POV stands for point of view and it refers to the narrator you want to tell your story. Some authors favor a certain POV and use it throughout all their books, while others switch POVs depending on the type of story they’re telling.
There are 3 main types of POVs, although a new, 4th one is starting to make appearances in some literary fiction, however because it is not used in the majority of books, I will only write about 1st, 2nd, and 3rd POVs.
Another element to consider when choosing your narrator and gearing up to tell your story is tense: past or present. The combination of POV and tense will determine who your narrator is and how that influences your presentation of your story.
TYPES OF POVS
First Person: In 1st person, we see everything through the eyes of the narrator, so we can only experience events as they do. You won’t find extra information like, “he didn’t see the man sneak up behind him”, for example, because he didn’t see it. So the reader doesn’t get to know any more than the narrating character. But, that being said, many readers prefer 1st person narrators because it makes them feel closer to them than the other POVs. For writers, the fun part of choosing a 1st person narrator means they can be unreliable, therefore keeping the readers in the dark about something that is revealed later, often creating a unique twist.
An example of a 1st person narrator could be, “I slammed the door and stormed out before she could say anything else.”
Books written in 1st person POV include Never Lie and The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
Second Person: This POV isn’t very common in novels but can be effective in short stories, nonfiction, like self-help books, and even some blog posts. 2nd person narrative uses “you” and “your”. This POV plops the reader right into the action as if they are inside the story while also keeping the narrator character. But like 1st person, the reader doesn’t see anything other than what the narrator sees. For me, this is not a POV I’ve used, nor is it one I would be comfortable writing.
An example of a 2nd person narrator could be, “You slammed the door and stormed out before she could say anything else.”
Books written in 2nd person POV include Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney, You by Caroline Kepnes, and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
Third Person: This POV has 2 versions – 3rd person omniscient and 3rd person limited. 3rd person omniscient is often referred to as a “see all” narrator who knows everything, even if the characters do not. This type of narrator can know the thoughts of all the characters but can also comment on the big picture. This can be great for the reader because the narrator can reveal things the character doesn’t see, often creating great suspense. To use my 1st person example, this time the POV would read, “James leaned against the wall to catch his breath. He didn’t see the man with the gun sneak up behind him.”
An example of a 3rd person omniscient narrator could be, “The door slammed, and he stormed out, grinding his teeth in frustration. She watched the door close, her cheeks blazing in anger at the way he always avoided tough conversations.”
Books written in 3rd person omniscient POV include Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, and Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty.
The other version of this POV is 3rd person limited, which is exactly as it sounds. This time, the narrator is limited to a particular character, and the reader experiences everything through their eyes. Although a book may have multiple POV characters, when writing in limited, the author cannot head hop from one character to the next in the same scene. Head hopping annoys readers when it isn’t clear whose head they are in.
An example of a 3rd person limited narrator could be, “He bolted to the door, ripped it open, and stormed out, completely uninterested in what she was going to say next. For him, the argument was over.”
TYPES OF TENSES
The next decision is whether to use present or past tense. For me, present tense is more immediate and more urgent, which works well when writing thrillers and horror. If done well, present tense can help strengthen a narrator’s voice and draw the reader right into the action.
Books written in present tense include Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Room by Emma Donoghue, and Divergent by Veronica Roth.
Past tense can feel more simple and straightforward and is often easier to write. Readers still experience the story like it’s happening now, but in fact, it’s a re-telling of what has already taken place. Contemporary fiction tends to favor past tense narratives. Past tense can also be effective when conveying memories.
Books written in past tense include We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, and Dune by Frank Herbert.
Are you struggling with which POV and tense to use in your book? Try writing a paragraph or two in a couple of different choices and see which lets you tell your story the way that works best.