October 2, 2024
You can add layers of meaning and interest to any novel by the correct use of point of view (POV). The term refers to who’s telling the story. Is it one person, and is that person reliable, or is it several people? Here’s how to choose your point of view, when to use different ones, and how to make it all work.
Who is telling your story? That’s what is meant by point of view. The person narrating the story is the one who controls the story. More important, they control how much the reader is allowed to see. Can they see inside other people’s heads, or are they limited to seeing through one character’s eyes? What about events happening elsewhere in the world of the book? Choosing the right point of view will guide the development of your story.
In first person point of view, the narrator tells the story. This is a familiar way to tell a story that limits the narration to one perspective. In a first-person story, you’ll see first person pronouns and sentences like, “I was born in Honolulu,” or “One day, I looked out the window and saw my neighbor waving at me from the sidewalk.” In a first person POV, the reader assumes that the person telling the story is either close to the action or is the main character.
This point of view has many advantages. It puts the reader directly into the story. It also invites trust, because the narrator is telling their own story. On the other hand, the first person point of view can be limited. You only get their perspective or opinion on the events, and you have to assume they’re being honest.
Here are some well-known novels told from the first person point of view:
In some novels, the writers use a first person point of view with a so-called unreliable narrator, meaning that the narrator is leaving things out, not being fully honest, or has themselves been fooled into believing something that isn’t true. The reader sometimes doesn’t know this until the end. In some cases, the reader is aware right away that the narrator is not trustworthy. Some examples of books with unreliable narrators are:
In second person POV, the writer addresses the reader directly as “you.” This is effective for nonfiction self-help books, which typically address the reader directly with suggestions, prescriptions for action, and summations of their feelings. For instance, a self-help book on losing weight might state, “You’ve tried everything, so why should this program help you? Here’s what you’ll discover when you learn to think differently about food.”
Second person POV is less common in fiction. It can make for a powerful reading experience. The reader is part of the action and directly involved in every scene and every emotion.
It can be a good way to immerse the reader in the story, but it’s also limiting. All action must be in the present, you can’t refer to the past or the future, and you must hold the reader’s interest. Second-person novels are rare because this POV is difficult for writers and can be tiring for readers. Some books have used it with success, however. They include:
Third person POV uses third person pronouns (he, she or they) and tells the story from that viewpoint. Examples sentences might be, “Nancy Jackson was 32 years old, and she had two children,” or “The Flanagan family lived on Baker Street, where their mother Nora was famous for her cookies.”
Third person POV lets you tell a story from all perspectives. The narrator is invisible, and the story goes easily from one character and scene to the next. It is very common in mysteries, romances, and fantasy novels.
In third person POV, you can choose from two options: omniscient or limited. Omniscient comes from a Latin word meaning “all knowing.” It’s a book where the writer and the reader know everything that’s going on. It follows all the characters and shares all their thoughts and feelings.
With omniscient POV, you can explain what’s going on somewhere else while your main character is doing something unrelated in a different location. It’s the most liberating POV because there are no limits to what you tell in the story.
Here are some novels that use omniscient POV:
With a limited POV, the story is still in third person, but the narrator is not all-knowing. Instead, their focus is on one character’s experiences and feelings. This is usually the main character. As readers, we don’t know what’s happening outside that character’s experience. We see everything that happens, but we only see it through their eyes.
Examples of books that use third-person limited POV:
Can you ever use more than one point of view? You can, and many authors do. If you can pull off writing in different voices, you can add depth and interest to a book by telling a story from multiple viewpoints.
There are good reasons to introduce one or more POV in a novel. You can build suspense by showing part of the story that the main character doesn’t see, for instance, tracking the trail of a killer who’s in pursuit. You can reveal information to the reader that uncovers the narrator as a false or unreliable one. It’s also a good way to continue a story in a different voice if the main character dies or leaves the story for any reason.
Many books have used multiple POVs successfully. Here are some examples:
The key to a believable POV is consistency. Whether you are writing in your narrator’s voice or your main character’s, you must be sure to maintain a consistent voice. Don’t slip in and out of a POV.
People have different speaking styles depending on their education level, profession, personality, and where they’re from. If your POV is that of a sheltered Victorian-era governess, it will be very different from that of a city detective in the 1950s. If you’re writing a historical novel, be sure your speaking style and slang reflect what’s historically correct.
Consistency is especially important if you’re writing multiple perspectives. Make sure each voice sounds distinct. Maintain consistency by double-checking that you haven’t slipped into another character’s voice.
The right POV will make your book readable and engaging. To keep it consistent, maintain the same voice and perspective from start to finish. Once your book is finished, be sure to get solid, consistent printing services from the experts at Publishing Xpress.
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