How to Write in First Person

Writing a story in the first person means that you are writing from the narrator's--or your--point of view. It's the most natural way to tell a story, as it's how we tell stories every day. Writing in the first person can be restricting, as you will only be able to tell the reader what one character knows; but it can be a great method to use when writing a personal story. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Write the story completely from your point of view, or from the point of view of the character who is narrating the story. Write about your actions, your observations and your thoughts.
2. Speculate on other characters' thoughts and feelings from your perspective. By focusing on more than just actions that you can see, you can build more character depth with your other characters.
3. Use hearsay to tell other parts of the story. If events occur when you are not present, you can use another character's telling of the story to you.
4. Be wrong sometimes. Since you're writing from the point of view of one person, it's realistic for that person to sometimes make a wrong impression or assume something that isn't true. Use "being wrong sometimes" as a way to add suspenseful elements to your story.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use multiple narrators narrating from the first person to get several points of view. Just be sure to make it clear to the reader who is narrating at each narrator switch.
• Don't forget the details. Set the scene and be descriptive. Just because the story is from one person's point of view, you don't have to only focus on what she says and does. She can make descriptive observations about her surroundings.