The choice of point of view when writing fiction has an important effect on how a story is told.
One of the most important stylistic choices you make when writing a novel or a short story is how you deal with point of view. The narration of a novel is always told in a specific point of view: first person, second person, or third person. The same story told from a different point of view is a different story because the reader experiences it differently.
Here’s an overview of points of view, and how to choose which one to use for a novel or short story.
First person point of view can be a powerful tool for connecting readers to a story and its characters. By using “I” and “me” pronouns, the writer creates an intimate, conversational tone that pulls the reader into the story. In this article, we’ll look at what first person point of view is, its key characteristics, and how writers effectively use it to craft compelling stories.
What is First Person Point of View?
First person point of view is when the narrator tells the story using first person pronouns like “I” and “me” The narrator is a character in the story who interacts with other characters and experiences the events firsthand,
Some key characteristics of first person point of view:
- The narrator uses “I”, “me”, “my”, “we”, and other first person pronouns
- The reader experiences the story through the narrator’s perspective
- Provides insight into the narrator’s thoughts, feelings, motivations
- Creates intimacy between the reader and the narrator
First person point of view differs from third person point of view, where pronouns like “he”, “she”, and “they” are used and the narrator is not part of the story It also differs from second person point of view, where “you” pronouns place the reader in the story
Why Use First Person Point of View?
There are several advantages to using first person point of view:
Creates a Close Connection to the Narrator
By experiencing the story directly through the narrator’s eyes, the reader forms a closer bond with that character We get glimpses into their inner world – thoughts, emotions, motivations – that other characters don’t have access to. This intimacy pulls the reader deeper into the story.
Provides a Unique Perspective
Seeing the story unfold from one character’s point of view provides insights that a third person narrator couldn’t deliver. We experience events exactly as the narrator does, creating dramatic irony when their understanding differs from reality. This singular perspective can reveal profound truths.
Allows for an Engaging Voice
A first person narrator has the opportunity to share their unique voice and personality with readers. An intriguing, funny, thoughtful, or unconventional narrative voice creates a connection with readers that brings the story to life.
Builds Unreliability and Suspense
An unreliable narrator who misrepresents events or has limited knowledge can create misgivings and suspense. As readers start questioning the narration, the story becomes more intriguing. When done well, an unreliable narrator captivates readers.
Feels Realistic and Relatable
People naturally think and speak from a first person perspective in real life. First person narration can seem more relatable, realistic and human since that’s how we experience the world. Readers may find it easier to immerse themselves in the story.
Examples of Effective First Person Narrators
Many classic and popular novels are written in the first person. Let’s look at a few examples of how skillful writers use first person narrators:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The novel is told by Holden Caulfield, a rebellious teenager with a unique view of the world. His conversational, ironic voice establishes his personality. We gain intimate insights into his thoughts and feelings that no other character has access to.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Offred, a handmaid forced into reproductive slavery, narrates her experience in a dystopian, totalitarian regime. Her narration reveals truths about oppression and human resilience. The first person point of view is crucial for depicting Offred’s inner world under these dehumanizing conditions.
The Martian by Andy Weir
Stranded astronaut Mark Watney narrates his struggle for survival alone on Mars with humor and pathos. The use of video log entries as part of the first person narration makes his plight feel raw, personal, and realistic. We connect deeply to Watney through the intimate voice.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Death itself narrates the tale of Liesel, a young German girl during WWII who steals books and learns to read. Death’s poetic musings and insights into humanity add thought-provoking perspective.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
The narrator Dr. James Sheppard plays an instrumental part in this mystery and has tight control over what information is revealed. Unreliable at times, his narration ratchets up the suspense.
In all of these examples, the first person narrators powerfully drive their stories through intimate voices, unique perspectives, or strategic unreliability.
Tips for Writing Effective First Person Narration
If you want to make the most of a first person point of view, keep these tips in mind:
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Establish the narrator’s voice – Their personality should come through. Is their voice introspective, humorous, poetic, intellectual?
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Pick perspective carefully – Will the story work best through this particular character’s eyes? Or would another POV be better?
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Reveal insights into the narrator – Share their hidden thoughts, feelings, motivations that other characters can’t access.
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Build intimacy with the reader – Use conversational style, humor, confessions – whatever creates a bond.
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Consider unreliable narration – Are there gaps/deceptions in the narrator’s knowledge that add intrigue? Is the narrator misinterpreting events?
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Use a unique voice – First person is a chance to showcase a distinct, compelling voice that captures the reader.
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Remember the narrator’s limits – Do not break the realism by having them know/see more than they could in their circumstances.
First person point of view, when done skillfully, brings stories to vivid life. The reader sees the events unfold through the narrator’s eyes and connects deeply with their distinctive voice. As you write your own stories, consider when a first person point of view might help you craft an intimate, memorable narrative that sticks with readers long after the book is finished.
Which point of view to choose
The majority of fiction is written in third-person point of view, but first-person can be quite powerful. If you want to write a novel where the narrator has a distinctive voice, first-person is an excellent choice. Some genres are more adapted to first-person point of view: mysteries, thrillers, romance, young adult fiction, and others benefit from its immediacy.
It can be an interesting exercise to write several scenes or chapters from one point of view, and then rewrite them from a different point of view. If youre unsure which point of view to use for a novel, you might want to try this and see, which feels more comfortable.
The three points of view
The three points of view in fiction correspond to the way we perceive the world. The story can be told through the eyes of I or we (the person telling the story, first person), you (second person), or them (third person). There can be variants for some of these points of view, but these are the three options available when writing fiction.
First-person point of view is quite common. It brings a sense of intimacy and immediacy to a story. When the narrator tells a story using I, me, and we, it feels as though they are recounting the story directly to you, more so than second or third person. This point of view lets the reader experience the narrators thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and is very useful in stories where character growth is a main focus. But there is a limit to first-person point of view: the reader only knows what the narrator knows, and only experiences what they experience. They are shut out from other characters.
However, first-person point of view is very effective in certain genres. Mysteries, particularly hard-boiled mysteries, often use a first-person point of view to heighten suspense and to bring out the unique natures of the investigators who are conducting quests in this sort of novel. Linear stories like this tend to work well with this point of view. The narrator of a novel in first person may be the protagonist, but they dont have to be. For example, all the Sherlock Holmes stories and novels are told by his sidekick Dr. Watson.
This point of view also allows the author to create an unreliable narrator. One example of this is the novel, Gone Girl, which features an interesting twist on the idea of first-person narrative. Other well-known novels told in first-person include The Catcher in the Rye, Marcel Prousts 3,000-page In Search of Lost Time, and an interesting use of the first person is Stephen Kings From a Buick 8, which is told in first person by multiple characters.
The second-person point of view is relatively rare, and for good reason. Reading a book with the narrator saying “you,” can become tedious after a while. This approach is fairly common with gaming narratives or choose-your-own-adventure stories, but it is rare in standard fiction. There are exceptions, of course, one notably being Bright Lights, Big City, by Jay McInerney, which opens with the lines:
“You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy.”
Its no mean feat to pull off, writing an entire novel in the second person, but it can be an interesting experiment to try.
Third person is, by far, the most common point of view in fiction. It has the advantage of allowing writers to shape a story around one or more protagonists, but still remain distant enough to note what happens around the characters. Close or limited third-person point of view is when an author tells a story from the point of view of a single character, yet can also introduce things around them, such as the things they see, hear, and smell, giving more flexibility through description than would be the case in a first-person narrative.
But third-person narrative is not limited to a single character. It is possible to change point-of-view characters in different chapters, even in different scenes, where each one is told in a limited third-person point of view. One example of this is the Game of Thrones cycle, where there are a dozen or more point-of-view characters in each novel. In stories with large scope, multiple point-of-view characters allow the story to be told across different times and different locations, though if there are too many point-of-view characters, it can be hard for the reader to follow.
When writing a novel with multiple point-of-view characters in Scrivener, you can use labels for each chapter or scene according to the point-of-view characters. Setting the Binder to show label colors allows you to easily spot which elements are told from which point of view, and this is also reflected in the Corkboard and Outliner.
Omniscient third-person point of view takes the narrator to a birds-eye view where they know all of the characters and their thoughts, feelings, and actions. This was very common before the 20th century, but the narrator can seem detached. While they can swoop into the mind of any character, at any time, they tend not to focus on a single character enough for that character to necessarily feel alive. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Leo Tolstoy used third-person omniscient narration, as did James Joyce in much of Ulysses.
First person vs. Second person vs. Third person – Rebekah Bergman
What is first person point of view in writing?
Point of view is the “eye” through which you’re telling a story. First person point of view gives readers an intimate view of the characters and a front row seat to the action. It is a popular writing approach in nonfiction, particularly autobiographies and memoirs.
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What is first-person perspective?
First-person perspective is when the protagonist tells a story from their own point of view using the pronoun “I.” This storytelling technique focuses on the internal thoughts and feelings of the “I” narrator, offering a deep immersion into the protagonist’s perspective.
What is first person point of view in video games?
In video games and movies, the term “first person point of view” is used in reference to the perspective of the camera. For instance, the “first person shooter” is a video game genre in which the player controls a character (shooter) from their vantage point. What’s First Person Point of View in Grammar?
What is a point of view in a story?
The point of view of a story determines who is telling it and the narrator’s relationship to the characters in the story. In first person point of view the narrator is a character in the story telling it from their perspective.
