I love writing. There are so many ways to tell a story and bring characters to life. And it all starts with POV.
Pretty sure it was grade school when I learned why every book sounded a little different. POV, or point of view, determines if your character is I, me, or Lucy Garinn. It decides how deep in your character’s headspace we get to go or how many heads we get to hop between. POV isn’t so easily defined by writers because all we need is the principle; we know what we need to know in order to finish our novel.
But I was reminded more recently that POV plays such a big part in our overall decisions. What characters join the journey, how the action plays out, what’s revealed and hidden from the reader. Sometimes the story calls for first person, and other times it needs an overarching narrator. Some voices are detrimental, others are necessary.
So, don’t mind me as I do a little digging into POV from the perspective of choosing the right voice for the action.
The Basic Principles of POV
There are three main point of view catgories: first, second, and third (wow, so inventive). A writer can pick and choose POVs depending on what they’re writing, but only one can be used for the length of a novel. Because POV determines how we interact with the book, a reader can get confused if we swap from hanging out in the character’s head (first person) to watching everyone from a bird’s eye view (third person).
A lot of writing concepts and their usage are determined genre. In my opinion, I think the story should decide. Perhaps there’s a common POV used for murder mystery or romance, but at the end of the day, it’s your choice. Your story might not work in first person perspective, so you try three. Maybe you want to get creative and write in two. Whatever the scenario, figure out the general outline of your novel and decide from there which view best tells your story.
I have specific topics for these that I want to cover, but let’s do a basic rundown so we’re on the same page.
First Person
This is my go-to style. First person has the reader attached to a character. We basically become them as we read “I” and “my,” skim thoughts of the present struggles, and cringe at danger and bruises. All of my books that I want traditionally published are in this style because I want to dive into the action and be absorbed by the story.
The limitations of first person is that you can only “see” as far as the character can see. For example, I would really like to write a first person perspective novel of a blind man. It would be a challenge because the reader would see like a blind man, taking in sounds and smells rather than visual cues. Depending on the character you make your main POV, you have to think like them in order to build a deep character that readers can then differentiate from other POVs or even books. You also need to check what they know versus what other people know; if you give them thoughts or dialogue that don’t lineup with the information you’ve given them, you’ve created a plothole.
All that said, first person POV is a ton of fun, so if you want to become the character, this is the way to go.
Second Person
Second person would be this blog post or any persuasive essay you’ve written. For this POV, the narrator (e.g., me) is talking directly to the reader (e.g, you). These are usually done in second person because the only “character” that matters is the reader.
Because the “character” is the reader, a writer is spinning a tale for an unknown mind. Ever read a blog post that felt like a personal attack or someone was being too friendly? Second person points at the reader whenever you say “you.” There’s no buffer or forgiveness if you write a detailed account of a painful death.
Writers have written novels in second person, but it’s best fit for nonfiction pieces and blogs where the writer wants to convey something informational to a reader.
Third Person
Last but perhaps the most beloved is third person. The reader becomes omnipresent narrator, watching from a high tower all the chaos and plot development. There are still primary characters and sometimes the reader is granted access to their thoughts, but the reader is their own entity within the mass of characters you construct. Most of the stories on my blog are in third person because that’s my playzone style; your field of view is much wider for action shots (showing the reader a bad guy your MC can’t see) and you can do some minor head-hopping.
Most probably see no limitations on this POV, and that’s when writers run into problems. I mentioned head-hopping, which can become a problem (more on this later). Third person also requires the usage of names over and over, meaning a ton of echoes unless you can find a good descriptor now and then (believe me, you’ll get sick of seeing names after a while).
Despite these pitfalls, third person is good for novels with a lot of key characters and big action sets that require more than the limited view of one individual. And it’s a great way to play with side characters who might have more to tell.
First Person: Choosing the Mighty Few
All right, the groundwork is done. Time to get specific.
First person POV is used in one of two ways: one character voices the whole story or multiple characters take turns. When I wrote my first novel, I had my heart set on five main voices. Each chapter, depending on the sequence, would feature a different person. My editor promptly told me that this was bananas, to which I fought back. In hindsight, she was correct.
“But Samantha, there are books with multiple POVs.” My book still has multiple POVs. The problem, as always, comes down to execution.
#1: What Does the Character Add to the Chapter?
I’m reading my friend’s novel and went on a whole tirade about a particular POV she decided to bring in. This character was basically a bystander, giving us information that either didn’t matter to the plot or had been discovered by different characters. There were attempts at comedic relief, but it was more frustrating than anything else because they were filler scenes that pulled us from the tension. Not to mention removing the chapters would change nothing about the sequence of events.
When selecting POVs for your chapters, consider what the character is bringing to the table. Do they have an interesting perspective that adds to the tension? Do they act toward the destruction of the MC, accidentally or intentionally? Avoid bystander characters who sit and listen. Readers don’t want to hang out with the fly on the wall.
#2: Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
This cliche should include all persons, not just cooks. As the resident cook of my family, I can attest to how difficult it is to prepare a gourmet meal when my brother is hovering over my shoulder, Dad’s cleaning dishes, and so on. Clattering and talking and gawking distracts to the point of water boiling over and chicken charring. Many times I wait until everyone has left the kitchen before I pull out the pans. Maybe I’ll ask Dad to wash a spatula. Once he’s left, I don’t mind answering a question for Mom.
Too many voices at once will confuse your reader and bury your main character. Many books get away with 5 or more POVs, and the secret is priority. Your main character should have the most chapters out of anybody. A loveable sidekick or villain will have second priority, or the second highgest number of chapters. If your story travels into unknown realms your MC can’t access yet, then one-offs are allowed to continue the plot.
Decide which character you want the reader to connect with and make them your default POV. It can also be helpful to create a pattern, such as three MC chapters, a one-off, side character, and repeat. Either way, pick one to lead your story.
Third Person: Narrator or Faux-First
Third person books have two styles: narrator or first-person-esque. There could be more, but these describe the common methods. Both have ups and downs, but it really depends on what you want to accomplish with your story.
Narrator: Invisible but Full of Character
I recently read the original Peter Pan novel. Well, a children’s edition of the original; not what I wanted, but it’s got great pictures. Anyway, it’s written in third person. I was enthralled by the tale when suddenly it seemed like another voice “joined the chat.” An English gentleman with a bit of humor getting sidetracked by the woes of Peter’s feeble mind. I was surprised in the best way possible. Where a narrator can sometimes be dry, he had enough flavor to make him interesting. His own character, so to speak.
If you write third person, I highly suggest you make your narrator a full-ledged character. He won’t have all the details you give to in-story characters, but he can have a unique voice. This’ll change how he relays the story and add something not-monotone to the telling. Perhaps this is someone who saw all the events and is relaying it like a diary or journalist. Maybe he’s the spinner of the tale and we get snippets of his thoughts as he contemplates what to do with characters.
Either way, make it fun.
Faux-First: Beware the Head Hop
This is the variation of third person I traditionally write in. Rather than walking alongside a narrator, you’re guided by a character. Think Jimminy Cricket on Pinnochio’s shoulder. In some cases, you get access to their thoughts and internal turmoil like in first person. The greatest temptation in this somewhat “all-knowing” state is head hopping.
“You keep saying this phrase.” Sorry, it’s second nature to me. Best description would be Professor X of the X-men; with his telepathy, he can read the minds of multiple people. In the case of a novel, the reader “hops” from character to character, seeing their thoughts and motives during sequences. Significant head-hopping can become confusing because you lose track of whose mind you’re in and attribute thoughts to the wrong character.
It’s better to follow the rules of first person POV: access one character’s mind per chapter. If you want to mix and match within a chapter, create a definitive break and don’t sit there long. Your priority character must remain the priority to prevent confusion.
Final Thoughts: Know the End Goal
This is WAY longer than I intended, but I had a lot of thoughts to put down. I do want to take a moment for one last piece of advice: to choose the POV, know the desired result for your novel. No POV is wrong. They have pluses and minuses, depending especially on who you talk to. The key is knowing what you want a reader to experience.
Take my books vs. short stories as an example. In my novels, I want the reader to become fully immersed in the lives of my characters. Their thoughts, their experiences, their worries should flood over the reader to the point of tears when a particular character dies. In my short stories, I’m merely exploring. I don’t know which character I want to spend more time with and I want to freely explore the world as it develops in my thoughts.
Consider the reader experience you wish to create and how your voice can shine brightest in creating it. That will ultimately determine the route you take when it comes to point of view.