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Last updated on Nov 14, 2022

First Person Point of View: Character-Driven Narration

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First person point of view is when a story is told from a character’s own perspective using the pronoun ‘I,’ or more unusually, from a collective perspective using the plural pronoun “we.” The narrator interprets events in their own voice, giving the reader direct access to their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. This POV is common in fiction as it involves the reader directly in the story and allows authors to accomplish powerful characterization. 

An example of first person POV could look something like this: “ I feared what might greet me as I entered the kitchen.”

First person has remained a popular POV since the novel was invented, and it’s something all authors should try to master. That’s why we’ve created this guide to reveal the power of first person point of view.

First person creates an immersive experience

One of the main benefits of first person POV is that it creates intimacy. For Tracy Gold , Reedsy editor and Adjunct Professor of Composition at the University of Baltimore, writing in first person brings the reader closer to the narrator:

“With first person, the writer or reader becomes the character as they get deeper into the story, and that's the kind of immersive experience that makes me love a book.”

First person narration can create a sense of trust with the reader, pulling them into the story by evoking empathy. It feels like the story is being told to you by a confidant, which makes you care more about the protagonist and their struggles. 

A great example of the immersiveness of first person POV can be found in Dickens’ classic Great Expectations, famously about a young boy born into poverty. Since Dickens was writing for a primarily middle class audience, using the first person viewpoint was his way of getting the readers to relate more to his protagonist. 

I give Pirrip as my father’s name, on the authority of his tombstone and my sister, – Mrs. Joe Gargery, who married the blacksmith. As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like were unreasonably derived from their tombstones. 

— Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

This passage, told in Pip’s voice, immediately puts the reader into his shoes. They must process the casual tragedy of Pip’s short life through his eyes and feel the same loss he does. The readers of Dickens’s time would now more likely empathize with the main character even though they likely haven’t met a blacksmith before, let alone been a close relation to one. 

The intimacy of first person is why it’s such a popular viewpoint and some of that feeling is fostered by the story being told in the POV character’s unique voice.

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Character voices are at the forefront

The plot of a novel may fade from our memories over time, but we’ll always remember the characters and how they made us feel. This is even more true of first person perspective, where the protagonist tells us their story in their own words. Every line is filtered through their motivations , vices, and worldviews while in other POVs the only opportunity you get for this kind of filtering is through dialogue. The main character can come to life on the page as we are in their head through every moment of the journey. 

A particularly illuminating example of how first person POV can establish character voice is Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn — a novel in which a young boy recounts his adventures on the Mississippi River, together with a runaway slave. 

Tom’s most well now, and got his bullet around his neck as a watch-guard for a watch, and is always seeing what time it is, and so there ain’t nothing more to write about, and I’m rotten glad of it, because if I’d a knowed what a trouble it was to make a book I wouldn’t a tackled it, and ain’t a going to no more. But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I’ve been there before.

— The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

From this excerpt, we can clearly hear the childlike spirit that is characteristic of Huck. His voice also echoes the time and place the story takes place in, giving us further insight into the kind of world he inhabits. This is ultimately what makes him such a memorable character and the driving force behind this beloved novel. 

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Though a character’s unique voice isn’t always so benign. Sometimes, when a story is filtered entirely through one person, we might not get an unbiased version of events. 

Unreliable narrators create intrigue

First person narratives often excel at establishing intrigue by posing questions about the true nature of the narrator — are they representing an objective truth or are they pulling the wool over our overly trusting eyes?

As mentioned before, first person narrators are limited by their own personal understanding, biases, and motivations. They can easily become unreliable narrators, turning the concept of honesty and trust on its head. An unreliable narrator will make you wonder if they’re telling you the full story or leaving out details that completely alter what we’re seeing. This can be extra exciting if you only find out they’re unreliable partway through. 

For example, in Kazuo Ishiguro’s subtly dystopian novel, Never Let Me Go , we follow a group of students at Hailsham, a fictional English boarding school. Ishiguro uses the first person point of view to play with the concept of reliable and unreliable narration through an exploration of memory.

My name is Kathy H. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’ve been a carer now for over eleven years. That sounds long enough, I know, but actually they want me to go on for another eight months, until the end of this year. That’ll make it almost exactly twelve years. Now I know my being a carer so long isn’t necessarily because they think I’m fantastic at what I do. 

— Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro

In this passage, Kathy reveals that she’s become privy to new knowledge that has changed her perception of the past. But she’s not telling us what that knowledge entails. By slowly letting more doubt creep into the story, Ishiguro explores the fickle nature of memory, creating a creeping sense that there’s more to Hailsham than meets the eye. Readers will start to question not only the picture that Kathy paints, but their own ability to separate truth from reality.

An unreliable narrator not only creates an intriguing reading experience that challenges the reader to put the puzzle together themselves, but also highlights a first person narrator’s inherent subjectivity, though there are ways to bypass that even with first person narration.

Non-protagonist narrators can offer a different perspective

While unreliable narrators can lead to some juicy plot twists , in some cases a story can be made clearer from an outside perspective, which is where first person omniscient and outsider narrators come in. 

First person omniscient is when a first-person narrator is privy to the thoughts, actions, and motivations of other characters. Much like a journalist, they’re simply our eyes on the ground and can recount the events of the story with the benefit of hindsight. While they might not know exactly what the protagonist was thinking at the time, they have access to information that an observer wouldn’t. 

Most outsider narrators use the regular first person POV. Since they’re not personally part of the main conflict, they may be free from some of the biases first person narrators are subject to. We’re still getting the intimate character experience while getting an outside view of important characters and events. Some would call that the best of both worlds. 

A classic example of the outsider narrator is To Kill a Mockingbird, which takes place in the American South in the 1930s and recounts the trial of a Black man accused of raping a white woman. The story is narrated by a woman called Scout, looking back on the experiences of her 6-year-old self during the time of the trial. 

I said if he wanted to take a broad view of the thing, it really began with Andrew Jackson. If General Jackson hadn’t run the Creeks up the creek, Simon Finch would never have paddled up the Alabama, and where would we be if he hadn’t? We were far too old to settle an argument with a fist-fight, so we consulted Atticus. Our father said we were both right.

— To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Young Scout is central to the novel: any impressions the readers have are filtered through her eyes. However, the real drama unfolds in the courtroom and the world of the adults — a world she will only understand when she herself is grown up. Here we see how much Scout respects and values the opinion of her father, Atticus, which hints at how he will serve as the story’s moral compass, even when others in the town turn against him.

First person offers a straightforward way to introduce important characters and information, but this ease can be a double-edged sword. 

Exposition in first person is tough to get right

When a character is directly relating a story, it becomes far too easy to fall into the trap of “telling” rather than “showing,” especially when it comes to exposition. This poses a challenge to the writer who chooses the first person POV, the classic example being how to introduce your narrator. 

Sure, the POV character could just say what color their eyes are and some key personality traits they believe they have, but that will come across as unrealistic and shoehorned into the rest of the narrative. There are a few different ways to seamlessly include exposition in your story and avoid the dreaded infodump. 

Using dialogue to drip feed the reader important information is common — as is using the narrator's voice to get across personality. Self-description can also be sprinkled throughout instead of being listed in a paragraph.

James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues”, provides us with a great example of how descriptions of other characters can also reveal a lot about the narrator. It follows the reunion between the unnamed narrator and his estranged brother, Sonny, as they try to rekindle their relationship after Sonny’s addiction lands him in prison. 

When he was about as old as the boys in my classes his face had been bright and open, there was a lot of copper in it; and he’d had wonderfully direct brown eyes, and a great gentleness and privacy. I wondered what he looked like now. He had been picked up, the evening before, in a raid on an apartment downtown, for peddling and using heroin.

— "Sonny's Blues', James Baldwin

In this passage, we sense the affection our narrator feels for Sonny. The way he describes him as a younger man is full of love. However, the fact that he doesn’t know what he currently looks like reveals the conflict between them, though he never outright states that they haven’t spoken in years.

There you have it — the power of first person point of view. If you’re looking for something completely different, check out our next post about the controversial (but always intriguing) second person viewpoint!

3 responses

Sasha Anderson says:

31/05/2020 – 11:21

Isn't there a bit in The Great Gatsby where Nick tells us all about Gatsby's past? (It's a while since I read it so may be misremembering). Would that count as omniscient, or something else?

↪️ Franzie replied:

31/08/2020 – 01:39

Nevermind. I realized it's Second Person POV. Looking forward to know more from it on the succeeding lessons. :)

Franzie says:

31/08/2020 – 01:35

What do you call the POV wherein the person is talking to one of the characters. Is there such? For example: [ I felt nervous the moment our eyes met. "Hey, how are you?" you asked and I froze upon hearing your voice.] Something like that. Is this recommended? I plan my story to have a two POVs: FIRST PERSON and this kind of POV. Basically it's like a story within a story so there's a shifting of approach, thus I think it's okay to use as long as I know how to control it and it's not too much. But I will definitely not use this kind of POV for a whole novel. I am just curious on its purpose in a holistic view.

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Point of View: It's Personal

What to Know The point of view of a story determines who is telling it and the narrator's relationship to the characters in the story. In first person point of view the narrator is a character in the story telling it from their perspective. In third person point of view the narrator is not part of the story and the characters never acknowledge the narrator's presence. Less common than first and third is second person point of view. In second person point of view the reader is part of the story. The narrator describes the reader's actions, thoughts, and background using "you."

It's all about how you look at it.

When you tell a story, an important thing to choose is the point of view that the story should take. Point of view determines who tells the story, as well as the relationship that the narrator has to the characters in the story. A story can have a much different feel depending on who is doing the telling.

The main points of view are first person and third person, with second person appearing less frequently but still common enough that it gets studied in writing classes. These are also the terms used to distinguish the personal pronouns. The pronouns I and we are first-person pronouns; they refer to the self. The pronoun you , used for both singular and plural antecedents, is the second-person pronoun, the person who is being addressed. The third person pronouns— he , she , it , they —refer to someone or something being referred to apart from the speaker or the person being addressed. Narratives are often identified as first, second, or third person based on the kinds of pronouns they utilize.

First Person Point of View

In first-person narration, the narrator is a person in the story, telling the story from their own point of view. The narration usually utilizes the pronoun I (or we , if the narrator is speaking as part of a group). The character who tells the story might be in the middle of the action or more of a character who observes the action from the outer limits, but in either case you are getting that character’s recounting of what happens.

It also means that impressions and descriptions are colored by that character’s opinions, mood, past experiences, or even their warped perceptions of what they see and hear.

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed. — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre , 1847

In Jane Eyre , the narration is provided by the story’s title character, a governess. The information shared comes from her memories and impressions—of the weather, her knowledge of Mrs. Reed’s dining habits, and her dread at receiving a lecture from Nurse Bessie. We are likewise shielded from information that Jane doesn’t know.

Many classic works of fiction feature characters made memorable by their first-person voices: The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield), The Handmaid's Tale (Offred), or To Kill a Mockingbird (Scout Finch). In some stories, such as in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , the first person narrator (Nick Carraway) is an observer of the character around whom the story is centered (Jay Gatsby).

Second Person

Second-person narration is a little-used technique of narrative in which the action is driven by a character ascribed to the reader, one known as you . The reader is immersed into the narrative as a character involved in the story. The narrator describes what "you" do and lets you into your own thoughts and background. The most well-known piece of fiction that employs second-person narration might be Jay McInerney’s novel Bright Lights, Big City .

At the subway station you wait fifteen minutes on the platform for a train. Finally a local, enervated by graffiti, shuffles into the station. You get a seat and hoist a copy of the New York Post. The Post is the most shameful of your several addictions. — Jay McInerney, Bright Lights, Big City , 1984

You will also find second-person narration used in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" style of books popular with younger readers, in which readers determine where the story goes by which page they turn to next. Allowing the reader to "be" the central character in the story provides an immersive reading experience, enhancing what is at stake for the character and reader.

Third Person Point of View

In third-person narration, the narrator exists outside the events of the story, and relates the actions of the characters by referring to their names or by the third-person pronouns he, she, or they.

Third-person narration can be further classified into several types: omniscient, limited, and objective.

Third Person Omniscient

Omniscient means "all-knowing," and likewise an omniscient narrator knows every character’s thoughts, feelings, and motivations even if that character doesn’t reveal any of those things to the other characters.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott serves as a good example of third-person omniscient narration:

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. "It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. "I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff. "We've got Father and Mother, and each other," said Beth contentedly from her corner. The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was. — Louisa May Alcott, Little Women , 1868

The story is not told from the point of view of Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy, but from someone who is observing the four sisters as they talk to one another. Each character is therefore referred to by their names or the third-person pronoun she . The narrator does not exist as a character in the story, and the girls do not acknowledge the narrator’s presence.

However, the narrator is omniscient, which means that they know what the characters are thinking. This is demonstrated in the last line of the excerpt, when the girls silently ponder the thought of their father never returning from the war.

Third Person Limited

In third-person limited narration, the narrator still exists outside the events of the story, but does not know the motivations or thoughts of all the characters. Rather, one character is the driver of the story, and the reader is given a closer peek into that character’s psyche than the others.

J. K. Rowling utilizes third-person limited narration in the Harry Potter novels. Even though the narrator is not Harry, and Harry is referred to as 'he,' the reader is allowed into Harry's thoughts—what he is wondering without saying out loud. We are also, like Harry, left uncertain about what other characters are thinking:

Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn't see any way out of his situation. He lay on his bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to him. What was the good of magicking himself out of his room if Hogwarts would expel him for doing it? Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, he had lost his only weapon. Dobby might have saved Harry from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, he'd probably starve to death anyway. — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , 1999

Third-Person Objective

In third-person objective narration, the narrator reports the events that take place without knowing the motivations or thoughts of any of the characters. We know little about what drives them until we hear them speak or observe their actions. The resulting tone is often matter-of-fact, not colored by any opinions or commentary, nor of knowledge of what takes place outside the scene.

The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 25th. But in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner. — Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery," 1948

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Writing First Person Point of View: Definition & Examples

by Alex Cabal

Alex Cabal is the founder and CEO of Scribophile, one of the web’s oldest and largest writing communities, and the editor-in-chief of Standard Ebooks , a volunteer-led project that creates commercial-quality public domain ebooks for free distribution.

The first-person point of view (or PoV) tells a story directly from the narrator’s perspective, and using it can help the reader connect with your work. This is because first-person point of view uses language that mirrors how individual people naturally speak. It’s a way for a writer to share thoughts, ideas, or to tell a story in a close and relatable way, and brings the reader directly into the perspective of the narrator.

What is first-person PoV?

First-person perspective is when the protagonist tells a story from their own point of view using the pronoun “I.” This storytelling technique focuses on the internal thoughts and feelings of the “I” narrator, offering a deep immersion into the protagonist’s perspective. This creates the sensation that the character is speaking directly to the reader.

In conversation, first-person language would sound like “I went to the store earlier,” or “I saw a great movie on TV last night!” Internal thoughts may sound like “I wish he would just say how he feels,” or “Why can’t I be brave and just do it!”

Writing a first-person narrator provides the opportunity for both the writer and the reader to directly step into the “shoes” of the protagonist—if done well, it can deeply connect the reader to the work and allow them to experience the story directly from the perspective of the first-person narrator.

First-person narration can also be a great tool to use in non-fiction work, such as autobiographical and memoir pieces where the author is telling a true first-person account of their lived experience. For example, “I was there in Berkeley in 1969, and bore witness to rioting youth and the roots of the revolution.”

Writing in first-person narration brings the reader intimately—and at times empathetically—into the story, as they experience the world of the story directly from the character’s mind.

A writer can also use multiple first-person perspectives told through different characters in a story. Doing this can immerse the reader in each person’s unique perspective of what’s occurring in the plot.

A writer can also use first-person point of view to tell a story in both the past and present tense to offer direct opinions on the narrator’s personal experience through both reflection on the past and action in the present.

First-person point of view words and language

The words most often used in the first-person narrative include both singular and plural first-person pronouns.

Singular first-person point of view words list:

Plural first-person point of view words list:.

The language used follows the perspective of the narrator: “I did this,” or “he held my hand,” or “we went to the store together.”

What’s the difference between first, second, and third-person point of view?

You’ll often hear writers talking about first-person point of view, second-person point of view, and third-person point of view. But what’s the difference?

First-person PoV , as we looked at above, tells a story from just one character’s perspective (or, from one character at one time) using the pronoun “I.”

Second-person PoV is similar to first-person in that it follows just one character. In this case, however, second-person point of view uses the pronoun “you.” This perspective treats the reader as if they were part of the story.

Second-person point of view is challenging, and is generally best suited to the short story form. However, some authors have taken on the second-person PoV in novels, such as Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler . You might also recognize second-person narration from “Choose Your Own Adventure” books.

Third-person PoV is a perspective in which the reader is kept at a distance from the story. These stories use the third-person pronouns “He,” “She,” and “They.” Reading about a third-person narrator is like watching a film; you can see everything that’s happening, but you’re not part of it.

There are two common types of third-person perspective: third-person limited narration and the third-person omniscient narrator. The limited third-person narrative voice uses the he, she, they pronouns but follows only one character at a time.

The third-person omniscient point of view can see into all the characters, all the time. This type of third-person narration allows the reader to know more than any one character knows at any given time. An omniscient narrator mimics the experience of watching a stage play; the reader can see everything happening on the stage, even if the characters can’t.

Third-person point of view is popular and timeless because it’s the classic storytelling voice. It’s what we hear when someone says, “ Once upon a time… ” You’ll find that the majority of classic literary fiction, and much of contemporary fiction, uses this narrative point of view.

To learn more about using each of these point of view styles in your writing, why not visit the lesson series in our writing academy ?

What’s the difference between first-person and fourth-person point of view?

Writers often confuse first-person point of view and fourth-person point of view because they both tell a story from the perspective of the protagonist. The difference is that first-person PoV uses a singular voice, while fourth-person PoV uses a collective voice.

This isn’t quite the same thing as first-person plural. When plural first-person pronouns are used in first-person PoV—that would be words like “we” and “us”—it’s describing a shared experience between the narrator and another person.

For example, “We went to the movies, and Jim bought me some popcorn” is told in first person, even though it uses “we” to describe two people.

Fourth-person point of view treats a group of beings as one narrator. This is an experimental narrative form that’s become more popular in recent years and is effective in communicating large social issues. Your fourth-person narrator might be a group of suppressed office workers, a generation of young people facing a broken housing market, or a multilayered collective consciousness from outer space.

If you want to experiment with writing a fourth-person story, you’ll want to take a look at our detailed lesson here .

Types of first-person point of view

When we talk about first-person point of view, there are several types that we might be referring to. Let’s take a look at the different ways you might use the first-person voice in your story.

First-person central

In first-person central, the story is told from the protagonist’s point of view—the main character who is driving the plot. Using a first-person central PoV immerses the reader directly into the main character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions, as if the reader is the central character.

A classic example of first-person central PoV is Catcher in the Rye . Holden Caulfield, the novel’s protagonist, tells the story directly from his point of view. This provides the author the opportunity to address complex social issues from the perspective of a teenager.

First-person peripheral

In first person peripheral, the narrator tells the story as a witness, but is not the main character. Using the first-person peripheral perspective in storytelling allows the writer to keep the focus on the protagonist, yet keep the reader removed from the thoughts and feelings of the main character.

This type of distance puts the reader in the shoes of the narrator while the narrator relates their thoughts, opinions, and perception of the main character.

One example of first-person peripheral point of view is the Sherlock Holmes canon. In these stories, the narrator is John Watson, who tells the story from the perspective of witnessing his best friend solve mysteries. Writing from a peripheral perspective allowed the author to create intrigue, mystery, and suspense.

First-person subjective

In addition to the central and peripheral narrative point of view, your first-person PoV character will also use the subjective or objective voice.

Most first-person protagonists in literature are subjective. This means they tell the story through the lens of their own thoughts, feelings, cultural biases, and ambitions. This narrative choice adds richness to your story world, but also narrows the reader’s understanding to the way your protagonist sees the world around them.

First-person objective

The objective first-person point of view is less common, but can be very effective—particularly in genres like speculative fiction and horror. In this narrative style, the PoV character doesn’t interject their own preconceptions and ideas; it’s simply the narrator telling the reader what happens.

This makes the story sound a bit like a witness statement, and allows the impact of the events to come through the actions of the characters rather than through their emotions.

What is first-person limited and first-person omniscient point of view?

Choosing to write from a first-person limited or first-person omniscient point of view allows the author to decide what insight is shared with the reader, and how much the narrator knows about what’s occurring within the plot.

First-person limited point of view

First-person perspective typically takes on a limited perspective—the story is told directly, and only, from the narrator’s internal thoughts, feelings, and personal experiences. This means the entire story has a limited view of how the character sees and experiences the world.

An example of first-person limited point of view is the novel To Kill a Mockingbird . The story is told through the main character, a child named Scout, and the reader is only offered limited information from a child’s point of view. Writing from first-person limited offered Harper Lee the opportunity to approach complex topics from the eyes of a child.

First-person omniscient point of view

First-person omniscient is a more uncommon use of first person, as omniscient narration takes on a god-like understanding of what’s happening within the plot. Sometimes, this type of narration can be unnerving for a reader and cause them to disengage from a story. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done successfully.

An example of first-person omniscient narration is Saving Fish From Drowning , by Amy Tan. The story is written from the perspective of a ghost, Bibi Chen, a central yet peripheral character.

Having the story recounted by the spirit of the narrator allows the reader a vast amount of insight into all the characters’ thoughts and feelings without breaking the cadence of the story—at times offering comedic relief for experiences that might be deeply uncomfortable for the reader to experience first-hand.

Why do authors love first-person PoV?

First-person narrators allow the reader to get rooted in their character’s head and thereby achieve a tighter emotional connection with the reader. To make the connection even stronger, the character lets the audience in on secrets or insights that no one else knows.

First-person point of view is often used in autobiography and memoir writing, where the story must be told from one central perspective. Using first-person narrative in memoirs and autobiographies makes the story feel more genuine, authentic, and authoritative because the story is told directly as a first-hand account from the person who experienced the events themselves.

First-person novels are also popular with fiction writers, because they offer deep insight into the theme, story, and plot directly from the “I” narrator. This helps the writer connect with their demographics, their age, sex or gender, social status, and so forth.

First-person point of view in fiction writing can instill a sense of a narrator’s authority or credibility in the story, yet also offers the writer the opportunity to play with having the story told from an unreliable narrator or an unusual perspective.

Consider the earlier example of To Kill a Mockingbird and the way Lee used a child’s perspective to illuminate a theme of justice and complex social issues—a theme that might otherwise alienate a reader from the story, rather than create a sense of empathy.

While it may seem that writing in the first-person voice may be limiting in storytelling power—as the story focuses solely on the internal thoughts and feelings of the narrator—the role of the narrator can assist in weaving complexity and intricacy into the story.

Advantages of first-person point of view

First-person point of view can create a compelling, emotional story—sometimes even stronger than a story written in third-person PoV—because the character and reader are connected through intimate, one-on-one communication.

Advantages of first-person narrative include:

Creating a sense of mystery and intrigue; the first-person PoV shields the reader from certain information until a major moment unfolds in the plot, when both reader and narrator learn something new.

Lending a story credibility by building rapport with the reader, and thus making the narrator seem more reliable. This sense of connection can make the narrator and reader feel as if they’re sharing a private conversation.

Positioning the narrator as an unreliable narrator part way through the story can be used to subvert the reader’s expectations.

First-person PoV prose is highly character driven, leaning into who the character is as a person, their motivations, world views, the strengths and weaknesses of their personality. This perspective can evoke a deep sense of empathy and compassion that connects the reader to the story.

Disadvantages of first-person point of view

While first-person PoV can create an empathetic connection between the character and the reader, the reader is also limited to that one perspective—which can become very insular.

Disadvantages of first-person point of view include:

Given that first-person PoV is generally used as a limited perspective, it tends to the personal biases of the narrator. While bias from the narrator’s perspective may not fully be negative, it can turn away readers that don’t or can’t align with the inclinations, preferences, and perspectives of the narrator.

First-person PoV limits a story to the singular perspective of the narrator, which can make additional subplots more challenging since the reader can’t see into the mind of alternative characters.

Using a first-person perspective can also make it difficult for the narrator to describe themselves and their physical characteristics to give further context and details of the story.

Tips for writing in first-person PoV

The following tips for writing in the first-person point of view will lay out some best practices and give you some insight into how to avoid common mistakes.

1. Quickly establish who the narrator is

Open your story by establishing a strong character voice that demonstrates who this person is and why their voice is unique. Consider this example of an introductory paragraph to a story:

I’ll never understand why hospitals don’t use better lighting. No one wants ugly blue light shining into their eyes while as they look for the soft light everyone says calls to you from the end of the tunnel. I don’t see a tunnel, all I see is the burning glare of this light, reflecting at me from all of these too shiny metallic surfaces.

In this example, the character’s tone is immediately established as critical, unhappy, and bitter. Additionally, the reader is given clear details about the character—that they’re in a hospital, possibly dying, and that the story is told directly from their perspective.

2. Stay in character

Think about the demographics of your character, their background, culture, education, and influences, and remain true to who the character is.

This is especially true when it comes to writing dialogue, and if you’re using any kind of vernacular. For example, if a story is told from the perspective of an exhausted waitress who grew up in a big city on the east coast, it would be unlikely that she would approach a table and say:

“Hi y’all, you feelin’ hungry? What looks good today?”

She would probably use terse and maybe even sharp language that gets straight to the point, and wouldn’t use southern vernacular or phrases such as “y’all” or “feelin’.” Instead, she might say: “Did you look at the menu? Are you ready to order?” Make sure your PoV character uses their own voice.

3. Follow your narrator

Don’t lose scope of what the narrator knows within the story—not only pertaining to the thoughts and emotions of other characters, but also to what’s occurring in the plot and world around them.

For example, if your main character is sitting in a jail cell waiting to hear back from their lawyer about the verdict of the trial, there’s no way for them to know the events that are unfolding in the courtroom until a scene takes place where the character is told what happened.

4. Avoid head hopping

Avoid head hopping and don’t change characters’ perspectives within a single paragraph or chapter. If you choose to use more than one first-person narrator within a story, ensure that the transitions between the other characters and perspectives are easily identifiable within the text.

For example, a story about a relationship between two people could be told from each person’s first-person PoV, but the author would need to make it clear which character is telling each part of the story. To avoid slipping into another character’s head, consider this example:

She looked at me, thinking about how I had eaten the last piece of her chocolate birthday cake.

The narrator can’t know what “she” is thinking. Instead, consider the following example that strictly stays in the thoughts and perspective of the narrator:

She looked at the empty plate, and then at me. I felt the accusation in her glare. How dare she think I would eat the last of her chocolate birthday cake?

You can find out more about this cardinal sin of fiction writing through our lesson on head hopping here.

5. Limit the use of “I” and repetitive language

Overuse of “I” language within a story can be monotonous and repetitive for a reader, especially if “I” is used heavily at the beginning of sentences. To avoid the overuse and repetition of “I,” consider the following example:

“I love that particular flavor of ice cream…” vs. “That particular flavor of ice cream is a favorite of mine.”

Or, “I know this room…” could also be written in the passive voice as: “This room feels familiar.”

Playing with both active and passive voice and seeking creative ways to share information about a narrator can keep the text from becoming overwhelmingly repetitive with the use of “I.”

In addition, when writing dialogue in the first person, avoid repetition of “he said” and “she said.” In these instances using character names and descriptive language can assist in alleviating overly repetitive text.

For example:

“Angela, I want out of this wedding.” “You can’t,” she sighed. “My mother already bought the dress and my father put a downpayment on the venue.” “Do you think I care about a dress or a downpayment? I want out.” A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Fine. Leave, and don’t ever come back.” “I won’t.”

To dive deeper, you can check out our lesson on active and passive voice , and our detailed article on mastering dialogue tags !

First-person PoV examples from literature

One of the best ways to learn how to write in the first person is to read books and novels that have been written in first-person point of view. Here are a few novels written in this narrative style:

The Hunger Games , by Suzanne Collins.

The Fault in Our Stars , by John Green.

Elmet , by Fiona Mozley.

Into the Jungle , by Erica Ferencik.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , by Mark Twain.

Moby-Dick , by Herman Melville.

Never Let Me Go , by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Goodbye, Vitamin , by Rachel Khong.

The Time Traveler’s Wife , By Audrey Niffenegger.

First-person point of view opens new worlds

First-person point of view has a lot to offer the writer, no matter what genre you’re writing in. Unlike third-person point of view, which puts some distance between the reader and the story, using first-person pronouns effectively brings the reader right into the heart of your story.

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• Writing Tips

Grammatical Person: The First, Second, and Third Person

• 3-minute read
• 22nd June 2019

As proofreaders , we could describe ourselves as “grammatical people.” We won’t, though, because “grammatical person” is already a thing. But what does this mean? And how do you avoid errors linked to grammatical person in your writing? In this post, we take a look at the basics.

What Is Grammatical Person?

If you ask a linguist, they will say something like “grammatical person is the distinction between deictic references to participants in an event.” This is entirely correct, but also entirely unhelpful for anyone who isn’t already a professional linguist (i.e., most people).

Linguists are boring, too. Not like proofreaders. We’re cool.

In basic terms, it helps to think of grammatical person as like a point of view in writing. Different persons indicate different things, such as who is speaking or who is being addressed. This is also why each grammatical person in English has its own set of associated pronouns .

We will now look at each of the three grammatical persons in English.

The First Person

First-person writing conveys the point of view of the author or narrator. First-person pronouns include terms like “I,” “we,” “me,” and “us.” For example, we might use the first person like this:

I have strong opinions about my friends’ grammar.

Here, the terms “I” and “my” show the writer is talking about their own opinions and friends. Typically, then, we use the first person when we want to present something as a subjective experience or an opinion. However, this can range from a reflective essay to creating a narrative voice in fiction.

The Second Person

We use the second person when we want to address a reader, listener or audience directly. Typically, this will mean using the second-person pronouns “you” and “your.” For example, we could say:

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When you write an essay, make sure your grammar is correct.

The second person is less common than other grammatical persons (e.g., it would be unusual to write an entire novel in the second person). But it is useful for any situation in which you want to appeal directly to a reader.

This could be a personal letter, where you already know the recipient. Likewise, though, it could be a to make a text aimed at a wider audience feel more personal (e.g., the slogan “Your Country Needs You!”).

The Third Person

We use the third person to describe any person or thing other than the author or reader, making it the most common grammatical person. It uses pronouns such as “it,” “they,” “he,” and “she.” For example, we might say:

David wanted to be cool, so he became a proofreader.

Here, the sentence does not address the reader directly (the second person), nor does the author refer to themselves (the first person). Instead, we describe the situation from the point of view of an observer.

The third person is the standard grammatical voice in academic writing, where the first person can feel too subjective and the second person is too informal. And while this is not a universal rule – the first person does have a place in academic writing – it is a good guideline to work with.

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25 Examples to help you Write in First Person Point of View

Last Updated on February 18, 2023 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD

Do you find yourself avoiding writing from the first-person point of view? You’re not alone. It’s a popular belief that first-person POV is hard to pull off, but that’s simply not true. To help you get started, here are 25 examples to help you write in the first-person point of view. Happy writing!

What is the first-person point of view (POV)?

In first-person POV, the narrator is a character and tells the story using “I” statements. This point of view can be used for both fiction and nonfiction writing.

Using first-person POV can create a stronger connection with the reader, and they will feel like they are right there with the narrator, experiencing everything that is happening. This can be especially effective for memoirs and personal essays.

Why use the first-person point of view in your writing?

There are many reasons to use this perspective in your writing. Here are just a few:

• To create a stronger connection with the reader
• To make the story more personal and intimate
• To add authenticity to nonfiction writing
• To create a more immersive experience for the reader

If you are new to this writing style, don’t worry. It can take some practice to get used to it. But with a little effort, you will be able to capture your reader’s attention and hold on to them until the very end.

Writing in First Person: Example #1

“When I was a little girl, my parents would take me to the park every Saturday morning. I remember feeling so excited as we pulled into the parking lot. My heart would race as I ran to the swing set. Sunday mornings were always special. We would go to church and then have breakfast at my grandparents’ house. I loved spending time with them.”

Comment: This is a nostalgic example of first-person POV, in which the narrator remembers her childhood. She uses descriptive language to bring the reader back in time and make them feel like they are right there with her.

Writing in First Person: Example #2

“I never thought I would be a teacher, but here I am, with my classroom of students. It’s been a challenging journey, but it’s also been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

Comment: This is a touching example of how first-person POV can show the reader the narrator’s life story. The teacher has gone through many challenges, but they have ultimately found their calling.

Writing in First Person: Example #3

“My husband and I have been married for six years, and we’re still going strong. We’ve had our share of ups and downs, but we’ve always managed to come out stronger on the other side. We’re proof that love can last a lifetime.”

Comment: This is a typical example of a love story in which the narrator narrates her marriage from her perspective. First-person POV allows the reader to feel as if they are right there with the couple, experiencing their love firsthand.

Writing in First Person: Example #4

“I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant. I had just turned 20, and I wasn’t ready to be a mom. But my partner supported me every step of the way, and now our son is almost two years old. He’s the light of our lives.”

Comment: The use of first-person POV in this example helps the reader connect with the narrator personally. They can feel her fear and joy as she tells her story.

Writing in First Person: Example #5

“I was walking home from work one day when I saw a man trying to steal a car. Instinctively, I ran over and started fighting him. He ended up getting away, but I’m not sure what would have happened if I hadn’t intervened.”

Comment: This is a story of heroism, in which the narrator tells of her brave actions. She uses first-person POV to make the reader feel as if they are right there with her.

Writing in First Person: Example #6

“My parents always told me that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. And I believe that with all my heart. I’ve been through some tough times in my life, but I’ve never given up. I know that I can accomplish anything if I try hard enough.”

Comment: This is a motivational speech in which the narrator encourages the reader never to give up. She uses first-person POV to connect with the reader on a personal level.

Writing in First Person: Example #7

“I’m not sure what I thought when I decided to go on that hike. It was the middle of summer , and it was brutally hot outside. But I guess I wanted to push myself. And boy, did I ever.”

Comment: This illustrates how first-person narrative can be used to create suspenseful fiction . By putting the reader in the narrator’s shoes, they can experience the hike along with her.

Writing in First Person: Example #8

“I’ve been a nurse for ten years now, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s challenging work, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I’ve seen some amazing things in my time, and I’m grateful to be able to help people when they need it the most.”

Comment: This is a touching example of how first-person POV can be used to bring the reader closer to the narrator’s life and work. The nurse has been through a great deal, and she is grateful for all she has experienced.

Writing in First Person: Example #9

“My best friend and I have been through thick and thin together. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, and we’ve even fought a few times. But at the end of the day, we know that we’ll always be there for each other.”

Comment: This is an example of a strong friendship, in which the narrator talks about her close bond with her best friend. She uses first-person POV to make the reader feel as if they are right there with her.

Writing in First Person: Example #10

“I was nervous when I first started my new job. But after a few weeks, I began to feel more comfortable. I’ve learned a lot in the past few months, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

Comment: The narrative is told from the first-person point of view to depict a character’s life. The narrator is starting a new career and believes in the future.

Writing in First Person: Example #11

“Some people might think that I’m crazy, but I’ve always been a bit of a daredevil. I love to push myself to the limit, and I never back down from a challenge.”

Comment: This is an excellent illustration of how the first-person point of view can be employed to build suspenseful tales . By placing the reader in the narrator’s shoes, they may become a part of her daredevil personality.

Writing in First Person: Example #12

“I’m not the type of person who backs down from a fight. If someone does me wrong, I’ll make sure they pay for it. And I don’t care if they’re bigger than me or not.”

Comment: This is a fantastic example of how this view can create dynamic and memorable personalities. By giving the reader a glimpse into the narrator’s mind, they can understand her motivations and desires.

Writing in First Person: Example #13

“My parents always told me that it’s important to be yourself. And I’ve tried my best to do that throughout my life. I know that I’m not perfect, and that’s okay.”

Comment: This is a powerful statement about self-acceptance, in which the narrator tells the reader that it’s okay to be themselves. She uses first-person POV to connect with the reader on a personal level.

Writing in First Person: Example #14

“I’m not sure what I want to do with my life, but I know that I want to make a difference. I want to help people, and I want to make the world a better place.”

Comment: This is an excellent example of how this can inspire the reader. The narrator is unsure of her future, but she knows that she wants to make a difference in the world.

Writing in First Person: Example #15

“I don’t always like admitting it, but I’m a bit of a control freak. I like everything to be just so, and I hate when things don’t go according to plan.”

Comment: This example demonstrates how this view can create relatable and believable characters . The narrator is not perfect, which makes her more human in the eyes of the reader.

Writing in First Person: Example #16

“I don’t know what I would do without my family. They’ve been there for me through thick and thin, and I know that they’ll always be there for me.”

Comment: This is a heartwarming example of how a family can support the narrator in first-person POV. The bond between family members is strong, and this is shown through first-person narration.

Writing in First Person: Example #17

“I never thought that I would be a mother, but when my son was born, I knew that I was made for this role. I love being a mom, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Comment: This is a beautiful example of how this view can describe strong emotions. The narrator loves being a mom, which is evident through her words.

Writing in First Person: Example #18

“I’m not the best writer in the world, but I love telling stories. I started writing as a way to escape from reality, and it quickly became my passion.”

Comment: By opening up to the reader, the narrator understands her motivations. She uses the first-person point of view to share her love for writing and how it has positively impacted her life.

Writing in First Person: Example #19

“I know that I’m not perfect, but I try my best to be a good person. And I think that’s more important than anything else.”

Comment: This is a powerful statement about the narrator’s beliefs. She knows that she is not perfect, but she still tries to be a good person, demonstrating her admirable character traits.

Writing in First Person: Example #20

“I’m not always sure what I want in life, but I know that I want something different than what my parents had. I want to find my path and carve my destiny.”

Comment: Here, the view is used to express individuality. The narrator wants something different than her parents, and she is determined to find her path in life.

Writing in First Person: Example #21

“I don’t always agree with what other people say, but I respect their right to have an opinion. I think it’s important to listen to others, even if you don’t agree with them.”

Comment: This is a powerful statement about tolerance and understanding. The narrator believes in listening to other people, even if she doesn’t agree with what they have to say.

Writing in First Person: Example #22

“I’ve always been a fighter. When I was younger, I used to get into fights with kids at school. And even now, I’m not afraid to stand up for what I believe in.”

Comment: This example shows how the narrator is a strong and independent person, and she is not afraid to fight for what she believes in, which makes her a powerful role model for the reader.

Writing in First Person: Example #23

“I love spending time with my friends, and I think that they’re some of the best people in the world. I know that I can always count on them, no matter what.”

Comment: This is a touching example of the bond between friends. The narrator loves spending time with her friends, and she knows that they will always be there for her.

Writing in First Person: Example #24

“I’m not sure what I want to do with my life, but I know that I want to make a difference. I want to do something that matters, and that’s more important than anything else.”

Comment: Here, the narrator wants to do something that matters, and she knows that this is more important than anything else.

Writing in First Person: Example #25

“I’m grateful for everything that I have in my life, and I know that I’m lucky to be where I am. I hope that I can use my experiences to help others.”

Comment: This is a beautiful sentiment from the narrator. She is grateful for everything she has in her life, and she knows that she is lucky to be where she is, which shows her compassionate nature.

Using the first-person point of view can help your writing be more engaging and interesting to read. It can also help you connect with your readers personally, making them more likely to relate to your content. Have you tried using the first person in your writing ? What benefits did you find? Let us know in the comments!

Related Topic:

Ultimate Guide To Second Person Point of View: 15 Tips & Examples

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• Walden University
• St Louis Community College writing resources
• University of Arizona

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What is First Person Point of View? Definition and Examples

• First Person Point of View
• Second Person Point of View
• Third Person Point of View
• Third Person Omniscient Point of View
• Third Person Limited Point of View

I , me , we , and us , are all words used to articulate ourselves in the first person point of view – but what is first person point of view? We’re going to explore how the first person point of view, or POV, is used in prose, poetry, cinema, and video games as both a writing and framing technique. But before we dive into our examples, let’s review what makes the first person POV, the first person POV.

1st Person Point of View Explained

What is 1st person point of view.

There are a lot of different ways to articulate yourself in the first person, some singular, some plural. It’s important to maintain grammatical consistency in first person writing, so that we as the readers know which characters are being referenced. We’ll get to some first person POV examples in a bit, but first let’s define point of view!

FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW DEFINITION

What is first person point of view.

A first person point of view is a character perspective that’s used to relay the thoughts and feelings of a character or entity within a story. First person is defined by the use of I, me, we, us, etc. In video games and movies, the term “first person point of view” is used in reference to the perspective of the camera. For instance, the “first person shooter” is a video game genre in which the player controls a character (shooter) from their vantage point. 

First Person Point of View Characteristics

• Offers insight to alternate views
• Focus on internal thoughts and feelings of a character
• Creates intimacy between the piece of work and reader/viewer/player

What’s First Person Point of View in Grammar?

1st person pov examples in grammar.

Now that we’ve reviewed the first person point of view definition, let’s move on to some first person point of view examples in grammar. Here are some first person point of view examples in the singular:

• My (possessive)
• Mine (possessive)

And in the plural:

• Our (possessive)
• Ours (possessive)

Every language has its own intricacies. Fortunately, first, second and third person point of view in English is much easier to communicate than it is in other languages. That’s because English doesn’t tie the predicate to the tense and “gender” of verbs like other languages.

For example, in English, if we wish to describe a plan to purchase something, we’ll say, “I will buy” or “I’ll buy,” with the I always preceding the tense and verb. In Italian, the point of view is conjugated into the tense and verb, so the same statement “I will buy” is translated into a single word: comprero. 

What Does First Person Point of View Mean in Writing?

First person point of view in writing.

How do we explain what we did today? How we felt? Where we went? We express ourselves constantly in the first person. Everytime we say, I did this , I feel that , or I went here , we’re using 1st person point of view. By me writing the actionable we , rather than the hypothetical you , I’m choosing to use the first person rather than the second person.

Our default, reactionary perspective is first person – so it makes sense that first person comes most natural to many writers. Think about a story you like to tell. If you were to put it to pen and paper, how would it look? Well, there would probably be a lot of I , me, we, us , and our . This next video explores in further detail how writers use the first person POV.

What is 1st Person Point of View?  •  All About Writing in First Person

As storytellers, we’re naturally inclined to tell our stories in first person. As such, narrative essays, short stories, lectures, and blog posts, are all most commonly relayed in the 1st person POV. Some writers make a conscious decision to write in first person while others subconsciously do it because it feels natural. 

For creative writing, there’s no “right or wrong” choice of perspective, just be mindful that each contains its own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re a fiction writer looking to subvert the expectations of your reader, consider using an unreliable narrator .

And always be mindful of the difference between first person limited point of view and first person omniscient point of view.

1st person limited point of view is when a story is told from the first person perspective by a narrator who has limited knowledge.

1st person omniscient point of view is when a story is told from the first person perspective by a narrator who has omniscient (all-knowing) knowledge.

First Person Point of View Movies Explained

First person point of view in movies.

There are a myriad of different types of camera shots that cinematographers and directors use to uniquely frame their movies – the point of view shot is certainly one of the most audacious. The point of view shot, more commonly referred to as the POV shot, places the camera in a position so that the frame shows what a character or inanimate object sees.

Let’s take a look at a video essay that shows how some of the best POV shots of all time were constructed:

What is First Person Point of View?  •   Subscribe on YouTube

Some POV shots last just a few frames while others last the entire length of the movie. There aren’t many films that were shot entirely, or even mostly in the first person POV, but there are a few; most notably, The Blair Witch Project , Cloverfield , and Hardcore Henry .

How do screenwriters communicate this perspective in movies? Well, one way is through dialogue. Charlie Kaufman’s Being John Malkovich cleverly places its protagonist inside the body of the title character.

First Person Point of View Movies  •   Being John Malkovich Except

Here, Kaufman uses dialogue to allow his character to express how it feels to “see the world through John Malkovich’s eyes.” Essentially, it’s a supernatural instance of turning the 3rd person POV into the 1st person POV.

1st Person POV in Video Games

First person point of view in games.

The 1st person perspective is also used in video games as a technique to put the player behind the eyes of a character. The best selling video game of all-time, Minecraft , defaults to this perspective, as do the Call of Duty and Elder Scrolls games. 

Some experimental games, which are widely regarded as “walking simulators,” use the first person alongside the use of a third person narrator to bend perspective, and subvert our perception of what interactive stories can be.

Two such games are The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide , both designed by writer/director Davey Wreden. This next video examines how interactive storytelling is changing the game for how POV works in gaming. 

What is First Person Point of View?  •  Philosophy of The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide

The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide aren’t the only games to challenge our view of first person. Some other games include: The Unfinished Swan , The Return of the Obra Dinn , Gone Home , Firewatch , and Jazzpunk .

Due to the burgeoning adoption of virtual reality and augmented reality machines, it seems almost certain that our perception of what POV is capable of will continue to change over the next few years.

Dive deeper into point of view

In this article, we focused only one type of POV – but what about other points of view? Up next, we break down all the basic ideas behind point of view, with examples from literature, movies, and games. By the end, you’ll know how to recognize first, second, and third person point of view.

Up Next: POV explained →

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First, Second, and Third Person: Definition and Examples

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » First, Second, and Third Person: Definition and Examples

Point of view definition: First, second, and third person are categories of grammar to classify pronouns and verb forms.

• First person definition: first person indicates the speaker.
• Second person definition: second person indicates the addressee .
• Third person definition: third person indicates a third party individual other than the speaker.

What is the difference Between First Person, Second Person, and Third Person?

First, second, and third person refer to pronouns and their verb forms.

What is First Person?

First Person Example:      

• I prefer coffee to hot cocoa.

In this example, “I” am the speaker. This is first person.

What is Second Person?

Second person point of view: Second person refers to the addressee. It uses the subject pronoun “you.”

Second Person Example:  

• You prefer coffee to hot cocoa.

In this example “you” is the addressee. The speaker is addressing “you.” This is second person.

What is Third Person?

Third Person Example:

• He prefers coffee to hot cocoa.

In this example “he” is the third party. The speaker is referring to him as the addressee. He prefers coffee to hot cocoa.

When using the different points of view, verbs need to be conjugated appropriately to fit the pronoun use.

Note: Pronouns are only used in English when an antecedent has been clearly identified.

What Are First Person Pronouns?

First person pronouns always refer to the speaker himself. These pronouns are only used when the speaker is making a statement about himself or herself.

First Person Pronoun List:

Here is a list with examples of the first person words we use in writing and speech.

• I prefer coffee to hot cocoa. (First person singular)
• We prefer burgers to pasta. (First person plural)
• Jacob embarrassed me.
• Jacob embarrassed us.
• The hat is mine.
• The hat is ours.
• That is my hat.
• That is our hat.

What Are Second Person Pronouns?

When you are writing, a good way to think about the second person’s point of view is that it addresses the reader (as I just did in that sentence).

Second person pronouns are only used when the speaker is making a statement to the addressee, i.e., to someone.

Second Person Pronoun List:

Here is a list with examples of the second person words we use in writing and speech.

• Jacob embarrassed you.
• The hat is yours.
• That is your hat.

Note: In each of these examples, “you” can be an individual (singular) or multiple people (plural).

What Are Third Person Pronouns?

Third person pronouns always refer to a third party. These pronouns are used when the speaker is making a statement about a third party.

Third Person Pronoun List:

Here is a list with examples of the third person words we use in writing and speech.

• He prefers coffee to hot cocoa. (Third person singular)
• They prefer tea to coffee. (Third person plural)
• Jacob embarrassed her.
• The hat is theirs.
• That is their hat.

First, Second, and Third Person in Writing

Writing in first person: Literature in the first person point of view is written from the speaker’s perspective. This point of view uses first person pronouns to identify the speaker/narrator. First person point of view is generally limited in that the audience only experiences what the speaker/narrator himself experiences.

Writing in third person: Literature in third person point of view is written from an “outside” perspective. This point of view uses third person pronouns to identify characters. In third person writing, the narrator is not a character in the text. Because of this, he can usually “see” what happens to all of the characters.

Writing in second person: In non-fiction writing, a speaker will often switch between pronouns. Writers do this only for effect. For example, if a speaker wants to be clear and “get through” to the audience, he might say “you” (second person) throughout the text even if the text is mostly in third person. Again, this is strictly for rhetorical effect. Experienced writers use this as a literary tool.

Common Questions and First, Second, and Third Person

Here, I want to go quickly through a few questions I get about first, second, and third person pronouns.

Questions About the First Person

Is our first person? Yes, our is one of the first person pronouns.

• Are you coming to our wedding?

Is you first person? No, you is a second person pronoun.

• You are a great friend.

Is we first person? Yes, we is a first person pronoun.

• We are great friends.
• We polled this group of political observers and activists each week prior to the Iowa caucuses to produce the USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings and went back to them this week to ask who is the best choice for Trump’s running mate. – USA Today

Is my first person? Yes, my is a first person pronoun.

• My glasses are broken.

Is they first person? No, they is a third person pronoun.

• They can’t find parking.
• For frugal travelers, there are some smart alternatives if they are willing to do a bit of homework. – The New York Times

Is us first person? Yes, us is one of the first person pronouns.

• The president congratulated us.

Questions About the Second Person

• You are causing a scene.

Is they second person? No, they is a one of the third person pronouns.

• They are our neighbors.

Is we second person? No, we is one of the first person pronouns.

• We are going to get groceries.

Questions About the Third Person

Is their third person? Yes, their is a third person pronoun.

• Their hat is over there.

Is we third person? No, we is a first person pronoun.

• We are going to the beach.

Is our third person? No, our is a first person pronoun.

• This is our cake.

Is you third person? No, you is a second person pronoun.

• You are a nice person.

Is they third person? Yes, they is a third person pronoun.

• They are nice people.

Is he third person? Yes, he is one of the third person pronouns.

• He is a great man.
• Last week, he restated that he believes he deserves a maximum contract. – The Washington Post

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here are a few helpful memory tricks that always help me.

In the first person writing, I am talking about myself.

• I enjoy singing.

In the second person writing, I am talking to someone.

• You enjoy singing.

In the third person writing, I am talking about someone.

• He enjoys singing.

Summary: What is the First, Second, and Third Person Perspective?

Define first person: The definition of first person is the grammatical category of forms that designate a speaker referring to himself or herself. First person pronouns are I, we, me, us, etc.

Define second person: The definition of second person is the grammatical category of forms that designates the person being addressed. Second person pronouns are you, your, and yours.

Define third person: The definition of third person is the grammatical category of forms designating someone other than the speaker. The pronouns used are he, she, it, they, them, etc.

If this article helped you understand the differences between the three main English points of view, you might find our other article on English grammar terms helpful.

You can see our full list of English grammar terms on our grammar dictionary .

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How to Start a Presentation: 10 Proven Techniques for Grabbing Attention Right from the Start

The beginning of a presentation is where you either capture or lose your audience’s attention. Whether you’re pitching to investors, leading a team meeting, or presenting at a conference, a powerful start sets the tone for the entire session. A strong opening builds rapport, establishes authority, and makes your message memorable.

Let’s explore ten effective strategies, tailored for different types of presentations .

1. Open with a Compelling Story: Ideal for Funding Pitches and Inspirational Talks

Stories are one of the most engaging ways to start a presentation. They create an emotional connection and make complex ideas relatable. A well-told story can be a powerful hook, especially if it’s relevant to the audience and ties directly into your core message.

Example (in a Funding Pitch):

“Two years ago, our company was on the brink of failure. We were down to our last $1,000, and it felt like we were out of options. But then we discovered a new approach that completely turned things around, and that’s what I’m here to share with you today.”

Why It Works:

Stories humanize your message and quickly establish a connection, making it easier for the audience to engage with your content.

2. Start with a Shocking Statistic or Fact: Effective for Data-Driven and Awareness Presentations

Numbers can be powerful attention-grabbers, especially when they reveal something surprising or unexpected. Opening with a shocking statistic instantly engages your audience and primes them to pay attention to the problem or solution you’re presenting.

Example (in a Health Awareness Presentation):

“Did you know that every year, over 2.8 million people die from obesity-related conditions worldwide? That’s more than car accidents, wars, and natural disasters combined.”

Startling facts spark curiosity and concern, setting the stage for your presentation by making the problem feel urgent.

3. Pose a Thought-Provoking Question: Suitable for Sales Pitches and Consultative Presentations

Asking a question invites your audience to reflect and mentally engage from the start. It’s particularly effective in scenarios where you want your audience to think critically about their needs or challenges.

Example (in a Sales Pitch):

“What would it mean for your business if you could reduce operational costs by 30% while increasing productivity at the same time?”

A well-crafted question aligns the audience’s thinking with your message and prepares them to receive your solution.

4. Start with a Bold Statement: Works Well in Motivational and Leadership Presentations

A bold, declarative statement can grab attention and set the tone for a confident and assertive presentation. This approach works best when your presentation is built around a central argument or a new perspective.

“Leadership isn’t about authority—it’s about empowering others to lead themselves. And that’s the mindset shift we need to succeed in today’s world.”

Bold statements immediately communicate confidence and challenge the audience to rethink conventional wisdom, creating intrigue.

5. Use a Powerful Visual or Prop: Effective in Creative Pitches and Product Demonstrations

Sometimes, visuals speak louder than words. Starting with an impactful image, video, or prop can grab attention and set a strong visual context for what’s to come.

Example (in a Product Demo):

Displaying an image of a crowded cityscape

“This is the reality of urban living today—busy, congested, and stressful. Our product is designed to make this scene more manageable, efficient, and less chaotic.”

Visuals immediately engage multiple senses and can simplify complex ideas, making your message easier to grasp.

6. Share a Relevant Quote: Suitable for Thought Leadership and Educational Presentations

Quotes, especially from recognized experts or thought leaders, can lend authority and credibility to your presentation. They work well when your audience values the wisdom of established figures.

Example (in a Thought Leadership Presentation):

“As Albert Einstein said, ‘In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.’ Today, I’ll show you how to turn your challenges into your biggest opportunities.”

Quotes set a thematic tone for your presentation and can instantly align your audience with the principles you’re about to explore.

7. Acknowledge the Audience’s Pain Point: Essential for Problem-Solving and Sales Presentations

Directly addressing a common pain point your audience faces helps you immediately connect and position your solution as relevant and valuable.

“I know you’re frustrated by how much time is wasted on repetitive manual tasks. What if I told you there’s a way to automate those processes and free up 20% of your team’s time?”

When you articulate a problem your audience is currently experiencing, they’re more likely to be receptive to your proposed solutions.

8. Leverage Humor: Effective in Team Meetings and Creative Presentations

A light joke or humorous observation can break the ice and create a relaxed atmosphere, especially when addressing a familiar audience or a casual setting.

“I know everyone loves a good Monday morning meeting—especially after a weekend filled with anything but spreadsheets. But trust me, this one’s different!”

Humor disarms the audience, making them more open to your message while fostering a positive, engaging atmosphere.

9. Start with a Demonstration: Suitable for Technical Presentations and Product Launches

Diving straight into a live demonstration or interactive example is a great way to showcase the value of your product or concept from the very beginning.

Example (in a Product Launch):

“Instead of telling you about how intuitive our new app is, let me show you in real-time how it works.”

Hands-on demonstrations provide immediate value and clarity, leaving no room for doubt about the benefits of what you’re offering.

10. Introduce Yourself with a Twist: Useful in Networking Presentations and Personal Branding Talks

Sometimes, a creative or unexpected introduction can set you apart and establish rapport with your audience from the get-go.

Example (in a Personal Branding Talk):

“Most people introduce themselves by their job title. But if you ask my team, they’d say I’m the person who brings donuts on Fridays and won’t stop talking about customer experience. Let’s talk about why that passion matters.”

This approach humanizes you, breaks the ice, and provides a unique perspective on your expertise.

The way you start your presentation is crucial—it determines whether your audience leans in or tunes out. Tailoring your opening to the context and goals of your presentation will set the tone for a successful session. Whether you’re telling a story, asking a question, or making a bold statement, the key is to make your audience feel engaged, intrigued, and ready to listen.

By mastering the art of a strong start, you ensure that your presentation captures attention from the first moment, making it easier to keep your audience invested as you deliver the rest of your message. Tailor your approach to fit your content and audience, and you’ll consistently start your presentations on the right foot.

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How to create a Powerpoint Presentation

Powerpoint presentations are a great way to share information with a team, but making them is a skillset in its own right. We've got guides on general Powerpoint use , but if you're keen to just get started making a slideshow right now, this is the way.

How to create a Powerpoint presentation

How to build your first slide, how to add more slides to a powerpoint presentation, how to make an awesome slideshow presentation.

Here's how to make a Powerpoint presentation.

What You Need

Powerpoint or Microsoft 365 subscription

The first step in building your fancy slideshow is to create the presentation itself. Here's how to do it.

Step 1: Download and install Powerpoint (as part of Microsoft 365 ) if you haven't already, then open the app up.

Step 2: The home screen will give you a range of options for selecting templates and premade presentations to give you a great starting-off point. Select one of them if they're applicable. For even more options, select the New tab from the left-hand menu.

Alternatively, if you want to start from a blank canvas, select Blank presentation.

Step 3: From there, it's a good idea to name and save the presentation so you can come back to it later. Select File > Save or* Save As*, then name the file on the right, choose a location for it, and select Save .

Step 1: Your first slide will automatically have text fields for a title and subtitle. If you want to have that on your first slide, select them, then type in what you want them to read. You can also click and drag them around, or resize them using your mouse.

Hover your mouse over the white circles, then click and drag them to resize the box. Alternatively, select the rotational arrows near the corners of the box, to rotate it.

If you don't want those text fields, select their boundary individually and press the Delete key to remove them.

Step 2: If you want to add more text to this slide (or any others in the future), select the Insert tab, then select Text box. Click on the slide where you want the box to appear, then use your mouse to drag the box to the desired shape.

Then click the box and type in what you want that text box to say. The contextual home menu will automatically adjust to give you quick access to font choices and other text style options.

You can access more detailed text formatting options by selecting the Format tab. There you'll find options for changing text coloring, its outline, and any text effects you want to use.

Step 3: To add pictures to your slideshow, select the Insert tab, then select Pictures in the top-left. You'll then have the option to insert an image from your local PC, a selection of stock images, or a range of online images.

You can also change the background of your PowerPoint slides .

Step 4: You can also freehand draw or annotate your slides, using the Draw tab, or alter the entire theme of the slideshow by selecting Design.

Step 1: To add a new slide to your presentation, select the Insert tab at the top of the screen, then select New slide on the left. Then choose the type of slide you want. You can have a blank slide to do it all yourself, or you can get a headstart on its design by copying a previous slide, using the same theme as another part of your presentation, or having a predefined layout.

Step 2: Think you've gone too far with the slides? If you decide to revise your presentation, perhaps remove a graph or truncate some text, you can easily delete a page from your PowerPoint .

Step 3: When your presentation is complete, you're ready to share it with an audience. Before you do, remember to add some notes to your PowerPoint slides . These are for your eyes only, and will help you to keep the presentation on topic and avoid forgetting your lines.

Want even more tips on making a great slideshow? We've got you covered. Check out our guide on how to use Microsoft Powerpoint , for all the most important tips.

We've also got a guide for more tips and tricks for making engaging and attractive slides .

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While PowerPoint is widely used to develop presentations, using Google Slides has become a popular alternative. Part of what makes it so popular is that it's free to use, as is other Google software such as Google Docs and Google Sheets – which is a stark contrast to the premium price you'll pay for Microsoft Office and PowerPoint.

Even if you know how to use Microsoft PowerPoint, you might want to jump ship to Slides, and Google makes it easy to do so. In fact, it takes little more than a few clicks to convert a PowerPoint to Google Slides. Whether you need to change the format for a coworker or want to permanently switch to the free platform, here's a look at how to convert your PowerPoint into a Google Slides presentation.

We all know that Microsoft’s PowerPoint software has been a presentations staple for a few decades now. And whether you only used it in school once or twice, or you use it for work on a daily basis, there’s always something new to learn about the classic Microsoft platform.

Even if you know how to use PowerPoint, did you know that you can embed videos in your presentations?

Creating a successful slideshow is no small task. So, if you’re new to Microsoft PowerPoint, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the features and tools you need to build a presentation.

We’ll guide you through the process of creating a PowerPoint slideshow by adding slides and elements as well as how to present the show when you finish. These basics are just what you need as a beginner and should get you off to a terrific start with PowerPoint.

Writing First Person

Apr 03, 2019

340 likes | 602 Views

Writing First Person. Very brief quiz. 1. Did Malcolm Gladwell find story ideas from people at the top or people in the middle? 2. There were 2 pieces by Sufjan Stevens. One was about a secret he had when he was a kid. What was the secret?

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Presentation Transcript

Very brief quiz 1. Did Malcolm Gladwell find story ideas from people at the top or people in the middle? 2. There were 2 pieces by Sufjan Stevens. One was about a secret he had when he was a kid. What was the secret? 3. The other piece focused on something his parents said he could change…what was it? 4. Does Colson Whitehead like ice cream? 5. Did Liza Monroy’s dad go to her wedding? 6. What was Tang’s problem?

Today! • Discuss Group Presentations and Group Edits • Sign up for group presentations and edits • Discuss writing first person pieces. Discuss narrative arc, honesty, self editing. • Places to find examples: NYT Lives • Pitch First Person Stories • Listening exercise: David Sedaris and discussion of the pieces you read.

Next time! • Read David Sedaris readings for next week. • Draft of first person essay due next Thursday. • Check to see if you are signed up for a group edit or group presentation! • Bring TWO copies of your first person piece to class. One to hand in to me, one to use for a peer edit.

For next week… • Write a narrative first person essay. • To write a narrative essay, you’ll need to tell a story. • The story should have some sort of insight. • But most of all, it should have “narrative arc.”

What is narrative arc?

Narrative arc is the thing that makes the reader want to know what happens next. • It answers the “and then what happened?” • And THEN what happened. • If nothing happened, sorry Charlie, you don’t have a story. You’re just babbling on. • Narrative arc means your story has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Some tips • SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN • Start with the action. Forget the typical academic intro. This is not that kind of writing. • SAVE the CHEESY endings. PLEASE. Or I will die. • It MUST BE TRUE. • 800-1200 words. Please include a word count. DO.NOT.GO.OVER. • Oh, guess what? YES, you can and SHOULD use the word “I.” • Watch your tenses!

Banish the editor on your shoulder! • There is no way you can write a good piece if you are self censoring. You need to just forget about your internal editor and pretend you are writing for no one.

You need some distance • You need to be able to see yourself from a bit of a distance. You need a clear and real understanding of how you come off or came off in a particular situation. • You want to be honest about your own flaws and your strengths. • DON’T try to be likable. If you’re honest, you’ll be relatable- which is WAY better. • DON’T spare the feelings of other people. This isn’t the place to make friends.

Tell the story how you would tell a friend. • Don’t bother with hyperbole or what I call “purple prose.” • Use dialogue! • Just write the story the way you would tell a friend. • On your first draft, forget the word count. Just tell the story.

Read. Out. Loud. If you don’t believe me, just wait. I will prove to you that this rule works. • Let. Your. Work. Breathe. Write, then take a walk to the store, go for a run, call a friend. Give your work some time before you go back for an edit.

Pay special attention to your lede Suck your reader in! First Line examples from the Lives column. 1. Mornings are not our best family moments. (From Mother’s Little Helper) 2. I was 6 when my brother John leaned across the kitchen table and casually whispered that he had killed Santa Claus. (From A Rat’s Tale) 3. Last winter, after more than three decades of silence, I desperately wanted to see my mother before it was too late. (From The Most-Hated Son) 4. I don’t think anything would rattle the mother of a preteen boy quite like the words my 12-year-old uttered this spring: “Mom, we need to talk,” he said. (From The Missing-Piece Son ) 5. I am parked in a rental car in front of the house where I grew up. (FromPrevious Address) 6. Patrick was the sort of student who made a teacher curious. (From The Lost Student)

7. It’s impossible to look cool when you’re part of a tour group. (From In Too Deep) 8. Not very long ago I was in New York for a few weeks and decided to get a tattoo while I was there. (From Under My Skin) 9. When I travel alone, my preference is to keep it that way. (FromStrangers on a Train) 10. It had rained heavily the night before. (From The Letting Go) 11. It was an impossibly pristine Sunday afternoon. (From Online Mainline 12. He friended me just after Thanksgiving, Week 13 of regular-season football this year. (From A Brief Electronic Affair) 13. Paul was one of my best friends in high school, but we drifted apart after graduation. (From High-School Redux) 14. One day this past summer, I logged on to Facebook and realized that I was very close to having 700 online “friends.” (From Facebook in a Crowd) 15. It was a given that we would be conspicuous. (From The Art of Losing )

16. I was vacuuming the bedroom one afternoon some months back when I moved a few books aside and spotted a dusty old scrap of paper. (From“BunchMuncherasi M.D.”) 17. The young man who came to see me a few months ago didn’t knock but stood at the doorway to my office. (From First Love, Once Removed) 18. I had almost forgotten I’d sent in an application when the e-mail message appeared, like Mr. Big, out of nowhere. (From Sects and the City) 19. There were a couple of dozen costumes to choose from — Superman and spaceman and muscleman and Popeye and, inexplicably, Baby Huey — but unless the customer had something specific in mind, I went with the gorilla suit every time. (From The Monkey Suit)

The point of every sentence, every detail, and every line of dialogue is to illuminate character and advance the story.

The essence of good first-person narrative is sharing an experience, let the reader see and feel it, and reach a resolution from which both reader and writer grow or have an 'aha' moment. • Writers often confuse essays with a recollection of an event -- they fail to share how the experience enlightened them, affected them, changed their opinion.

The topics are endless. Almost anything can be the subject material for an essay -- nature, climbing, sailing, death, parenting, relationships -- but ask yourself what you feel passionate about, or what you have experienced that has universal appeal. Ask yourself what makes you happy, or what makes you sad.

Many essays for commercial publications are not lengthy -- perhaps 1,000 to 1,200 words, often less. • To share all you want to share, you must keep focused on three elements -- the beginning or hook; the conflict or the internal journey; and the ending, what you find at your destination. • The best essays have a universal theme.

The 3 Prong Approach The Hook: Begin with the action, not with what led up to the action. The Conflict: This is where we experience your challenge or conflict with you, grapple with the curveball, struggle to make sense or laugh or cry with you. The Ending: Tie the ends together. The ending or resolution doesn't have to be happy, but there should be evidence of growth or a new understanding in the author.

Let’s not panic. • Writing in the first person should not freak you out. • It is the most natural way to tell a story. It is how you tell stories every day.

First person examples • Go back and look for the hook/conflict, the journey and the resolution in each one.

Our Readings • Sufjan Stevens essay. Look at the lede. Does it suck you in? Does it make you wonder what happens next? Is it self conscious? “There are some things you tell no one, secrets packed and folded away in the far reaches of your mind - admissions of mouth herpes, for example, or athlete’s foot, or a night spent in jail for drunk driving.”

Great details, lots of honesty, 0 cliches Details: “So in the beginning of third grade, I was transferred to a public school, a cinderblock prison camp with metal lockers and industrial carpeting and fluorescent lights so severe they took all color out of your complexion.” Honesty: “I couldn’t even spell my own name, so I was beaten up at recess, tickled and punched behind the swings, left in a rumpled mess in the gravelly residue of the playground.”

Second Sufjan Piece • Lede: After a few years moving in and out of various towns, religious cults, faddish diets, etc., my parents finally sat me down and apologized for the weird name they gave me. “We were out of our minds!” they admitted. “We didn’t know what we were thinking!” • Honesty: “My parents were confused, but also a bit relieved. They later told me they didn’t really have the money.”

Tang piece Lede: “As a first-generation Chinese-American woman who wears a size 36D bra, I can personally testify to the power of the American fast-food diet.” Honesty: “I couldn’t wear skirts because of my bulging stomach, and I had dizzy spells whenever I bent down to pick up something.” Details: “By the age of 10, I had a double chin and waddled like a Peking duck.”

Monroy Lede: When my father was born, he was strapped to a board so his spine would grow straight. (Check out the dialogue in this one.) Honesty: “But the next summer in Mexico, my best friend was the one who walked me down the aisle.”

Colson Whitehead Lede: “Mine is the story of a man who hates ice cream and of the world that made him.” Honesty: “As a teenage boy, I was seized by a potent suspicion that my right arm was growing bigger than my left.” Details: “There was a hot dog machine on site, where the franks spun eternally like grisly, grim planets, and occasionally I’d make a wretched feast of one, but most of the time I ate ice cream.”

Don’t censor yourself! • I don’t care what you write about. Nothing is too inappropriate. • BUTTTT……remember, something MUST happen. • The story of your last night out drinking martinis and getting one of your friends to do the lift from Dirty Dancing may have been funny but it probably isn’t much of a story beyond that. Remember you want narrative arc!

Malcolm Gladwell • Finds ideas in everything. Convince yourself there is a story in everything…..why isn’t there a ketchup to rival Heinz? • Understand the difference between power and knowledge.

Francine Prose- Reading Like a Writer “Like most—maybe all—writers, I learned to write by writing and, by example, by reading books.” “I read closely, word by word, sentence by sentence, pondering each deceptively minor decision the writer had made.” Consider her comments when completing the reading for this class.

Ira Glass • “The stagecraft of telling a story is not just a secondary concern.” • Don’t worry about “putting yourself in the story.” • “….what makes a piece of journalism great. It’s the pleasure of discovery, the pleasure of trying to make sense of the world.” • “I have this experience when I interview someone, if it’s going well and we’re really talking in a serious way, and they’re telling me these very personal things, I fall in love a little….They’re sharing so much of themselves. If you have half a heart, how can you not?”

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Bridging Classroom Learning to Real-World Emergency Management

Purpose of the Internship

The purpose of the internship is to provide the fledgling emergency manager with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience related to all four phases of Emergency Management. The internship is a key component of the Emergency Administration and Planning program and provides pre-career students an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge and develop professional skills that will lead to a successful career. Moreover, the internship experience frequently provides the student with an entry into a permanent position.

Emergency Administration and Planning students must complete an internship of at least 240 hours of employment. Students must register for EADP 4800, EADP Internship Preparation, and complete the course before beginning an internship appointment. This three hour course meets four times during the semester and prepares students for an internship. Career testing, resume and interview preparation, and discussions of professional and ethical conduct are covered. When the student is ready to begin an internship, the internship coordinator will assist in identifying internships, but the student is ultimately responsible for securing an appointment.

Internships may be completed during the summer months, on a part-time basis during the academic year, or once all course work has been completed.

Internship Resources

Internship Guidelines

Career Center Internship Information

Current EADP Internship Placements

Internship Practicum Testimonials

Internship Waiver Request   - Please include your current resume with this form.

For more information, please contact the EADP Internship Coordinator,   Dr. Ron Timmons .

Internship Details

There are three categories for internships in the EADP program:

Students with NO Professional Work Experience: 48 Hours in Major

Required: Internship Preparation (EADP 4800)

Required: Internship Practicum (EADP 4810) and a 240 hour internship.

Students with Professional Work Experience (but not in EADP field): 45 Hours in Major

Not required: Internship Preparation (EADP 4800)

This change must be approved. Please contact  Dr. Ron Timmons , the EADP Internship Coordinator (Chilton 204J), to request a waiver for EADP 4800.

Students with Three (3) years Professional Work Experience in Emergency Management: 42 Hours in Major

Not required: Internship Practicum (EADP 4810) and a 240 hour internship.

This change must be approved. Please see   Dr. Ron Timmons ,  EADP Internship Coordinator (Chilton Hall 204J) to request a waiver for EADP 4800/4810.

If you choose the 42 hour degree plan, you may not complete an internship for credit.

EADP 4810 (Internship Practicum) is a restricted enrollment course and requires a permission code for registration. You MUST contact the Internship Coordinator prior to your registration date. It is best to acquire your code at least two weeks prior to your registration date. DO NOT wait until the day you are scheduled to register to try to obtain your registration code.

EADP 4800 - Internship Preparation 

During Internship Preparation, students will meet with the internship coordinator to begin arranging their internship. The internship coordinator will assist the student in securing a practicum, but the final responsibility for finding an internship rests with the student.

Enroll in Internship Preparation at least one semester before beginning an internship.

Prerequisites:  Enrollment is restricted to EADP majors who have completed EADP 3010, 3035, and 3045, and consent of the Internship Coordinator.

Topics covered in this course include: career counseling, resume development, professionalism and interviewing skills.

EADP 4810 - Internship Practicum 

Students will meet during scheduled classes to monitor progress, discuss experiences, turn in documentation and resolve concerns. The dates, locations and time for the class will be announced at the beginning of each semester via student email.

Internship Coordinator must approve internship prior to beginning internship. If it is not approved, it will not count.

Pre-requisites: Enrollment is restricted to EADP majors who have completed EADP 4800, 3010, 3035, 3045, plus 3 additional hours of EADP coursework. After a student has arranged for an internship, they must register for Internship Practicum (EADP 4810).

EADP 4810 is a restricted enrollment course and requires a restriction code for registration. You MUST contact the Internship Coordinator prior to registration in order to enroll in this course. It is best to acquire your code at least two weeks prior to your registration date. Do NOT wait until the day you are scheduled to register to try to obtain your registration code.

Obtaining an Internship

Internship opportunities are available with a variety of public agencies and departments, as well as at various levels of government. Students may also serve as interns in the private and nonprofit sectors. Internships complement coursework in the major field with practical, hands on knowledge. Students gain a better understanding of emergency management principles while also obtaining experience, credentials, and identity in the field. EADP internships, therefore, serve a very important step in the student's career preparation and development.

When anticipating an internship, you should begin by thinking about the type of work experience you would like to complete.  For example, consider whether you hope to work in the public, private or nonprofit sector.  Then, narrow the choice further by specific organization (e.g. municipal, state or federal government) and functional area (e.g. planning or response).  The internship preparation course will also help to identify student's strengths and areas of professional interest.  All students enrolled in EADP 4810 must register with Eagle Careers through the UNT Career Center. Students may find an internship searching opportunities posted on Eagle Careers, through networking, and reading professional newsletters.  To qualify for course credit, the internship must be approved by the Internship Coordinator prior to beginning the internship, be related to Emergency Administration and Planning, and supervised by a professional in the field.

If you have any questions about internship requirements or procedures, please contact the Internship Coordinator,  Dr. Ron Timmons.

Internship Waiver Form

Occasionally, students will enter the Emergency Administration and Planning program with professional experience in the field. Students who feel they have a great deal of experience directly related to emergency management can appeal for an internship waiver. Students will need to be able to articulate in a scholarly manner how their full-time professional experiences directly relate to all four phases of emergency management. A faculty committee will carefully review the request. If a student is waived from the internship requirement, their degree plan will be altered.

Additionally, a few students will have sufficient experience in a professional setting although not necessarily related to emergency management. In this situation, students may appeal to be waived from the Internship Preparation class, but still expect to do an internship. In order to be waived from the Internship Preparation Course, students will fill out the Internship Waiver Request. If the student is granted a waiver from EADP 4800, then the student will need to meet with the Internship Coordinator BEFORE accepting an internship for academic credit.

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Highlights from Science at the Shine Dome 2024

Welcome to our highlights from Science at the Shine Dome 2024.

The event is a hybrid format, so audiences were able to join us in person in Canberra or from anywhere in the world, online.

Science at the Shine Dome is the Academy’s annual flagship event. Over four days, Australia’s most influential scientists gather at the Shine Dome in Canberra to celebrate and honour outstanding achievements in science.

It enables researchers from all disciplines and career levels to come together to present, share, network and collaborate.

We are grateful to our generous event partners , who made this event possible.

This year, Fellows elected in 2023 and 2024 and award recipients from 2023 and 2024 will all be recognised across the event.

The event also celebrates the Academy’s 70th anniversary.

On this page:

Day 1: monday 9 september, handy links.

• Watch the livestream
• Read the event program
• Visit the event website
• Follow the action on Twitter: #ShineDome24  and Academy . 

The first day of Science at the Shine Dome saw around 180 people gathering to witness 20 leading scientists being formally admitted to the Academy.

The event was opened with a Welcome to Country by Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Violet Sheridan.

This was followed by a welcome speech by Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE.

“The Academy is proud to bring science to the service of the nation, and to have made substantial contributions to shaping Australian and global science over our 70-year history,” Professor Jagadish said.

He noted that Australia has a deep reservoir of talent in the sciences, including some of the world's most imminent researchers, as he welcomed the 2023 Fellows .

“Each Fellow is nominated by their peers and chosen through a rigorous election process,” Professor Jagadish said.

“Today, you join our Fellowship, who are collectively the brains trust of the nation — a true national treasure.”

On Monday, the Academy formally welcomed to the Fellowship:

• Professor Liming Dai FAA of UNSW Sydney
• Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti FAA FAHMS of Monash University
• Professor Zaiping Guo FAA FTSE of University of Adelaide
• Professor Sharon Lewin AO FAA FAHMS of University of Melbourne
• Professor David Keith FAA of UNSW Sydney
• Professor Andrew Wilks FAA FTSE FAHMS of SYNthesis BioVenture
• Professor David Komander FAA FRS of WEHI
• Professor Elaine Holmes FAA of Murdoch University
• Professor Jian Li FAA of Monash University
• Professor Belinda Medlyn FAA of Western Sydney University
• Professor Louis Moresi FAA of the Australian National University
• Professor Peter Taylor FAA of the University of Melbourne.

These Fellows have all made significant achievements in diverse fields — from delivering a novel antibiotic to combat life-threatening superbugs, designing stretchable liquids used on the International Space Station, and battling invasive species.

A video was shown for each new Fellow to as an introduction to their research.

Watch all new Fellows’ videos on their Academy profile pages .

2023 Fellows formally admitted

During the day, the 2023 Fellows signed the Charter Book, signifying their formal admission to the Australian Academy of Science.

Their signatures join those of every Fellow of the Academy throughout the past 70 years, including some of the world's most esteemed scientists.

Condensing decades of work into 10-minute presentations

The 2023 Fellows each had a chance to give 10-minute presentations on their work, followed by a Q&A with the audience. 

Professor Andrew Wilks noted the personal significance of the occasion at the beginning of his presentation. 

“I had the great fortune to look at the charter book before and see some of the names of my mentors and heroes, ” he said. 

Professor Wilks added that earlier that day, he also met two scientists who had had great impacts on his career — while in the queue for the gelato cart hired for the event. 

Expanding networks

Attendees, Fellows and other scientists continued the conversation online .

Do yourself a favor & watch all these videos. Beautifully done, they tell inspirational stories of the very best of science & scientists in an accessible way. Although they will barely make the news, these quiet superstars confront the most important, troubling & desperately… https://t.co/8LyrWzIOuV — Prof Brendan Crabb (@CrabbBrendan) September 9, 2024

Monday also marked the first meeting of the Asia-Pacific Academic Mentoring Program, which connects early-career researchers with senior science mentors to guide young scientists from developing nations within the region to become future leaders in academia.

Speaking to the participants, Professor Jagadish emphasised the importance of more senior scientists guiding those who come after them,

“If it were not for my mentors, I would not be here today,” he said. 

Read more about the program .

More than 100 early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) from across Australia registered to attend Science at the Shine Dome 2024, with an EMCR networking function being held Monday night on the grounds of Ian Potter House.

Artwork credits

• Dr Pauline Treble and Ms Carol Tadros in Jenolan Caves collecting water samples CREDIT: ANSTO
• Sir Mark Oliphant CREDIT: AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE ARCHIVES
• Sir Ian Potter CREDIT: IAN POTTER FOUNDATION
• Professor Dorothy Hill CREDIT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA
• Cubesat from the M2 mission, a collaboration between UNSW Canberra Space and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) CREDIT: UNSW
• Illustrationes florae novae hollandiae CREDIT: BIODIVERSITYLIBRARY.ORG/PAGE/50449604
• Australian lepidoptera and their transformations CREDIT: AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE LIBRARY COLLECTION
• A research scientist takes note of coral growth on Wheeler Reef. CREDIT: A. CHINN. COPYRIGHT COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (REEF AUTHORITY). 
• Image created by Leah Albert for the Australian Academy of Science.

© 2024 Australian Academy of Science

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