Understanding the Different POVs
There are 5 different POVs.
Did you know that?
If you didn’t, that’s cool. I only learned about the 5th the other day, probably because it’s not very popular.
Anyway, let’s get into it.
In today’s edition of Pen & Plot: Diary of a Fiction Editor, you’ll learn…
🖐The 5 different POVs
📚Examples of books using each POV
⚡ What is POV?
For those new to writing, point of view (POV) means how the story is told or, in other words, who tells it.
POV isn’t the easiest piece of writing craft to understand all the nuances, so don’t beat yourself up if this feels tricky. It’ll take time to learn how to write in each, but one tip is to go with whichever feels most natural to you.
Note: The words perspective and point of view are almost always used interchangeably by most writers and editors. But there is technically a difference:
POV describes the narrator of the story
Perspective is used when talking about the narrator’s inner world and orientation to the outer world.
🖐The 5 Different Types of POV
First-Person POV
First-person POV is one of the more common POVs used. It’s one of the more natural-feeling POVs, so it can be a natural fit for a lot of new writers.
The pronouns are I, we, my, and our.
First-person POV stories often feel very intimate (e.g., The Hunger Games) because there’s less narrative distance between the character and the reader. The readers have direct access to a character’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions—their inner world or interiority.
Examples of first-person POV: The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins; “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green; “Skyward” by Brandon Sanderson
Second-Person POV
Second-person POV inserts the reader as a character in the story. Sometimes as the main character and sometimes as a secondary character.
The pronouns are you.
I ran into a ton of second-person POV stories during my early fanfiction days circa 2003. Quizilla, anyone?
This type of POV makes them active participants in the story, directly engaging the reader’s imagination and allowing them to reflect on their own experiences and decisions. In other words, second-person POV feels very participatory.
However, it can be difficult to write due to the challenge of staying consistent with the narrative voice throughout the entire novel.
If you want to take on the challenge, you’ll need to fully commit to it. Some readers may resist reading books with this POV because they simply don’t like the narrative distance or they don’t like being told how to feel.
Examples of second-person POV: “Bright Lights, Big City” by Jay McInerney; “The Night Circus” (some chapters) by Erin Morgenstern; “You” by Caroline Kepnes
Third-Person Limited
Third-person limited (also called Deep POV) is likely the most dominant POV in today’s fiction.
Pronouns used are he/his, she/her, they/their.
The narrator in third limited can only reveal the thoughts and feelings of one character at a time, hence the word limited. It often feels as intimate as first-person POV with third-person pronouns because readers are allowed deep into their thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Examples of third limited: A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin; “The Poppy War” by R.F. Kuang; “Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn
Third-Person Omniscient
There are two different versions of omniscient: objective omniscient and subjective omniscient. And both can be very tricky to perfect. Here’s the breakdown:
Objective omniscient is considered “true” omniscient. The narrator isn’t allowed in the characters’ heads, the narrator feels more like a reporter of the events happening on the page. Now, of course, the narrator can have its own personality and voice, but they’re not usually a part of the cast of characters.
Subjective omniscient means the narrator can see into each character’s head, but doesn’t occupy their mind and body like third-limited or first-person do. The subjective narrator knows all about the characters’ motivations and secrets, but they don’t get very close or take on the personality of the characters.
Both omniscient POVs are challenging to write—sometimes what ends up happening is a stew of subjective omniscient, objective omniscient, and third limited.
Examples of third-person omniscient: “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen; “Beartown” by Fredrik Backman; “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin
Third-Person Objective
This is the one that I haven’t heard of before, but essentially third-person objective POV is less intimate than third-person limited since the narrator takes the perspective of a stranger or reporter. So, readers will only get the characters’ actions and dialogue.
Example of third-person objective: “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy
✍🏼A Writing Exercise to Get You Started
If you’re keen on one type of POV, try writing one scene in a different POV. How does it feel? Unnatural or even more natural than the one you’re used to writing in.
Keep the pen moving,
Kourtney