by M. Morrison

Created on: July 10, 2010

When beginning any piece of narrative writing, it is essential that you first determine which point of view you will use. While it is often not given the credit it deserves, the point of view used is responsible for the way the entire story is told. There is no right or wrong answer when deciding which point of view to use; your choice relies solely on what effect you are aiming for in your writing.  

If you are hoping to bring your reader in close and personal to one particular character, the first person point of view may be just what you're looking for. This point of view lets you get inside the mind of the character; to see what they see and feel what they feel. Writing in first person is essentially as if you were telling a story about yourself - you will use phrases such as "I thought," or "I saw," rather than "she thought," or "he saw". However, although it may be effective in bringing the reader in close and personal with your character, it is also the most limiting point of view and quite challenging for some. When writing in first person, you will be limited to sharing only information that the character knows - that means no tipping off the reader as to what the villain is up to this time without the character knowing as well.

The most rarely used and perhaps most frowned-upon point of view is the second person point of view. In this point of view, you are turning your reader into a character and telling the story through his or her eyes. To many, this seems a sloppy and unprofessional way to write, as it is commonly seen in poorly-written fanfiction stories on the internet full of phrases such as, "you couldn't help but notice him staring at you from across the room." Because so many young writers have butchered this point of view in order to create countless Mary Sue characters and fulfill their desire to themselves be loved by a fictional character or celebrity, it has become more or less a trademark of what can hardly be called writing at all. Although second person is not impossible to write well, it is often discouraged except in the case of choose-your-own-adventure books.

Finally, third person point of view comes in two forms: third person limited and third person omniscient. Third person limited is something of a cross between the first and third person point of views; it follows one character as in the first person point of view, but is told using phrases such as "he said" and "she felt". What seems to be the most popular point of view, however, is the third person omniscient. Through this point of view you can take the reader all over your fictional world, letting them in on the villain's secrets while still keeping the character in the dark; or, conversely, by keeping your protagonist's secret from the reader as a surprise twist ending, both situations which would be difficult or impossible to accomplish in the first person point of view.

Before you begin writing, think about how connected you would like your reader to be with your character, and consider also how much room you need to work with multiple characters. Can you effectively tell your story through one character's eyes, or do you need a wider scope? Finally, consider what type of writing you are most comfortable with. You may end up frustrated if you are used to writing in the third person omniscient and suddenly find yourself restricted to the narrow first person point of view. And if you're looking at your first few paragraphs and shaking your head, don't be afraid to go back and try it again in another point of view. It can take some experimentation to discover which point of view - first, second, third limited or third omniscient - will work best for both you and your story. 

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