Points of View (POVs)

Deciding what point of view (POV) to write in is one of the most important decisions a writer makes. The POV determines the feel of the narrative and informs the reader's connection to the characters; it decides what information the reader has access to and how they get it.

There are three POV options: first person, second person and third person.

First Person

In first person, the story is told from a single character's viewpoint. I, we and us are the dominant pronouns, and the reader has access to everything the viewpoint character is thinking and feeling but no access to other characters. This creates a very intimate connection between the reader and the character, making it easy to understand them and their motivations. First person is common in YA fiction.

The downside of first person is that the reader's knowledge is limited to that of the viewpoint character. We can only know what they know and everything we know is filtered through them. This can lead to the viewpoint character being awkwardly inserted into scenes where they don't belong, contrived encounters or discoveries, and an unreliable narrator (which is sometimes the goal).

Second Person

This is the rarest POV. Its dominant pronoun is you and it places the reader as the viewpoint character, making them an active part of the narrative. There are two effects this can create. The first is voyeuristic, giving the impression that you are being watched by the narrator. The second creates a more immersive and participatory reading experience, like the Choose Your Own Adventure books. When done well, the second person can add mystery and intrigue through full immersion into the narrative. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin is an excellent example of this. It can also create a feeling of unease and make the writing disconcerting and creepy, which can work well for mysteries and thrillers.

Second person is the most difficult POV to write. It requires a fair amount of skill and the right narrative to engage the reader. When done well, it provides the greatest connection to the character because the reader is the character. This has the benefit of creating a very intimate narrative and can make it easy for the reader to connect and empathize with the character. This intimate connection is also the biggest negative of the second person. It can be a big stretch to ask a reader to literally put themselves in the shoes of another person, especially if the character is unlikable, challenging or one the reader struggles to identify with.

Third Person

This is the most common viewpoint, mostly because it is by far the most versatile. In the third person, the author uses the pronouns he, she and they (and sometimes it) to refer to characters. This creates more narrative distance between the characters and the reader as they are not fully immersed in the character's POV, but it has the advantage of flexibility. Because the reader isn't tied to a single character, it is more natural to shift to different viewpoints, which makes it possible to give the reader information that some characters don't have. The narrative distance allows the reader to view the scene more objectively so the narrative can follow the character who will drive the plot forward or who has important information as needed.

Unlike the other points of view, third person comes in three different flavours.

Objective

The story is told by a narrator who is watching the story unfold. They can see everything but have no access to any characters' thoughts or feelings. They are limited by what can be observed from the outside.

This is the most removed POV and can feel a little scientific or clinical since the information is observational. However, it has the advantage of not being tied to a single character viewpoint which allows the reader to get information from many sources.

Third person limited

Also called close third, this is probably the most common viewpoint. Third person limited gives the reader access to the thoughts and feelings of a single character. Although similar to first person, third person limited still creates some distance between the reader and the character because even though the reader has access to the character's thoughts, they aren't fully in their head. This gives the author a little more leeway to briefly step outside of the viewpoint character's perspective for worldbuilding and exposition that would feel out of place in a first person narrative.

Omniscient

Omniscient POV, also called the god perspective, gives the reader access to everything. This includes all the information about the world and the thoughts and feelings of all the characters. Omniscient is the most difficult viewpoint to pull off because it is so broad in scope and can become confusing very quickly, muddying the source of various thoughts and feelings. This is a viewpoint that requires a great deal of skill to write well and is best avoided unless there is a very specific reason to do so, like with Diana Wynne Jones's Witch Week.

Using Point of View

For first time authors, picking a single viewpoint (usually first person or third limited) is best. However, there is no rule saying that a novel must use a single viewpoint or stick with a single viewpoint character. The books in The Bartimaeus Sequence each have three to four viewpoint characters. Bartimaeus's chapters are all in first person while the chapters from human characters' viewpoints are in third person limited.

Most narratives can be told using any point of view, but the one you choose will affect how your readers experience the narrative and relate to the characters. Do you want the reader to have a close, intimate connection to the protagonist? Choose first person. Do you want the reader to be the protagonist? Choose second person. Do Do you want the reader to know what the protagonist is thinking, but have the ability to build world details they might not have? Choose close third person limited. Do you want to shift between different perceptions? Choose omniscient.

Remember that the perspective chosen limits how you tell the story, even with omniscient. It dictates what readers can know and when. It dictates how the story can be told, affecting the structure and worldbuilding aspects. Make sure to pick the viewpoint that allows you to tell the narrative in the most effective way.