A byproduct of settling my stepfather's estate on top of the spousal unit's two surgeries has yielded an unexpected bonus. I've done more reading for pleasure this year than in the last several years combined. It's tough being a writer and reading another author's work. One finds a lot of little "mistakes" one never would have noticed before. Mostly it's dropped words which means I'm in very, yes very, good company. It seems we ALL do it from time-to-time.
Recently I read a boxed set of six stories all set in the same town. The series was patterned much like my Men of Marionville series with subsequent couples being friends or family of the original pairing. I'd name it and the author except for one thing I found difficult in the reading. The author wrote each chapter in the first-person (I'm a big fan of first-person) but she/he flipped-flopped on the point of view. I was constantly scrolling back to see who "I" was. In a six-book box set, there were twelve "I's" telling the story.
The stories were good, though. I liked the characters, the "black moments" they overcame, and the happy endings. It was just difficult to keep the POV straight.
Does this matter in the overall scheme of things? I'm not sure. I'm not going to ask for a refund. At a going price of $1.99, I know the author isn't getting much of a return. I'm more than willing to support her. I'll even buy more of her books.
I suppose I'm putting this out into the universe as food for thought for any writers considering going the "I and I" route. When writing in this style, use enough proper names to keep the reader in the correct POV. Balance using he, him, or his with enough information to show us exactly who "he" is.
Writing in the first-person isn't something I would ever discourage an author to avoid. As I said, I like first-person. I write in it about seventy-five percent of the time, especially since as KC Kendricks, my main characters are both males.
So remember a lot of your readers are reading late at night. Some of us are at the age where we read in the middle of those sleepless nights. Do what you can to keep us from being confused. As a reader, I'll certainly appreciate it.
As a fellow writer, it's a lesson learned.
KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks
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