Points of View

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Point of view (POV) in writing refers to the perspective from which a story or narrative is told. It is the lens through which the reader experiences the events, characters, and emotions of the story. The choice of point of view significantly affects how the story is conveyed and how readers connect with the narrative and characters. When deciding on the POV, writers should consider the story's scope, the desired level of character immersion, and the need for objectivity or multiple viewpoints.

Point of view is a subject I haven't really talked much about yet. I may have assumed I covered it in my VOICE blog, but as it turns out, POV is a huge subject on its own. I’m just going to introduce POV here but in the next series of blogs I want to tell you a little about when and why a writer might select one viewpoint over another.

The most often used point of view depends on the genre and the preferences of the author. However, the three most popular points of view in the order listed are:

Third-person limited: The narrator focuses on the thoughts and experiences of a single character, usually the protagonist. Third-person limited uses pronouns like "he," "she," and "they" but doesn't delve into the minds of other characters. Writers choose the third-person limited POV when they want to provide a close and focused perspective while maintaining some narrative distance.

First-person: In first-person POV, the narrator is a character within the story who uses pronouns like "I," "me," and "my." The narrator shares their -personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Writers choose to use the first-person POV for a variety of reasons, depending on the specific effect they want to achieve in their writing.

Third-person omniscient: The narrator has access to the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of multiple characters. This perspective provides a broader view of the story, allowing readers to understand the inner workings of various characters. Writers choose to use the third-person omniscient POV when they want to provide a broad and all-knowing perspective on the story.

There are other variations and combinations that authors may employ to suit their storytelling goals. If you are interested in these, please ask. I’m happy to dive into each more deeply.

Second person: This point of view uses second-person pronouns (you, your) and directly addresses the reader, making them a participant in the story. It creates a sense of immediacy and involvement, but it's less commonly used for full-length narratives and more often found in shorter pieces or experimental writing.

Multiple third-person limited: In this approach, the story is told from the perspective of multiple characters, each with their own limited viewpoint. The narrative switches between these characters, providing insight into their thoughts and experiences. This allows for a broader perspective and exploration of multiple storylines.

Epistolary: This point of view involves telling the story through a series of letters, diary entries, or other forms of written correspondence. It provides an intimate and personal account, often showcasing the inner thoughts and emotions of the characters involved.

Objective or camera-like: This point of view takes a distant and observational stance, resembling a camera recording the events. The narrator remains neutral and doesn't delve into characters' thoughts or emotions, focusing solely on describing the actions and dialogue.

Unreliable narrator: This technique involves a narrator who may intentionally or unintentionally distort or misrepresent the events of the story. The reader becomes aware of the narrator's biases, shortcomings, or lack of credibility, adding complexity and intrigue to the narrative.

Stream of consciousness: This approach seeks to capture the unfiltered and continuous flow of a character's thoughts, often without traditional sentence structure or punctuation. It immerses the reader in the character's mind and can provide a deep exploration of their consciousness. We have already discussed stream of consciousness in depth in an earlier blog.

These variations and combinations offer authors flexibility in storytelling. They allow authors to experiment with different perspectives and narrative techniques to achieve their desired effects. The choice of point of view is an important decision that can greatly influence the reader's experience and understanding of the story. We will talk more about this in the next blogs. See you there!