Joseph Gergen Works

Spill your guts. Let it all out. That’s what my first person characters usually do. They don’t hold back. They seem to think they are in therapy and the page is the confessor. Which I am all for. That’s why they are here.

But in shifting to third person that might not be so good. Or maybe to could be but I’m thinking maybe I need to exercise some discretion there, which is probably nothing new to someone who writes in the 3^rd person. But for me it’s something foreign.

I think of the possibilities of the 3^rd person and I am like a kid in a candy store with unlimited funds. I can do anything I want. No holds barred. But with great power comes great responsibility.

I’m like I can have a character reveal something in dialog, which then anyone who hears the dialog now knows. And then the narrator can add some details that only that character knows about or that nobody knows about, yet. I’m like good grief, you can really mess with people.

I’m not really a person who messes with people. Every once in a while, I’ll able in undetectably dry wit that confuses people for a moment, but that’s about it. I’m not even sure if I know how to josh people, so how am I going to be the gatekeeper to knowledge that could have significant effects on my characters. Will I have to learn to be manipulative?

If so, I’ll have to play a part. I’ll have to play the person who is controlling the narrator. I’ll have to pretend to be the puppet master. I mean, how many steps will I end up from the characters. Is this like method writing? Do I have to engross myself in being the writer I need to be to write this story?

Fascinating concept. I don’t have any acting chops so this will be interesting. Maybe the “fake it til you make it” philosophy will come into play. Will I get lost in my character and not find a way out? Hey, that sounds like a better story than the one I am writing.