First, second and third person p.o.v

[ninafromnorway]

Ah, yes it was a typo. When I write the book I am rather thorough, but here in the forums I tend to be a little sloppy, and don't bother to reread what I have written before I post it.

Four years, huh? Wow! Well that's... four years...

Yeah, so I heard this woman who never had taken a writing class in her whole life now is on the New York Times best sellers list, and has been with all of her books. Stephenie Meyer, you may have heard of her? ;-p Just kidding... Just a little envious and fascinated over the fact that some people don't lift a finger, while others work their butts off to achieve anything at all.

[polymath]

Ms. Meyer's pursued creative writing over more than a decade of intensive study. Though she claims it wasn't a big deal. She studied hard in high school and attended Brigham Young University's English arts program, graduating in 1997 at the age of 21. Brigham Young is not as challenging as Harvard or Yale's English programs, but their course requirements are more exacting than many university English programs. Rhetoric coursework is required.

In fact, Brigham Young University hosts professor Gideon Burton's, Ph.D., rhetoric outline at Silva Rhetoricae. It's my go-to source for rhetoric study. I have a BFA in English. Having compared the requirements of my program with Brigham Young's I can confidently say Ms. Meyer struggled. After college graduation, it was another six years before the inspiration for Twilight struck her in early 2003, though it only took her about a year to write and sell the first installment. Then another two years of struggle getting it ready for publication, plus post release performance anxiety and struggles to meet expectations and deadlines with follow-up installments, and on and on it goes.

Beware of accomplished authors who minimalize their artistic struggles. They just aren't all that minimal. Nor does the struggle come to an end, except at the final one.

The Tree of Rhetoric, Silva Rhetoricae;
http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/silva.htm

[ninafromnorway]

It may be all true what you wrote about Meyer, but I'm still amazed with the fact that she has three children and wrote the first book in three months... I can barely find time to write a chapter in a week. Even now just sitting here, my 3.5 year old is standing in the windowsill, and my 1 year old is enjoying himself by placing a lego box over his head going "nang nang nang". Luckily they are going to bed in 20 minutes (I'm a bit after schedule today).

That link looks good. I'll give myself some time to read it tomorrow morning, before the children wake up. =D

[D.T.Roberts]

The thing to keep in mind is that if you write in first person, that person must be present in every scene, otherwise he/she would not be aware of what else is going on in the story therefor would have no first hand knowlege of it. The narator as first person may be an outside observer of events but is still in the scene. This perspective still gives them first hand knowlege and the ability to relate the events in a believable manner.