Third Person

[Mad Dog]

Ultimately we're all writers here and I thought in an attempt to encourage discussion (in the vein of The Reckoner) I wish to say that I believe writing in the 3rd person encourages more empathy for your character/s than it does in the 1st person.

Do you agree?

[Spiral]

I think empathy, if that's what you're looking for, can easily be gotten through either third or first person.  Ultimately, it is the character that will tug on those heart strings.

[Tim]

Mike is right.  There are ways to get empathy in third or first person.  It all depends on the character.  Now, if you purposefully want to decrease empathy, you can use first person effectively by making them an obviously unreliable narrator, but at the same time you can make them endearing in how they speak as well, which would increase empathy. 

Third v. First is a personal choice and should be made for more than one reason each time it's chosen. 

[Osbourne Kilminster]

I like writing in first person as it's easier to convey my character's internal monologue and thought processes.

[Sinnybuns/Mika]

I like to switch back and forth between the two...depends on what can better convey the scene.

[Jackson]

agreed. First person for my rhetoric rants... third for my scenes seems to work best for Jax.. only because as a narrator he's pretty biased. I prefer the impartial third person which allows the reader to take what they want from the things that happen.