Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 349 pages
Genre: Mystery, Literary Fiction
Publisher: P.J. Murphy
Release date: May 2023
Content Rating: PG-13 +M. The book is not violent, and swearing is infrequent. There are a number of references to ghosts, but the atmosphere is more gothic than scary (with one exception). However, it is a book aimed squarely at adults, with references to depression and mental illness.
“If you want to find me, search within these pages.”
Bestselling author Richard Debden is missing. The only clue: a copy of his unpublished final novel delivered to his ex-girlfriend, Amy. When those closest to Richard reunite for his memorial, Amy turns to Chris, his former best friend, to help unravel the mystery. Could Richard still be alive and in need of their help?
Richard’s manuscript tells of two abandoned children in wartime Britain, instructed by a shadowy Postmaster to deliver letters to ghosts and release them from their torment. As Chris and Amy delve into the text, they identify parallels between fiction and reality; clues to a trail that leads across the country and – they hope – to Richard.
But they are not the only interested party. A mysterious society is following them, their motives unclear. Can Chris and Amy unlock the secrets of Dead Letters, or will more sinister forces get there first?
Dead Letters is the captivating second novel by P.J. Murphy, author of Troubleshot.
To write in the first or the third
person, that is the question
I have written novels in both the first and third-person perspectives, but it’s not always obvious which is the best choice.
First, let’s consider the third-person perspective (he/she/it/they). Most novels I’ve read have been written from this viewpoint, with an omnipresent narrator taking us from scene to scene. This makes a lot of sense for genre fiction because the plot drives these novels. Yes, you may have a protagonist that readers identify with, but the plot demands that they see things outside their knowledge. Many plots build suspense by having readers know the danger an unwitting character is about to walk into.
I wrote my first novel, Troubleshot, from the third-person perspective because it’s a satire outlining a power struggle between a community and local government stirred up by an opportunist using the situation for his own gain. By jumping between the three main perspectives, I was able to build a lot of comedy from us knowing something the characters don’t.
Still, some Troubleshot readers asked, ‘Who is the narrator?’. This takes me to one of the difficulties of the third-person: if your narrator starts expressing opinions or conveying certain knowledge beyond what we see in the scenes, the reader can get confused about who is talking to them.
If you write in the first person, it’s much clearer who the narrator is. They don’t have to be the main character but often they are. In my second novel, Dead Letters, and my soon-to-be-released third, Yesterday’s Shadow, I chose to have the protagonist tell the story. This allowed me to really get into their head. For this reason, I would generalise that the first-person perspective is much more common in literary fiction, which is very much about exploring characters.
I enjoy writing in the first-person because it allows me to do some neat things, such as playing with the concept of the unreliable narrator (the idea that you are seeing through the eyes of this character, but the view is tinted by their personality and preoccupations). Yesterday’s Shadow tells the story of a teenage boy coming of age. The character is looking back from years later, but even so, it’s clear that he only sees part of the picture.
And here we come to one of the pitfalls of writing in the first person: you have to plan it out carefully. If your readers’ understanding of the plot hinges upon them knowing something the narrator doesn’t, you’re in trouble. Another thing to bear in mind is that readers will spend a lot of time in the company of this character, so it’s important that they don’t get annoyed with them. Narrators with a very strong voice can be fascinating to read but tiring. There’s a good reason why The Catcher in the Rye is a short book.
I can’t pretend I’ve always got these choices right, but I hope this gives you food for thought when you pick up your next book. Could it have been written from a different perspective? How might that have changed your experience of the story? My next few projects will be written in the third person, but, who knows, I might change my mind about that again!
P.J. Murphy writes novels that introduce unusual and humorous twists to classic genres. If you pick up one of his books, you’re in for an interesting read that never loses its sense of fun. As a writer, P.J. tries to stick to the adage ‘write what you know’, although with the addition, ‘just make sure you exaggerate and distort it beyond all recognition’. He is planning to write a novel about taking a road trip with a parrot. He has never owned a parrot.
connect with author: website ~ facebook ~ goodreads
This looks like a great read.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book.
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