I don't know what to do with my urban fantasy novel about magic that I wrote?

Question

I wrote the whole thing out in first person and now I'm editing it and typing it. But I think it'd be better in third person limited. I read some stuff online about it and want it to be in third person limited. This is how it starts can you help me change it or give me some pointers:
                    I have a secret. My secret is that I’m a magician. No not the kind of magician that pulls bunnies out of hats (I’m going to see if I can though. That’d be cool). The kind of magician that I am is a real one. Not illusions and that slight of hand crap. I cast spells, shoot fireballs, and sometimes battle demons. Like the magicians you read about in books. Except I’m real and they aren't. My name is Will Hykin, I’m fourteen years old and yes I’m a magician.
          I know there's some grammer mistakes don't worry about them. I want to get this published one day when I've polished it. So please just some tips or ideas on how to change this part into third person limited.

Sean · Accepted Answer

How long is the book? Words/pages?

And I would say leave it in first person. The first person sounds good so far, the third person limited would remove some of the feel of the narrator. Besides, changing it all to third person is a big job and will probably leave you hating the story.

Good job, though. The beginning sounds good, and I'm sure the rest is as well.

mikah_smiles · Answer

I think your best bet is to do a massive rewrite.  Your first person writing seems so personal and has a very strong voice.  That might not work in third person.  I'd suggest going through your novel as it is, and jotting down chapter summaries for each chapter.  Then open up a blank document and start writing, hitting the key points.  You can copy and paste dialogue and description from your old manuscript.

Good luck!

judasfm · Answer

Because you've written it in a first person stream-of-consciousness style, I would suggest rewriting it from scratch as this is a very difficult conversion to make.  None of what you've posted so far would really work in 3rd person limited.

As for tips...remember that "limited" means just that.  Never say what another character is thinking, because your character doesn't know (unless, of course, mind-reading is one of his talents!)  Never say what's going on in another room that your character isn't in, because your character wouldn't know.  

Never say what another character is feeling.  This is where "show, don't tell" comes in; instead of saying "Mr X was feeling angry", try something like, "Mr X's hand curled into a fist, his eyes narrowing."  It's okay to say that Mr X looked angry, or if it's someone that your character knows well, it's okay to say, "Will could tell that his best friend was worried about something".

Hope this helps.  Good luck :-)

Anonymous · Answer

I can see why you've realized the whole thing is annoying.

I'm pretty sick of the whole first person narrator, especially when they're used to let the author acknowledge the fact that they know they're writing cliched crap.  The minute the author starts in with the self-aware-teen Juno-crap in a  fantasy setting, I feel the vomit start to rise.

avey · Answer

sit down and brainstorm. Make a coarse define. And constantly save a notepad close to you, to jot down down ideas as quickly as they arrive. Then provide your self time, and once you're interior the temper to jot down, write. do no longer permit something distract you. and that i on no account, ever save on with the define interior the tip, so basically write and notice the place it takes you.

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I don't know what to do with my urban fantasy novel about magic that I wrote?

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