Point of view is the position from which a story is told. It determines who is speaking, what the reader can know, how close the reader feels to the characters, and how information is revealed.

The three main points of view are first person, second person and third person.

1. First Person Point of View

First person uses words such as:

I, me, my, mine, we, us, our

The narrator is inside the story and tells the reader what they personally see, think, feel and experience.

Example

I opened the door slowly. My hands were trembling. I had waited ten years for this moment, but now that it had arrived, I wanted to run away.

The reader experiences the event through the narrator.

Another example

I could hear Mama calling from the kitchen, but I pretended not to hear her. I knew exactly why she wanted me.

First person is useful when:

• you want a personal and intimate story;
• the main character has a strong voice;
• you want readers to experience events directly through one person;
• the narrator’s thoughts and emotions are important.

First person has limits

The narrator can only know what they reasonably know.

Incorrect:

I walked into the room. Across town, James was secretly packing his suitcase and wondering whether I would forgive him.

If the narrator is not with James, how does she know what he is thinking?

Better:

I walked into the room. I did not know it then, but James was already preparing to leave.

Or reveal the information later:

Three days later, James told me that while I was waiting for him, he had been packing his suitcase.

2. Second Person Point of View

Second person uses:

you, your, yours

The narrator speaks directly to the reader as though the reader is participating in the experience.

Example

You step into the dark room and immediately notice the silence. You reach for the light switch, but nothing happens.

Another example

You know you should walk away, but something keeps you standing at the gate.

Second person is less common in novels but can be very effective in:

• reflective writing;
• interactive stories;
• instructional writing;
• devotionals;
• short creative passages;
• sections designed to place the reader inside an experience.

Example in reflective Christian writing

You may have prayed for years and wondered whether God had heard you. Then one ordinary morning, the answer arrives in a way you never expected.

Be careful with second person

Do not tell readers what they definitely think or feel unless the context supports it.

Too forceful:

You hate your father because he abandoned you.

Better:

You may still carry pain from the day your father left.

The second version leaves room for different reader experiences.

3. Third Person Point of View

Third person uses:

he, she, him, her, they, them, his, hers, their

The narrator stands outside the story and tells us about the characters.

Example

Miriam opened the door slowly. Her hands were trembling. She had waited ten years for this moment.

Third person can be written in several ways.

4. Third Person Limited

In third person limited, the narrator follows one character closely.

The reader knows that character’s thoughts and feelings but does not automatically know everyone else’s.

Example

Miriam watched Daniel enter the room. He smiled, but she could not tell whether he was happy to see her. Her stomach tightened.

We know Miriam’s thoughts.

We do not know Daniel’s.

Wrong:

Miriam watched Daniel enter the room. Her stomach tightened. Daniel secretly wished he had never come.

The narration has suddenly jumped into Daniel’s mind.

Better:

Miriam watched Daniel enter the room. Her stomach tightened. He avoided her eyes, and she wondered whether he regretted coming.

Now everything remains within Miriam’s experience.

5. Third Person Omniscient

Omniscient means all-knowing.

The narrator can know what several characters think, feel and experience.

Example

Miriam wanted Daniel to stay, although she was too proud to tell him. Daniel, meanwhile, was convinced that Miriam wanted him gone. Neither realised how badly they had misunderstood the other.

The narrator knows both characters’ thoughts.

This can work well, but beginner writers should use it carefully.

Without control, it can become confusing.