What Is Point of View

 

What Is Point of View

What is "point of view"? For fans of the book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” let’s think of point of view (POV) as the Babel fish of literature. It is a universal translator turning your brainwaves into the perspective through which your readers will understand your story. Luckily it isn't wet, it isn't slimy, and you really don't have to stick it in your ear.

There are three main points of view that you can use, all with different strengths and weaknesses.

First Person

First person: I rock. We rock.

In first person, past tense, the problem is time. The story is told from some indefinite point in the future looking backward, and the viewpoint character already knows how everything turns out. A character using first person, past tense, would say something like “I reached for his arm three seconds too late.”

The creation of present tense was a solution to bridge that gap, because storytellers and readers both crave immediacy. But, since many readers are turned off by first person, and even more by present tense, it didn't work so well. That is why third person limited with deep penetration is the most popular way to tell a story these days, but more on that in a moment.

First person limits you to only what the viewpoint character can sense, feel, and think, but it creates deep intimacy. One of the best reasons to use first person is it allows us to see from a total stranger's eyes for a time.

Unreliable Narrators

First person is generally thought to be the most difficult point of view to do well.

It also offers the opportunity to play with your readers. As an author, you have to know your character inside and out. You know what your character would exaggerate, tell truthfully, hesitate over, and even leave out. An unreliable narrator lies to your readers. Is that okay? Absolutely, as long as your readers understand that the character is a liar, and they’re given the chance to figure out what is and isn't a lie.

First person is generally the go-to for beginning writers. It seems so easy, as if it would flow like water . . . but it is widely understood by experienced writers to be the most difficult point of view to do well.

Great examples of popular first person books are Suzanne Collins' “Hunger Games” series, and Stephenie Meyer's “Twilight” series.

Second Person

Second person: You rock. Y’all rock.

Most stories, fiction and non-fiction, are written in first or third person. How-to books, on the other hand, are often written in second person. Consider cook books. Recipes are invariably...

Keep reading on Quick and Dirty Tips