Writing Styles

Lucinda Fae

Member
I would love to know your preferences in writing styles and why you prefer them!

Personally, I lean more towards third person, past tense, as I feel it gives me a larger range of emotions and actions to explore. My posts can be very lengthy, if I'm given enough to work with and have the proper inspiration for the story. I will always try to have at least three to five paragraphs, or will let my partner know if I am having writer's block.

On an off note, I do love brainstorming with my partners, before and during roleplay. It tends to help keep my muse satiated.

So, please, let me know what you like! I rather enjoy learning new things about everybody!
 
Third person past tense for me too. It's just in my opinion the most versatile when it comes to having a balance between a narrative "overview" of sorts in terms of setting while still doing a passable job of getting the immediacy of conflict through. First person would theoretically be better at the latter but I just haven't been able to really feel it.

In roleplays in particular, I like (or rather can't seem to avoid) using a mix of limited third person to really get my character's brain into the page and only have them be aware of their POV, while still using the omniscient for scene setting and keeping the other players informed. I honestly don't know how I'd be able to manage through a roleplay in any form of first person narrative but I keep telling myself I'll write a short story or two using it to see how it feels.
 
Third-person past-tense writing is the way to go.

First-person writing has its place in limited scope and can be done effectively, such as internal monologues or for specific stylized scenes within a larger work.

I've literally picked up books that seemed interesting to me, realized they were written in first person, and sat them down to never be touched again.
 
Third person, past tense for me as well! It's just easier because I can write my posts like I am some sort of storyteller. I can try my best to describe pretty much anything I want in order to make a detailed expression of the scene.

I find it difficult for me to play with someone in first person. It's just weird and it doesn't feel like a story telling at all. So I avoid doing it as much as possible.
 
I've used first person perspective (both past and present tense) in my own writing. It's a lot of fun in its own way, but it ain't gonna cut it for a roleplay. I mean, an RP is pretty much a story told by an omniscient narrator from the perspective of multiple characters, and if you were writing that story by yourself you probably wouldn't go with first person for it either.
 
My default tends to be third person past tense. I've dabbled in first person, and it's quite nice if you're good at it. I struggle with fitting in little details while not making it seem out of place, so for me it's not the best.

First person is really personal so it's really great in that aspect, especially if your struggling with your character seeming 2d in a sense. It can come off quite childish though, because it's used in so many children's books.

Third person can really create a picture in terms of describing the setting it's taking place in. It's a lot more cohesive when your switching P.O.V as well, because you can just start off by ("Dave sat down") when switching, instead off ("He sat down"), because no one knows who "he" is.
 
I role play in third person past tense but when I solo write I like to use first person present tense. I want to try roleplaying in first person but I don’t feel like I’m ready and I want to practice more.
 
Limited third person past tense, first person past tense, first person present tense
Most of my stories are written in a combination of first person present and first person past tense. It can be hard to tell the difference, and I do that intentionally. Often the story will begin in the past, but then move forward into the present later on.
I also switch perspectives a lot, so there's that. In some stories, It'll be entirely third person except for some chapters in first person, where a character speaks directly to the audience to explain certain concepts. These instances are always monologues.
 
I prefer third person, past or present tense usually changes because I'm a complete mess. I also sometimes use second-person, although mainly for in-roleplay meta humor. Like,
"He closed the door to the bathroom, for obvious reasons. You wouldn't want your cat staring at you while you took a bath, either."

I also tend to change my writing based on which character I'm playing. Like, if I'm playing a serious, analytical character, I'll use stronger vocabulary and follow grammar rules more strictly than if playing a carefree character. Also, if I'm playing one of my visually impaired characters, I'll focus more on scent, touch, or sounds than if I was playing a sighted character.
So, basically I try to write how that character would write.
It gets fun if I'm playing more than one at a time. Then the styles end up mixing.
 
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