First or Third Person

[Razor7826]

I've been looking at other forums for adult RP, and it seems as if this one is the only one that prefers first-person perspective. Everywhere else is almost wall-to-wall third person.

May I ask WTF? Now, I'm not the most experienced RPer, but I always thought it was about becoming the character you're playing. I can't see how third person facilitates that.

Do pen-and-paper RPers do third person?

[Ozme52]

I think it's because writing in the third person is just easier...

Easier to describe the surroundings, the actions, even the dialogue (which is really two or more monologues...)

First person is harder... but more enjoyable.

[Chuckdom19]

First person also immerses one into the storyline, it seems to me. When I write first person, I am deep into the character's mind, and he/she helps guide me where the story is going.

[kimbra_ailis]

It seems a lot of Rpers are only interested in smut... a quick get off and release. They dont bother get into character therefore find using first person disturbing. Some use the same names over and over again, changing detail just enough to fit with the story. It becomes apparent they really dont care.

Personally I typically write in third person because most people I have talked with wont play in first. I find that in third person I have more control of the character were in first person the character has more control of me. But that is just me.....

[Razor7826]

It seems a lot of Rpers are only interested in smut... a quick get off and release. They dont bother get into character therefore find using first person disturbing. Some use the same names over and over again, changing detail just enough to fit with the story. It becomes apparent they really dont care.


That's how it seems to me, too. I wrote erotic fiction for this site long before I ever even thought of RP, so I view RP as an extension of that hobby. The development of characters and plots when more than one person is contributing is the entire of allure of RP to me, so I vastly prefer first-person, playing a distinctly different role each time.

There is the standard trap of the character becoming you rather than you becoming the character. I've heard that said to be one of the problems with first-person perspective in literature, and I can't imagine it being any less of a problem in RP.