When you are just starting a new project, one of the first things you must decide is which point of view to use.
Last week we covered choosing the best point of view character for your story. This week, we're going to look at the various types of POV: first person, second person, third person, and omniscient.
First Person Point Of View:
First person is used when the main character is telling the story. This is the kind that uses the "I" narrator. As a reader, you can only experience the story through this person's eyes. So you won't know anything about the people or events that this character hasn't personally experienced.
First Person Peripheral: This is when the narrator is a supporting character in the story, not the main character. It still uses the "I" narrator but since the narrator is not the protagonist, there are events and scenes that will happen to the protagonist that the narrator will not have access to.
Second Person Point Of View:
Second person point of view is generally only used in instructional writing. It is told from the perspective of "you".
Third Person Point Of View:
Third person POV is used when your narrator is not a character in the story. Third person uses the "he/she/it" narrator and it is the most commonly used POV in writing.
There are 3 main types of Third Person POV:
- Third Person Limited: Limited means that the POV is limited to only one character. Which means that the narrator only knows what that character knows. With third person limited you can choose to view the action from right inside the character's head, or from further away, where the narrator has more access to information outside the protagonist's viewpoint.
- Third Person Multiple: This type is still in the "he/she/it" category, but now the narrator can follow multiple characters in the story. The challenge is making sure that the reader knows when you are switching from one character to another. Make the switch obvious with chapter or section breaks.
- Third Person Omniscient: This point of view still uses the "he/she/it" narration but now the narrator knows EVERYTHING. The narrator isn't limited by what one character knows, sort of like the narrator is God. The narrator can know things that others don't, can make comments about what's happening, and can see inside the minds of other characters.
Personally I am most comfortable using Third Person Omniscient POV. It's the only one that flows naturally for me.
What about you? Which POV do you prefer to use?
thanks for this article, just the answer I was looking for. I've sat down a few nights recently trying to start writing some fiction and keep getting jumbled up and stuck worrying about who's telling the story... an I them? Am I another character? blah blah blah. I think I'm going to try Third Person Limited, seems more intimate.
ReplyDeletethanks, I really needed help on 3rd person
DeleteYeah same about last night but now since my story revolves around one person's life I'm thinking first person pov
DeleteI actually have no problem with either. By any means, its easy to write within any these points of view. I basically use them all the time for stubs and such that I write down every now and then. You just have to feel the story and then let it pass over you...
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Deletehmu
DeleteI want an example of first person but can't seem to get one...any help :(
DeleteFirst Person: I felt a cold chill against my neck. The wind brought my mood down even further. I couldn't help but feel that I was lost. "Whatever will I do to make her love me?" I said under my breath, hoping she did not hear.
DeleteSecond Person: There are several things you must do when you are in love. First is to realize if it is true or not. Second to ask the question: "How do you make her love me?"
Third Person: Aleksei felt the wind chill against his neck. "Whatever will I do to make her love me?" He thought out loud.
Hope this helps!
He DIDNT think out loud - because he didn't say anything aloud.
DeleteBetter would be 'he ASKED himself.' Or ' He MUTTERED to himself. ' , don't you think?
Thank you guys that helps a lot
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ReplyDeleteO really that is interesting.Well at my school we talking and using the P.o.V(point of view)
DeleteVery good
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DeleteNice info about first and third person.
DeleteI personally use third person limited/multiple a lot because, like you said, they're the ones that 'flow naturally for me'. However, I also use third person omniscent and first person sometimes... and I actually don't know why. I don't decide which point of view to use because of rational reasoning, I just take the one that feels right.
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DeleteWhat about the perspective that uses "we," "us," and "our?" Is that a type of second-person writing?
ReplyDeletethat's 1'st person *plural*
DeleteI like first person best!
ReplyDeleteNever sure I'm doing it correctly, but I try to write as if I were a camera recording things and let the character's body language, actions and dialogue develop their character and tell the story. This is good for me, in that it helps me focus on "showing", not "telling."
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I limit my POV to the protagonist. So, in that sense, my POV is Third Person Limited. However, for the sake of narrative, to give historic background to the story and provide information that the protagonist may not know, I find it necessary to also use the omniscient viewpoint.
This is called an "Objective" point of view, which is not covered in this blog entry.
DeleteI find myself using second person for my stories. Weird, isn't it? Yet at the same time I find it pretty intimate for the reader, its as though they were almost the character themselves, or perhaps listening to their thoughts directly, which I think is more engaging.
ReplyDeleteI find myself using second person for my stories. Weird, isn't it? Yet at the same time I find it pretty intimate for the reader, its as though they were almost the character themselves, or perhaps listening to their thoughts directly, which I think is more engaging.
ReplyDeleteDoes point of view only apply to fiction?
ReplyDeleteThis was super helpful. Very clear and well written. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great article, it really helped me a lot.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!
I used to write in first person but have grown to really enjoy Third Person Limited. It allows a bit more freedom than first person.
ReplyDeleteCan the second person point of view be omniscient as well ?!
ReplyDeleteYes. In writing there are few limits if the mind can stretch beyond the walls of it's own ideas. Like how you think that I am crazy for saying this.
Delete^ - Example of Second Person Point of View Omniscient. Sort of like breaking the fourth wall, but "forcing/enacting" the ideas in someone else's mind to appear.
I always use the third person POV (Omniscient) because that way I can describe what all the characters see, feel, etc...
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ReplyDeleteI mostly use First, Second and Third Multiple Person Point Of View. It's what I feel comfortable with and what can be used in the story without giving too much away.
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ReplyDeleteThere is my personal statement. There is proper way to check grammar when a poet writing an poetry. It is amazing post! Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteI just tried writing with the second point of view it went pretty well. My main novel is first person and my shorts are in third person limited. I will try my hands at the remaining two because I really wanna learn to write well. I have leagues to go. It's fun to write and I want to challenge myself for this purpose... become a best seller. Just once. Not for money but to get 1 million people to read my story would make it awesome. So I could one day argue with them under a false name what the characters will do. I would love that! That's the dream
ReplyDeleteThis really helped me with my Language Arts assignment. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteum there is another 3rd person
ReplyDeleteThank you! I just wondered what type of POV I use, because I write fanfiction. I believe second person's point of view works the best for the type of books I write, since I put the reader in them, too. Of course, I use other types as well, but this is my main, haha!
ReplyDeleteIts very good, but not for my story thought
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ReplyDeletethanks
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, this page really helped me write my paper for my Literary class (duh). And since I don't want to copy your beautiful work ( really, and I bet lots would agree with me), would it be okay if you can tell me what date your page was last updated so I can reference it in my paper.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
M.C.M
( I just am going to use one of the definition, the Peripheral Narrator (first pov) and paraphrase it.
This is a really useful reference! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! this was very helpful for my exam! I would prefer to choose Third Person Omniscient! (:
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteHi!I Wanted To Know What Point Of View I Write In And It's First Person!This Was Really Helpful!If Anyone Wants To Find Me I'm RileyTheHuskyDogzer On Wattpad!Feel Free To Talk To Me And Read My Story's!Have A Good Day!
ReplyDeleteThis was very useful, it was just what I was looking for. I forgot my points of view when i was writing.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone ever alternated between first person point of view and third person point of view, or would that be against the rules of proper english gramar and such?
ReplyDelete"Proper" English rules are dependent on cultural, environmental, personal, and situational aspects. As a creative writer, you can write however you wish. However, in essays, poetry (except free verse), and other "formalized" writing styles, you are expected to follow the appropriate rules. For example, don't write a Spenserian sonnet and switch midway through to Shakespearean unless you declare it in the beginning, or put it in a creative writing format. Hope this helps!
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