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How does everyone write in the first person without the repetitive use of "I". Sure we all talk like this on a daily basis, but when I re-read my dialog, I can't help but feel the word is over used. Thanks for your input
Megan
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Flexible English
Reducing the use of "I" in first person narratives:
1) Leave off most tags when reporting dialog, the "I said" can often be assumed.
2) Take advantage of the optional first person, "Went to the store, yesterday..." is perfectly clear in standard casual English. Don't overdo this one.
3) Describe surroundings and the actions and reactions of others. "Daniel looked as if he expected more information but he wasn't getting any." "The thirteen steps up to the library had cracks to miss and garbage to kick around."
4) Be parsimonious, getting double or triple duty out of "I" when you do use it. "Looking around, I noticed Bella and Shockley waiting for a bus and so headed in that direction."
There are other tricks, discover your own! But don't be slavish about avoiding "i", that can make your narration sound stilted and artificial.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
If you care
to take a look at Bike, you'll see 1951 ways of doing it or some of my other stuff written in the first person.
Angharad
If you talk like it on a daily basis...
...then it's natural.
If you write like you naturally talk, then it can't be all bad. Beware of imposing unnatural rules about what is correct.
If you feel there's something wrong with the text, then I suggest looking beyond the I-word. I feel that when the action is all about a single character, then it's wrong to use the first person tense, as we tend to come out as very lonely, dare I say boring, characters. Far better rewrite it in the third person.
The first person works better when you're interacting with several other characters, and talking about them, rather than yourself.
If the story's any good
no one will notice.
Megan, take a look at
Angharad's, Sue Brown's, Katie Leone's, and Maddy Bell's stories.
May Your Light Forever Shine