Writing in first person

Alot of people don't like stories written in the first person, but if done effectively it can really draw someone into the life of a character. My first book was written this way and one reviewer said it was written like a journal, but she couldn't put it down. Here are 5 suggestions to writing a good first person story.

1. This is the hardest thing. You have to immerse yourself in the world of the character. I mean feel as they would feel, think as they would. It helps if the situations you are writing about you have been through.

2. Make their interactions with others as real as possible. The way they speak, their emotions toward the peope in their lives should be something real people can relate to.

3. Discriptions of scenery should be more in depth and from the characters POV. For example a depressed character may not see a sunset and think it is beautiful. They may see the purples and pinks as a reminder one day is over and a new one begins in the morning, where as a cheerful, happy person may see the same scene as envigerating.

4. Never, never switch to another persons POV. It would be too confusing to go from first to second person. I am sure their are authors who can effectively do this. Ernest Gaines did it well in "A Lesson Before Dying", but it is so hard to achieve the right feel when switching around.

5. Have fun with it. Writing in first person can make an author feel as though they are creating a whole new world for themselves. I did. It was almost hard to break away from when I had to step back into reality.