Character POV Discussion

Hello! I wanted to start a sort of discussion/poll-like thing here to ask you guys something. I know in roleplay we write in third person past tense, and I appreciate that for several reasons. But I'm working on a project where first person present is allowed and I may give it a go for the practice element. But I'm wondering which you guys prefer and what you think helps or hinders each POV choice.

I don't understand the irrational hatred first person narrative gets. A lot of it seems to just be because Twilight was written that way and it makes me want to scream "there was writing before Twilight!"

Obviously, I think you need to choose your POV & tense according to what you're trying to achieve. If you're writing in a diary style, or otherwise want the character to directly address the reader first person can be really useful.

Well, I sort of have a stance on Twilight that apparently differs from most. I would never bother reading past the first two, though I gave them a go. But I also can appreciate the fact that the writing invites new readers in. I guess my main thing is that the majority of YA fiction and even some adult fiction I've read has been first present.

I, personally, have issues with first person past tense, because it seems like the person remembers everything perfectly and it detaches me from the story. Granted, I've written first person past with the qualification that much of it was rather vague, specifically to avoid that problem of mine.

My brother made a comment I found interesting, which was that third person present is awkward, in his opinion, but first person present allows people to put themselves in the character's place. I started writing the project in first present but I have come across the issue of changing tenses to describe things in the character's past. Sometimes it feels wrong because the rest of the story is present tense. Maybe that's just me overthinking it?

First person narrative limits the view of the events of a story, but sometimes that works as an advantage - unreliable narrator and all that. Take To Kill A Mockingbird, the narrator is a child, which sets a completely different tone for the story. It allows the author to dwell on morality from an innocent's perspective. 

It's think it's more challenging to get it right, but I've read plenty of great books that were in first person POV; Catcher in the Rye, Flowers for Algernon etc. Twilight is an example of doing first person wrong, Bella often knows more than she should or possibly could.

I don't think it's about putting yourself in the character's shoes.

I tried writing that slash thread with Shylock and Selwyn from a first person POV just to see if it would be easier (it was). But even though it's romance, for me it wasn't about putting yourself in their place. It's more about them being able to tell you about their thoughts and feelings at the time it was happening.

Also, my posts in that thread are so much longer than what I write in my regular posts, because not only can I include more internal monologue, but it's the character not holding anything back, so I feel like I'm obliged to.