Choosing Your Novel’s POV

The plot is set. The characters are developed. You’re almost ready to write. Now you need to choose the point of view (POV) of your novel. Choosing your novel’s POV is incredibly important. Your novel’s POV changes the story dramatically. If you write in first person, which character is the narrator? Is it the protagonist or who the story is actually about? (The Great Gatsby is about Jay Gatsby but narrated by Nick Carroway!)

When discussing POV in stories, I find the easiest way to think about it is where is the reader watching the story unfold. Are the readers in the mind of the character, like in 1st Person? Or are the readers watching the story unfold above the characters, dipping into the minds of the characters at will like an omniscient god in the 3rd Person POV? The perspective of the readers changes the story so finding the right POV is very important.

So, let’s get into it! There are four common types of POV.

The Different Types POV

First Person POV

First Person POV occurs when the narrator uses “I,” “me,” “mine,” pronouns. I lost my job; I walked to my apartment, etc. 1st Person POV is telling the story through the eyes and mind of one character; the reader knows only the thoughts of one character and has to infer or guess the thoughts of the other characters, just the same as the protagonist. First Person POV has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

First Person POV is the quickest and easiest way to create an instant connection between your character and the reader. The reader is literally following along with the thoughts and actions of the character. I felt my heart skip a beat. I wanted them to be mine. 

First Person POV also allows the author to explore an unreliable narrator—after all, the narrator can only share what they see, hear or believe. Finally, the First Person POV lets the author build characterization in the descriptions of the novel, allowing quirky language and a distinctive voice describe everything. In other POVs, this is mostly limited to dialogue (although not completely!). 

However, there are some disadvantages to using First Person POV.

Disadvantages

1st Person POV can be juvenile; however, I write “juvenile” with an almost literal definition—most Young Adult books are written in first person. (This could be a good thing if you are writing in this genre though!) If you aren’t writing a YA novel (or romance novel), using the first person POV can be jarring for the readers who might expect a 3rd Person POV for an adult mystery novel.

Writing in First Person POV can feel repetitive to the reader—especially if the character has too many (or too lengthy) contemplations on their thoughts and feelings. Unless a reader is seriously engaged with the inner workings of your character’s mind, the reader will get bored.

Finally, it is a very limited view of your story. This is something to think about when thinking of the overall movement of your story and how many characters you want your readers to pay attention to. Can you tell your story effectively from one point of view? If not, how many points of view do you need to effectively tell your story? Most Romance books have two (or three) POVs—from each side of the relationship—and that makes sense for the story about to be told. (And it is also limited.)

2nd Person POV

2nd Person POV is rare—this is when the author uses “you/yours” pronouns. For example, You lost your job; you walked to your apartment. 2nd Person POV is telling the story through the eyes and mind of the reader. This means the reader not only has to infer the thoughts of the other characters, but also that of the protagonist. 2nd Person POV is very difficult to use for a full length novel. And to be honest, I’ve never read a 2nd Person POV that I wanted to read for more than a short story.

Advantages

2nd Person POV is unique and immersive though. It does have the advantage of immediately putting the reader into the story. YOU are now doing all the actions within the story.

Disadvantages

Not only is the 2nd Person POV hard to write, but it is also hard for a reader to believe they are in the story. If the reader doesn’t like or identify with the character, the reader is no longer invested in reading what “YOU” are doing.

Example of 2nd Person POV: Bright Lights Big City by Jay Macinerny

3rd Person POV

3rd Person POV is a relatively common POV for a novel. 3rd Person occurs when the author refers to all characters with “he/she/they/etc” pronouns. For example, She lost her job; she walked to her apartment. It comes in two distinct forms: limited and omniscient.

3rd Person Limited

3rd Person Limited or Close 3rd Person is when the author focuses on one character. The point of view of the novel is still “above” the character but the narrator doesn’t know the inner workings of anyone’s mind except one character. (Occasionally, an author will chose two to three characters to focus on but any more and it more closely resembles 3rd Person Omniscient.)

Advantages

3rd Person Limited is instantly recognizable to most readers as it is one of the most common POVs used in Literature. (Harry  Potter and Pride and Prejudice, just to give two quick examples!) Because it is so widely used, 3rd Person Limited has the same advantage of being as intimate as 1st Person POV. Moreover, the author also has the benefit of bringing in an outside perspective for descriptions and adding some narrator narration (rather than character narration in 1st Person POV).

Disadvantages

3rd Person Limited is, however, limited. The narrator cannot go into everyone’s mind so the reader still does not know everyone’s thoughts. It is still not as intimate as 1st Person POV. Additionally, if the POV focuses on 2 to 3 characters, it can be confusing for the readers if there is not a clear separation from one character to the next.

3rd Person Omniscient

3rd Person Omniscient or Far 3rd Person is when the author (and reader) have insights into all the characters. The point of view of the novel is far “above” all the characters and the narrator can “dip” into the mind of any character.

Advantages

In 3rd Person Omniscient, the narrator is voice of god—they know everyone’s thoughts and emotions and can show the reader the inner working’s of a character at any time. This allows for three important aspects of 3rd Person Omniscient. First, the author can contrast and highlight the difference in characters through their thoughts. For example, Character A runs towards the fire with thoughts of the strangers stuck inside and Character B runs away with thoughts only on their own safety. Second, the narrator can describe anything and everything with authority—there is no unreliable narration going on at all and so the reader knows the “truth” and can watch the characters figure it all out. Finally, thirdly, this POV is especially useful when there are many characters in the story by allowing the narrator to carry the reader through without the reader doing too much work remembering everyone.

Disadvantages

3rd Person Omniscient is not intimate. There is not direct connection between the reader and the character except when they are in that character’s mind—which it won’t stay in for long, due to the nature of this POV. Additionally, the input of the narrator can feel like the author putting their thoughts into the story—which can feel equally as intrusive for the reader. Finally, it can be confusing for the reader, switching from character to character without a concrete connection to the story.

Choosing Your Novel’s POV

Every POV has an advantage and disadvantage. When choosing your novel’s POV, consider the answer to these questions.

1. What is the standard for your genre?
   1. 1st POV: YA, Romance
   2. 2nd POV: none
   3. 3rd POV: Epic Fantasy, mystery, thriller, some YA
2. What are you comfortable with?
   1. If you love 1st Person POV, then do it. But if you’re writing a YA novel and hate 1st Person POV, don’t do it.
3. How many characters are needed to tell the story?
   1. The more characters the more likely 3rd Person Omniscient will work for you.
4. How close do you want readers to your characters?
   1. If you want the readers to emphasize the most with one character, 1st Person POV will work great for you! But if you want the readers to connect with a few characters, try 3rd Person Omniscient.

A Thought On Tense

Present Tense vs Past Tense

Present tense is immediate and immersive. Present tense is typically used (and expected) in romance and YA fiction with 1st Person POV. Past tense is the most used among writers. Readers are so used to it that any fears of distance between the reader and narration is unlikely. However it can be tricky with referencing the “past” of the novel’s past by using past perfect. This article goes into the different past tenses to use when using the past tense. WARNING: It’s a dense read.

Use whatever feels most comfortable for you. Also, accept that you will mess up on tense. It happens to us all. This is what editing is for though—so don’t worry too much about it!