Welcome back to our discussion about point of view (POV).
I want to continue to build on what I talked about last time.
In the last post, I explored what point of view actually is. Now I’m going to break down three different types of POV. Note that these are not the only other points of view, but ones used most often in fiction.
First Person Point of View
This is when the narrator is a character in the story, using “I” or “we.” The reader experiences the world directly through the eyes of that character. This POV creates a personal and/or intimate connection with the reader, but it can also limit information. Remember, the character can only know what he or she perceives.
Example:
Outside house character: The lights in the house went off, but I wouldn’t move yet. I shifted the weapon to my left hand. I needed the element of surprise on my side so the timing had to be perfect. So did my aim.
If I wanted to blatantly show how the character was limited in information, I’d switch to another point of view of someone inside the house:
Inside house character: With the lights off, I sat away from the windows and directly across from the front door. I held the gun in my lap, fingers curled around the grip. He’d be coming soon, but I was ready.
Books written in first person:
The Shack
The Great Gatsby
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Third Person
Third person is probably the most common point of view used in fiction. There are several advantages to using this. Writers are able to shape a story around one or more protagonists or the villain, but still remain “distant” enough to describe what’s happening around the characters.
Example:
Dr. Maya Sullivan lay still, ears ringing, heart thundering. Was it over? The roar of the avalanche had begun as a quiet rumble, like thunder rolling in from the distance.
Third Person Limited
This point of view is when an author writes a story from the point of view of a single character. But again, the advantage is they can also describe things around them by using the five senses.
Example:
Oliver stood frozen in the doorway. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the scene before him.
Books written in third person limited:
The Hunger Games
Divine by Karen Kingsbury
Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn
Any Love Inspired book that’s ever been published
Third Person Omniscient
This point of view is when the narrator knows everything—what every character is thinking, feeling, and doing at all times. The omniscient narrator can give the reader insight into multiple characters’ perspectives within the same scene. (I call this head-hopping.) This is not currently a very popular POV with publishers; and I recommend you stay away from it unless you know how to do it really, really well. It can make the reader feel detached from the story and the characters.
Example:
Oliver stood in the doorway, unaware that just upstairs, Rachel was making a life-changing decision of her own. She hadn’t told him yet, but the truth would come out soon.
Popular books written in omniscient POV:
Lord of the Flies
Charlotte’s Web
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Which POV type do you use for your WIP (Work in Progress)?
Here are a couple of exercises if you’d like to try your hand at something fun:
- Exercise 1: Take a scene you’ve written and rewrite it from another character’s POV. How does it change the way the reader understands the story? Does it change the way you understand it?
- Exercise 2: Write a brief scene using omniscient POV (this is actually very hard to do right), and then rewrite it in limited POV. Ask yourself which version feels more personal.
