a GM).

1st... I'm sure it's not everyone, but everyone I partnered with just wanted to cyber and was weird and creepy.

 

[Tayo]

For me, it's third person, past tense only. I have never been comfortable with the other options. ^^;

 

[Lydia]

Can't get into first person. Feels more like cybering than storytelling.

I kinda forgot about the smut element when I was considering this before. I can see how that would be challenging in first-person.

But I have seen really great non-sexual first-person writing. I still remember a death scene written in first person from an RP, and it was so good it made me sob.

 

[SoleAccord]

I kinda forgot about the smut element when I was considering this before. I can see how that would be challenging in first-person.

But I have seen really great non-sexual first-person writing. I still remember a death scene written in first person from an RP, and it was so good it made me sob.

Yeah I’m including smut. Without smut it’s not as jarring xD

 

[Passion]

For the longest time I wrote third person present. I didn't even think much of it, but it was most natural to me for creative writing. I'm just gonna blame the old school chatroom RP days for that one. Anyway, I think I stuck to it for as long time because I do look at RP as highly dynamic, and past tense has a way of cementing things. Present can also sound better at times for action.

Example:

> Katie jumps onto the moving train with a loud thump as soon as it bolts by.

> Katie jumped onto the moving train with a loud thump as soon as it bolted by.

Okay, but what if my partner decides that train went off the rails before she jumped? What if they grab her before she jumps? If she is actively jumping, she could be interrupted instead assuming success in the jump like in past tense. Present allows more blunt of a cue.

She is jumping! Stop her! V.S. Oh, shit. She already jumped onto the damn train. I have to stop the whole train now!

HOWEVER, I found this isn't needed. RPers are capable of doing the same for past tense. I don't know if it promotes as much dynamic writing on a surface level, but past tense does work out fine for experienced RPers.

I actually had to train myself to stop writing present. I realized most people wrote past and writing past often flowed better for nonactions. I will say, during my shift, it was an awkward year or two in my writing, lol. I still catch myself wanting to mix tenses, and I still might a tad for effect purposes, but now I rather work with past tense.

 

[Redneck Wolfqueen]

When I started rping in 2003 I basically instantly started using third person because while sitting in study hall I would write stories, they were usually in third person Past tense. I tried writing a few from the first person prespective, they didn't seem to have the same feel as what the ones did with third person so that's what I've stuck with especially since coming back to RP.

 

[Tinkerer Nadia]

Third person, especially when playing more then one character.

 

[Violet or Vi]

Third-person, past tense.

First-person makes me uncomfortable... Most of the time.

 

[Maze]

Third person. First person feels more like my perspective and I'm writing for my characters not me.

 

[Adin]

I enjoy first person.
But a lot of people tend to enjoy third, and now that i've dabbled in it, I realize it kind of gives you more room to build the scenario and more character development, you get to work on the scene and the person in it.

 

[Mustang]

Third person is the standard but I do love First person. To me RP'ing is like acting, you become the character.

 

[RedRose]

Both are fine

 

[Countess]

Definitely first Person. It's just so much more real to me that way.