Monday 18 March 2013

Tell me what you feel, don't bore me with facts

Which voice is telling the story?


     The hotel is beautiful, and there's an amazing beach there.  It's really close to town as well - it only took us 10 minutes to walk to the local bar! There's so much to do: they have a water park and a huge pool, and there's a casino next door.


     You'll love the hotel - it's beautiful, and you can get straight onto this amazing beach.  You can walk to the local bar in 10 minutes - it's so close!  You've got loads of activities as well: you can go to the water park and pool, or you can always gamble away your money at the casino.


     I thought the hotel was beautiful, and I loved walking onto the beach.  We made it to the local bar in 10 minutes, and I even walked as far as town one day.  I was really excited when I saw all the slides at the water park, and I'm just glad I managed to resist the lure of the casino!




The first paragraph - written in the third person - is dry, and is opinion masquerading as fact.  There is no space for emotion or action, and it doesn't let you tell a story.

The second paragraph is in the second person - the "you" perspective.  Many people speak like this: they tell me how I'm going to feel about things.  "Oh you'll love it when you get into it".  "You'd hate it; you'd find it really boring".  Really?  Please don't tell me what I'll think and feel. There's no need to try and second-guess me: I'd prefer to hear what you thought and make up my own mind.

The third paragraph is from the first person, or "I", perspective.  This voice lends itself well to story-telling. People want to hear what you though, saw, and felt. Emotions make stories.

More feelings, fewer facts.  And a better story.

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