Have you ever wondered why some stories put you right inside a character’s head, while reading others feels like you’re watching a movie from a distant seat? The answer often lies in one of the most fundamental choices a fiction writer makes: Point of View (POV).
The term POV is often used interchangeably with the term perspective (see our blog post here for more on that topic), but these terms represent very different aspects of storytelling. POV dictates who tells the story, how much information they have access to, and how that information is filtered to the reader. How effectively you write your POV(s) can make all the difference between engaging the reader or losing their interest.
Let’s break down the main types of POV and why they matter.
1. First Person: “I” Dive Deep
In this POV, a character narrates, using first-person pronouns (“I,” “me,” “my”). This POV provides a direct line into a character’s mind.
This POV allows for incredible intimacy, revealing the character’s thoughts, emotions, and biases—which also means this POV can be used to subvert readers’ expectations, as is the case with unreliable narrators, if the writer so chooses.
That said, this POV limits the reader’s knowledge and experiences to those of the POV character. If the character (and by extension, the reader) is absent when crucial information is revealed, the narrative must provide a plausible means for the reader to learn about it.
- TIP: Though a first-person narrative can present multiple POVs in a story (provided there are clear breaks between each), it can be challenging for the reader to keep those POVs straight unless each POV is distinctive. Sticking to one POV per chapter and identifying the given POV in the chapter headers can help with this.
Example: Ishmael in Moby Dick by Herman Melville
2. Second Person: “You” Are the Story
Relatively rare in fiction, this POV directly addresses the reader as “you,” making them the protagonist. This can immediately and deeply immerse the reader by figuratively placing them in the center of the action.
However, this POV is hard to sustain without feeling preachy or awkward, so it may not be ideal for a novel, for instance. This POV is best for shorter pieces or specific stylistic choices.
Example: “You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning.” (Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney)
3. Third Person: The Storyteller’s Canvas
This most common POV uses an external narrator and third-person pronouns (“he,” “she,” “it,” and “they”) to tell the story. Third person has a few crucial variations, of which the most common are:
Third Person Limited
The narrator sticks close to one character throughout, showing only what that character sees, hears, feels, and thinks, incorporating the intimacy of first person with the flexibility of being able to refer to the character by name. This POV creates a more intimate connection between the reader and the viewpoint character, much like first-person narration, and builds suspense by limiting the reader’s to that of the sole POV character. Neither the reader nor the POV character can know what’s happening elsewhere or what other characters are secretly thinking.
- Example: In the Harry Potter series, the story is told primarily from Harry’s limited perspective. We only learn what he experiences, feels, or thinks.
Third Person Omniscient
The narrator is “all-knowing,” has access to the thoughts and feelings of all characters, is free to move through time and space at will, and may even offer subjective commentary. The narrator can also reveal information the characters don’t know, heightening the drama. This POV is perfect for epic tales with many subplots and characters, but it can feel less intimate than limited POVs and requires careful attention to narrative voice to avoid the feeling of head hopping. This POV must be established as early as possible to avoid confusing the reader.
- Example: The narrator of The Hobbit is a character unto themselves, opening the story with a description of Bilbo Baggins’s home colored by subjective commentary before a single character is introduced by name.
Third-Person Multiple (aka Third-Person Limited Shifting)
This approach uses the same pronouns and applies similar limits to the reader’s knowledge as third-person limited but switches the POV between two or more characters over the course of the story. This perspective allows the author to explore different sides of a story and reveal what’s happening in various locations to build a more complex story and explore a theme from multiple angles, giving the reader a deeper understanding of the characters and the plot.
This POV still limits the reader to one character’s experiences and knowledge in a scene. The more POVs in a story, the more complex it can be for both writer and reader to keep track of what each POV does or does not know. A shift in POV usually occurs at a major break, such as a new chapter or scene, to avoid confusing the reader.
- Example: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn alternates between the perspectives of Nick Dunne and his missing wife, Amy, mingling Nick’s present-day experience and Amy’s past as revealed through her diary entries. These two conflicting accounts of their relationship and Amy’s disappearance, coupled with the narrative distance between reader and character provided by the third-person narrative approach, create suspense and force the reader to constantly question the truth.
Choosing Your Lens
The best POV is the one that serves your story. Ask yourself:
- How close do I want the reader to feel to my characters?
- What do I want my reader to know, and when? Do I need to hide any information for suspense?
- Is this story an intimate exploration of a single character’s internal journey or a sprawling epic colored by many intersecting lives?
- Does a particular character have a strong, unique voice that would shine in first person?
If you’re still not sure, go ahead and experiment! Take a key scene and try writing it from different POVs. You might be surprised at how much the narrative’s feel, pacing, and emotional impact change based on the POV. Mastering POV is a crucial step in crafting compelling fiction that resonates deeply with your readers.
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