One of the most important tasks for a writer is choosing the point of view. The writer must ask who the narrator of the story is. Is the narrator a part of this story? Can they influence the events or are they simply an outsider looking in? Is this story a sprawling epic or a journey of self-discovery? There are four points of view: first, second, third (limited), and third (omniscient).
The third person omniscient is the literal “god” point of view in which the narrator is the see-all, tell-all storyteller. Everything from thoughts to actions are revealed to the audience by the narrator. This point of view is for stories with an ensemble cast. Examples of third person omniscient include George Orwell’s Animal Farm, J. R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.
An advantage for using the third person omniscient is the use of “dramatic irony” where the audience knows something a character doesn’t. For example, in The Count of Monte Cristo, we, the audience, are clued into Edmond Dantes’ escape from the prison. We know that it is Dantes inside the body bag thrown out of the prison and not Abbé Faria.
Unfortunately, this point of view distances the reader the most from the narration.
The third person limited is perhaps the most effective point of view. It’s an over the shoulder, filtered view of the story. This perspective avoids the problem of giving the audience too much information—something an omniscient point of view may run into. This perspective is for stories with two to three (maybe more) main characters that serve as foils for one another. For stories that feel self-contained or want to teach a lesson.
George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is a good example of the third person limited, in which each chapter is divvied up into a singular viewpoint of a certain character. Each character has their own plot that feeds into the grand scheme of things in that epic fantasy realm.
I have found that the first person is very effective for frame narratives, narratives with simple, straightforward plots, and for introverted characters where it’s easy to get lost in a character’s head. It’s a perspective where I would allow the audience to see through the eyes of whatever character I’m trying to emulate through my writing.
My favorite example of the first person point of view is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A collection of perspectives, pieced together to form a singular truth about the titular monster. This story also serves as testament to the unreliable narrator.
The last point of view, seldom used in fiction, is the second person. You will find this used mostly in nonfiction, letters, songs, and poetry, but there are a few examples in fiction, such as Dr. Seuss’s Oh, The Places You’ll Go. “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”
Surprise! You’re a character now and it’s time to choose your point of view for the story you want to write. Will you address the audience directly? Or will you simply use he or she and keep yourself out of the story? In the words of Dr. Seuss, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”
Willam Clark Gayton
Photo Credit: William Clark Gayton, “Stairway to Orion” 2017