I had a question about POV (point of view) at my recent talk, so I thought I’d revisit the subject today.
There are three basic points of view: first person, second person, and third person. Let’s dig into the nitty-gritty about each of these, then we’ll take a look at some of the sub-categories of third person POV.
- First Person POV: The narrator is telling the story directly to the reader from their own experience. First person uses the pronouns “I,” “my”, “me,” “we,” “our,” etc. because we are inside the narrator’s head seeing their thoughts and feelings–and experiencing their opinions, prejudices, and cultural experiences. This is almost the closest a reader can come to a fictional character. It is also one of the more difficult to write because you must remember not to divulge any information the narrator cannot know or feel. Some examples of first person POV include Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
- Second Person POV: The narrator is supposed to be the reader themselves. This POV uses the pronouns “you” and “your,” and is the hardest to write and to understand. Nowadays, you’re not likely to see this point of view anywhere except in a “choose your own adventure” story, though several classic works of literature have been written in second person. One current example is Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney.
- Third Person POV: The narrator is neither the reader not the viewpoint character, but tells the story from a distance, using pronouns like “he,” “him,” “she,” “her,” “it,” “they,” etc. This is perhaps the most popular POV nowadays, and one you will see the most. Third person can further be divided into three sub-categories: limited, omniscient, and objective. Let’s look at those as well:
Third Person Limited: This POV is similar to first person in that you are inside of one character’s head and cannot know anything they cannot experience directly. However, rather than saying “I ran from the burning building” the text will read “She ran from the burning building.” As with first person, it’s sometimes difficult to stay within the main character’s head.
Third Person Omniscient: This narrator knows everything. They will tell the reader what anyone is thinking or feeling at various times of the story, and can divulge things the main character(s) cannot know. This is another rather difficult POV to pull off, as it can become convoluted and confusing if not done properly.
Third Person Objective: In this POV, the narrator shows the actions of each character, but does not provide their feelings or thoughts except through dialogue and action. This is not currently a popular point of view so you may not have come across it in recent literature.
Do you tend to write in one point of view more than others, or do you choose the POV that seems to tell each particular story the best?