Which point of view should you choose for your novel? 

Should you use multiple points of view or stick to just one? Is it better to write in the past tense or present tense?

Choosing which point of view to write your story from is one of the most important decisions to make when starting a new project.

Different points of view create different experiences for your readers. Your choice will affect how the reader will respond to your characters and their actions.

Point of View:

Determines through whose eyes the reader will experience your story.

There are three main options to choose from:

• First Person: “I” am telling the story.
• Second Person: The story is told to “you.”
• Third Person: The story is about “he” or “she.”

First Person POV:

With the first person POV, the main character is the narrator of the story. They are telling their story, from their perspective, in their voice, with the events filtered through their unique worldview. It allows the closeness between the narrator and the reader. The reader experiences the character’s feelings and emotions as the events happen only through that character.

First-person POV allows you to use an unreliable narrator. If the character is lying, mentally unstable, naive, etc., the story can only be experienced through their limited views.  

Second Person POV:

The reader becomes the central character in the story.

“You step onto the bus and hesitate when you see who is already seated.”

Second person POV can be interesting when done properly. t’s not a common choice for fiction. It’s most commonly found in short stories, instructional narratives, and how-to books.

Third Person POV:

The story is presented from a distance that makes the reader an outside viewer of the story.

• Third Person Omniscient POV
• Third Person Limited POV

Third Person Omniscient POV:

In the third person omniscient pov, the narrator sees and knows everything in the story, and that their knowledge is not limited to what any one character knows or sees.

They are telling the story and commenting on what happens.

Therefore, it’s essential that the narrator has their own unique voice apart from the voice of each character, so the reader is never confused about who they’re listening to at the moment.

A benefit of using third person omniscient is that it allows the writer to capitalize on the “dramatic irony” when the reader knows something that the character doesn’t.

This can sometimes make third-person omniscient feel impersonal and make it difficult for readers to identify with your characters.

Third-person omniscient is not a popular POV

Third Person Limited POV:

This POV is narrated from the close perspective of just one character. Because you don’t have an omniscient narrator, the reader can only know and see what the POV character knows and sees. In first-person, this is good for novels where the character is kept in the dark about some things.

If you have a large cast of characters it can be difficult to write in limited third person. It can only show what’s happening where your POV character is currently.

Narrative tense:

Narrative tense shows the reader when the story is happening.

There are three choices when it comes to narrative tense:

• Past tense – it already happened 
• Present tense – it’s happening right now
• Future tense – it has yet to happen 

Most stories are told using either the past tense or present tense. Past tense is the most common.

When choosing POV, consider:

• Your genre’. What is the common POV choice for this genre?
• The age group of your reader. What is the common POV choice for this age group?
• Do you want to create a sense of intimacy or distance between the reader and the character?
• What point of view feels the most natural for you to write in?
• Will you write from multiple points of view or just one?
• Do you want to be able to describe your character from the outside and give insight into their thoughts?
• Does the narrator announce its presence openly or try to remain invisible?

Most books are written in third person limited because it’s the one where you can be intimate with your reader and not bounce around too much, yet gives you some freedom outside of what only your protagonist sees and feels.

There are, believe it or not, even more POV from which to choose. This is an overview about the most popular ones. They are popular for a reason. After all, you want your reader to take away as much emotion as they can from your stories and choosing a POV that gives the reader the biggest punch is crucial. Choose carefully and happy writing.

Gina