Besides sparing you a full rewrite, point of view (POV) shapes your reader’s experience with your story.

Be that a story in which your reader knows your character intimately (first person). Or one where they get to hover over their shoulder (third person).

What I did research on:

• What is point of view in writing?

• Can you use different POVs in a book?

• Can you switch POV between books in a series?

• Can you change tense when you change character POV?

• What happens if the POV character dies?

• 4 different types of POV in writing (and bonuses)

• What POV should you write in?

Author’s note:

For a long while, I was trying to figure out what POV to write my novel in. I found the same surface level answer on most internet articles and some surprisingly good answers from Reddit (have to be careful with those).

In this article, I summarize everything I learned, including the questions to the answers nobody seems to answer clearly.

What is point of view in writing?

Point of view in writing is the perspective from which you want to tell your story and also the perspective your reader will experience.

Choosing a POV helps you determine:

• Who is telling the story?

• How much does the narrator know?

• How close, or distant, the reader feels to your character?

• And, of course, your pronouns

When it comes to distance, the same story told from different POVs can be completely different.

For example, think of a good thriller or mystery. They’re often told in first person to create intrigue as we follow along our main character and only know what they know or suspect.

But now, imagine if the story was told from the third person omniscient. Maybe we know who the culprit is from the beginning, but that creates another kind of tension as the story is told.

Different POVs can create different effects. However, it’s not like you have to lock in into a specific POV to get one single effect.

While the first person is known for giving you that intimacy between narrator and reader (because you’re hearing the character’s thoughts), you can create something similar with third person omniscient by describing what the character is feeling, even if they don’t do it themselves. It all depends on what your story needs.

Important note💡

“Person” (first, second, third, etc.) is quite simply the pronoun you’re using to tell your story.

“POV” is the broader narrative perspective. Who is telling the story and how much they know.

They’re two different dimensions that, in writing, are tied together.

So: Person + narrative perspective = POV

For the purpose of this article, and as most writing resources on the internet do, I’ll use “POV” and “person” interchangeably too.

Now, here are a few questions you may be trying to answer.

Can you use different POVs in a book?

No, you shouldn’t change your POV (first, second, or third) on the same book. However, you’re allowed to shift perspectives and follow different characters under the same person choice. This is what’s called multiple POVs.

Changing your POV mid-book can affect your reader’s experience negatively. They may be used to the pronouns, distance, and perspective you set from the beginning and suddenly they have to recalibrate.

Can you switch POV between books in a series?

Yes, a good rule of thumb to follow is one POV per book. A new book means your reader has time to relax and calibrate between volumes. So, changing POVs between books is acceptable.

However, there’s an important caveat.

Readers who loved your first book may find a change of POV for the second odd. Especially if it’s the same story and characters.

A best practice is to keep the same POV as you follow the same story. For example, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy is told entirely from first person through Katniss.

In the prequel of the same series The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the POV changes to third person limited. And we follow president Snow as a young man.

The change of POV here works because these are different stories. Even if they’re part of the same series.

Can you change tense when you change character POV?

Yes, but it’s preferable (and simpler) if you don’t.

Using different tenses in a multiple character POVs book can be an interesting storytelling device. If done with intention.

For example:

• One character can have chapters in past tense. They’re remembering past events.

• Another character can have chapters in present tense. Things are happening to them right now

Now, imagine they’re in the same story. When their events overlap, it can be very satisfying for the reader when all the pieces fall in place.

On the other hand, tense inconsistency is one of the most common mistakes for writers.

What happens if the POV character dies? Can you keep writing from their perspective?

Technically yes, but you need a narrative reason for that.

Think: Why are they still talking?

There are two ways you can handle it:

1. Give the character a reason to narrate. Your character may have become a soul, ghost, angel, or any kind of supernatural being that is present after death.

2. The character narrates in retrospect. Your reader knows the character dies from the beginning. But they’re telling the story as if looking back.

If your character dies and there’s no supernatural framing or retrospective setup and they keep talking or telling the story, it becomes confusing. You break the logic of the narrative.

Can you as an author write in different POVs across different books or will readers find it jarring?

Yes, you can write in different POVs across different books. You don’t have to lock yourself into one style. Your readers will follow you anywhere for your specific narrative voice and the stories you write.

As long as your writing and stories are consistently good, readers won’t remember what POV was your last book in.

4 different types of POV in writing and bonuses

Now that some of the most common questions were answered, clearly, this is the part in which we go deeper into each POV.

I’ll go over each POV with book examples, main characteristics, and the genres that most use each POV.

First person POV in writing

In the first person POV, the narrator is one of your characters. Usually, the protagonist. They narrate the story with the “I” pronoun as events happen to them.

With this POV, you get to experience the story through the narrator’s eyes, thoughts, and feelings. While this gives your reader immediate intimacy with the character, by being the closest POV, it also limits how much they know to that of what the character knows.

So, if you need your reader to know something, the narrator either has to be in the scene or get the information from another character (or by other means).

First person POV in practice:

I didn’t want to make it a scene. But breaking into my apartment just to steal the last piece of cake deserved a scene.

Some examples of books in first person include:

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Even though the first person means that you have everything filtered through one character, which can feel like a limitation sometimes, it’s also the home of the “unreliable narrator”.

The unreliable narrator is when your narrator’s perception is deliberately deceptive. They can be wrong or biased. But they’re the ones telling the story, which leaves the reader with the challenge of finding out the truth from events or forming their own opinions.

Genres that typically use first person POV:

• Mysteries and thrillers: The information limited through your narrator’s assumptions and thoughts creates suspense which makes the reader more involved as they try to figure out stuff.

• Young adult: The intimacy of perceiving your character’s thoughts and feelings makes the reader bond faster with them, creating a character they can root for.

• Romance: The intimacy here helps readers get more involved and emotionally close to the narrator and their feelings.

• Horror: A combination of limited information and intimacy makes the reader experience fear as they don’t know what will happen but are experiencing it along with your character.

• Memoirs: The most reasonable choice when the story is about you.

Second person POV in writing

In the second person POV, the narrator addresses the reader directly using “you”. The reader becomes a character in the story that experiences events as they happen or think of themselves as information is shared.

With second person POV, your reader gets a more immersive experience. Instead of following the main character around, they’re the main character.

In this POV, you also get limited knowledge as you only know what you experience.

Second person POV in practice:

One thing about making a scene is that you need a good reason for it. And finding out that someone broke into your apartment to eat the last piece of your cake is reason enough.

Some examples of books in second person include:

• If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino

• Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney

• Most non-fiction books

• Videogames are a good example too

Another thing to highlight about second person POV is that, because the narrator is constantly addressing “you”, readers often become more engaged. That’s why, most articles on the internet like “how to guides” or informational blogs address you. Because you’re having “this issue”, so here’s “how you solve it”.

Genres that typically use second person POV:

• Non-fiction (like self-help, instruction, or educational books): Addressing your reader as “you” feels personal and direct when teaching them something or communicating information (better than a never-ending textbook talk).

• Fiction and literary fiction: Immersing your reader in the story, as a character, can be interesting to them as it creates complicity.

• Horror: Immersion works well here too because your reader is being told they’re experiencing something frightening.

Third person limited (close third) POV in writing

In third person limited, the narrator tells the story using “he,” “she,” “they” pronouns, but is “limited” by the perspective of the character they’re following along. The narrator only knows what the main character knows (e.g., feelings, thoughts, assumptions) and by extension so does the reader.

With third person limited you get a combination of first person intimacy (since you get the character’s perception) while still creating distance.

The distance that third person provides means that the narrator can occasionally make objective comments about the POV character. For example, it’s easier to describe what the character looks like instead of making them look at a mirror.

Third person limited POV in practice:

He opened the fridge and there it was. Or well, it wasn’t. The last piece of cake he had left was nowhere to be found. Frustration couldn’t start to describe what he felt.

Some examples of books in third person limited include:

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

• Dune by Frank Herbert

• Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Third person limited is one of the most popular POVs in fiction because it gives you as a writer flexibility when it comes to descriptions or perceptions. However, it still has the same limitation as first person. The reader only knows what your character knows.

Genres that typically use third person limited POV:

• Fantasy and science fiction: The objective comments while still being anchored to your character gives you the opportunity of doing worldbuilding (which could feel weird in first person).

• Romance: The limited perspective means you can follow both romantic leads and understand their thoughts and feelings.

• Young adult: The intimacy from first person and distance from third person keeps your readers bonded to the character while allowing flexibility.

• Mysteries and thrillers: The limited knowledge creates suspense while the third person distance gives the narrative room to breathe.

Third person omniscient POV in writing

In third person omniscient, the narrator (similar to third person limited) tells the story using “he,” “she,” “they” pronouns. However, the narrator knows everything. Every thought, feeling, or motivation from any character. They even know what will happen in the future and can hint at it.

With the third person omniscient, you get the most flexibility as you can tap into any character’s mind. Even if they’re in the same scene. Sometimes, if you have a strong voice, it may even feel as if the narrator has become a character too.

Head hopping vs. third person omniscient

Now, tapping into a different character’s mind in the same scene, can risk you doing head hopping. To avoid this use the flexibility of third person omniscient to zoom in and out of a scene to your advantage.

If you’re going to tap into many character’s minds, zoom out so there’s more distance between narrator and characters, leaving everyone to be their own person, so it doesn’t feel like the narrator is hovering over one character’s shoulder only.

Third person omniscient in practice:

He opened the fridge and there it was. Or well, it wasn’t. The last piece of cake he had left was nowhere to be found. Frustration couldn’t start to describe what he felt. He swore he would find who did it. And he would… in about ten minutes.

Some examples of books in third person omniscient include:

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Another thing to keep in mind is that third person omniscient can come as the furthest POV from the reader. If you use this POV you may lose intimacy with the main character.

Genres that typically use third person omniscient POV:

• Fantasy: The flexibility of tapping into different character’s minds is a great advantage when you have an extensive cast.

• Multi generational sagas: Again the flexibility to be able to move across a large cast of characters and multiple plotlines while zooming in into intimate moments.

First person plural (bonus)

In first person plural, the narrator is a collective voice using the pronoun “we” to tell the story. Instead of one character telling the story, a community, a group, or a collective consciousness narrates together.

With first person plural, you get a sense of shared identity or fate. However, you lose intimacy as it’s easier for readers to bond with “she” or “he” rather than with “we”.

Some examples of books in first person plural include:

• The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

• Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

Sustaining a “we” voice over a whole novel can be difficult, so first person plural is often better used in shorter narratives. However, it can be a strong choice if you’re writing a novel about a group identity.

Genres that typically use first person plural POV:

• Horror and psychological fiction: The collective “we” can be unsettling in a horror or psychological setting as it can imply erased individuality.

• Stories about communities or groups: The logical choice when the community or group identity is the most important part of the story rather than an individual.

Fourth person POV in writing (bonus)

In fourth person, the narrator uses “one” as a universal pronoun to refer to everyone and no one in particular. It’s a voice that speaks about human experience in an impersonal way.

Unlike other writing POVs, the fourth person isn’t really a narrative fiction tool. There’s no character to follow along or to bond with. You could even say that it’s the furthest POV from the reader.

Some examples of places where fourth person POV appears the most:

• Essays

• Academic and philosophical writing

The fourth person POV is mostly a grammatical curiosity that appears in sentences. For example “One would say…”, “one must consider…” or a popular movie line “one does not simply walk into Mordor.”

So… what POV should you write in?

You should write in the POV that you feel most comfortable with and best serves your story.

When you write in a POV that feels natural to you, it’s easier to get those words out!

Your voice will resound more and you’ll grow into your style.

Now…

The second part about using the POV that best serves your story has to do with two things:

1. How much does the reader need to know?

2. How close do you want your reader to be to the narrator?

For example, if the suspense comes from having limited information you could use first person. If you want intimacy and character bonding while getting more information (but not everything), third person limited may work better.

You can also check the POVs that are most used in your genre and choose from there.

While different POVs have their own strengths, limitations, and genre associations, it still is your choice. You may follow the rules and create something staggering. Or you may want to break the rules and create something equally extraordinary.

So, what POV did I choose?

Third person limited.

And scene

If you made it this far, you’re probably one of those readers that 100% their book. So, thank you for bearing with me until the end :)

If you found this article helpful (either as a writer or a lurker), consider following along as I figure out how to actually write that book.

And if there’s a writing topic you’d like me to write about, drop it in the comments.

What POV did you choose for your book?

Take care and keep writing.