POV: What is Point of View and what are your options
What is a Narrative Point of View?
Point of view (or POV) is the lens through which the reader views the story. When you begin writing your novel, you must make a choice about who is telling the story and to whom. This may be a character from within the story, or simply an all-knowing narrator. You may be seeing the story develop through the character’s eyes or as an observer. You may also be the narrator.
Types of Point of View
Here are the four primary types of point of view, along with a brief description:
1. First Person Point of View
In first person point of view, the story is being narrated by one of the characters, using first person pronouns such as “I”, “me” or “my”. The narrator may be a known or unknown character, but in most cases, they tend to be the protagonist or closely related to them.
As the story development is only seen through the character’s eyes, this provides a greater sense of intimacy and a deep look into their motivations and character. On the other hand, the narrative is also limited by these same things. A character can only know and perceive things based on their understanding of events.
2. Second Person
Second person point of you is the least common POV type, and it uses the “you” pronoun which can be a great challenge for an author. It is a very direct and descriptive way of writing that, when done well, can allow you to immerse the reader in the setting and make them feel like they’re part of the action. On the other hand, it may also serve to alienate readers who do not identify with the actions that a specific character takes.
3. Third Person Limited
In both third person point of views, the author uses third person pronouns to describe the action, such as “he”, “she” or “they”. Third person limited POV is closest to first person point of view in that, while the action is being written about with a bit of distance, the narrative is limited to the understanding of the character whose point of view the author is exploring. This still allows for exploration of that character’s thoughts and feelings as they navigate the story.
4. Third Person Omniscient
Third person omniscient point of view takes the role of an all-knowing, all-seeing narrator that knows everything about both the story and the characters. They are not limited by the understanding of one character but may relay the thoughts of any character within a scene, give the reader background information that the characters themselves may not be aware of, refer to events that have not yet happened, or even break the “fourth wall” and speak directly to the reader. The most consistent characteristic of this point of view is that the reader knows more than the characters.
How to Choose the Right Point of View
There are two main things to consider when choosing a point of view for your story. The first is the style of writing that best fits your voice as an author, and the second is which point of view will accomplish telling your story in the way you want.
The first, is easy. You can try a few different points of view in writing exercises, or with a few scenes from your novel, and you will quickly discover what works for you and what doesn’t. As you become more experienced, you may be able to write in different points of view, but in the beginning, it is best if you stick to what flows better for you. An easy way to discover which point of view best suits your novel is to pick a pivotal scene from your story and write it using the different POV types to see which would work best for your novel’s story development.
The second consideration you have make is much more strategic. Does your reader need to be blindsided by a piece of information? Then maybe third person omniscient is not the way to go. First person or third person limited might be an easier way to surprise your reader, as the scope of the POV is limited to the characters in the story, thus making the character and reader more likely to not see it coming. Do you need to build suspense by dropping hints about a future event? Third person omniscient is the easiest way to accomplish this.
Think about your story and how you want it to be structured, before choosing who the narrator should be.
This does not, however, mean that you need to stick to a single point of view type throughout the whole story. Some novels jump from point of view to point of view, from first to third, and even using second person point of view. Caution should be used however when doing this, and you should never switch point of view in the middle of a scene. If you are narrating in first person from your protagonist’s point of view, it would be really jarring to the reader to suddenly hear the antagonist’s thoughts. Finish the scene and then make the switch. The easiest way to do this, is to “assign” each character a point of view type and stick with it throughout your novel.
No matter which POV you choose, it is up to you to make the story work. Even if you make an unconventional choice, being consistent and fully applying yourself to it is much more important than following any trend or unwritten rule about which point of view others consider the best.
