Why are subjective accounts (first-person) frowned upon in the writing world? How does one articulate a personal event in the (preferable) third-person context, without losing its intrinsic qualities?

Whether to choose the first or third person really depends on the editor of the journal or book.publisher. In academic/professional writing, the author is supposed to have an unbiased position. In order to make that clear to the reader, no first person is allowed.

For a long time, authors used "we" instead of "I." The "We" is also called the royal "we" and I personally find it quite derogatory, especially when I disagree with the author.

These days, people understand that academics have their own sets of biases and preconceptions due to personal and other experiences. And these experiences shape the topic, the way the informatio is arranged, etc. However, personal experiences should not shape the outcome or bias the argument in any way.

Some publisher now permit the use of "I" in limited circumstances to lay open personal experiences, biases, and preconceptions in order to enable the reader to assess the article or book.

Writing without "I" is not particularly difficult, once one gets used to reading scholarly material, writing without "I" becomes second nature.

you can write in the third person by writing in the first person.

then change the tense of the words. the ideas won't change,

but when it is happening will. by setting yourself outside of what is happening, you can still see, hear, touch, taste, etc.

I have probably not answered your question specially enough,

it is a hard question to answer but I did my best. i have written in both and find it difficult sometimes to make it from one to the other,

but it does and it can. Good question

Not everyone in the writing world prefers using the third person. Lots of writer's, myself for one, are actually very comfortable using the first person. The choice of which person is more appropriate to use... keep reading →

The reason "the world" frowns down on first person is because they claim it is biased and just how you feel. Personally, i love writing in both first person and third person. So to articulate it into the third person, observe the scene/act/paragraph whatever as an outsider (hence the term third person). Write down how you would see it happen but without the emotional attachments.

Hope this helps.

"I love to talk about myself. I have a fascinating life. I have done so much!" That basically is the problem with first person narratives. It sounds selfish and self-centred. In the same way that we avoid... keep reading →

I think you should consider what you want your reader to know and what you don't. Consider what you want to reveal to the reader, when, how and where. First person narratives are one point of view, though they can, depending on the story, be reliable or unreliable accounts. In terms of conveying emotion and its "intrinsic qualities" consider using an omniscient point of view if it will fit into your story.

I think you should consider the character of the character telling the story. Is this person honest or a liar? Are they under some sort of influence or not? Are they mentally sound? In psychological thrillers (The Machinist, The Secret Window, A Beautiful Mind, etc.) we see the story from a first person perspective. Though this perspective is skewed and unreal. The viewer does not realize the unreliable character of the story teller until the end. This is a valuable and effective tactic in expressing and taking the viewer/reader through the psychosis an individual endures.

I have been "experimenting" with a limited omniscient point of view story teller who is a major character. As the narrator, he can only tell the thoughts of one or more major or minor characters in addition to things the characters do not know. As a result of my plot, this works best for moving the story forward.

So, if you want to know which person to use, discover your story first, it's characters, the plot and what you would like to reveal.

Do you mean fiction or non-fiction?

If non-fiction, the third person is more objective, which is what is normally desired - except for memoir.

If fiction, I think it's just an issue of fads. First person will become popular, then readers (or editors) will tire of it and third person becomes the trend. But outside of trends, there are reasons for choosing one or the other. First person can give the reader a more intimate connection to the story, but generally limits the writer to one point of view.