In the writing world, writers are often faced with the challenge of choosing between 4 different Point Of View. This can be challenging if you have no idea what they are, how and when to use them in your story as well as their typical rules.
POV is the abbreviated form of Point Of View.
Before we find out what each POV are, I’ll like to tell you what the general rule is, which is to only use one POV in your story.
First Person
First-person is when the story is being told through the main character’s eyes. Therefore, “I” is used in this POV.
Example: I entered the room, to find James on the floor, covered in blood.
First-person is a very limited POV because you can only write the story through one character’s eyes. This includes their beliefs, opinion and judgement.
Second Person
Second-person is not commonly used in fiction as it is written through the reader’s eyes. The writer writes in a way, that it is telling the readers what they are seeing.
Example: You slowly open the door to find. your best friend James on the floor, covered in blood.
In this POV “you” is used. Second-person is commonly used in non-fiction.
Third Person (Limited)
The story is about the main character but is written by someone outside the story who has access to the main character’s thoughts. This POV is written using “he” or “she.”
Example: she entered the room, to find her best friend James on the floor, covered in blood.
This POV is commonly used in fiction because it is more flexible. Writers can insert their thoughts and own expressions in the story, without interfering with the character’s personality, as opposed to first-person.
Omniscient
This POV is the same as the third person, the only difference is that it is told through multiple characters. The narrator has access to all the characters’ private thoughts and can share her own thoughts as well.
I’ll advise using this POV sparingly, because you need to make sure that your readers know which character is expressing their thoughts, it needs to be obvious and flow with the context of the story. This can be a hard process for a beginner.
If you feel the need to try it in your first book, then go ahead! At the end of the day, you can’t master a skill, unless you learn it. 🙂
Thank you for reading and for joining me on this learning journey. If you have any questions, comment it below or you can subscribe to our newsletter, to get updated on similar posts.