One of the most common challenges writers face when learning to write fiction is maintaining point of view (PoV). In this article, award-winning author Sonny Whitelaw explains what PoV is, why it matters, and the tools you can use to create and sustain it effectively.
Understanding First, Second, and Third-Person Narratives
At school, we’re often taught about first-person and third-person narratives. Yet, as with many things, the finer details tend to slip through the cracks over time. So, let’s take a moment to refresh our understanding.
Here’s a link explaining how these terms are typically taught in Australian schools: Teaching Strategies.
An excerpt from the text reads:
“Using the third person, narrators place a distance from the events and the reader.”
For example:
Amongst the crowd making their way through the snow, three men in thick jackets carried heavy machine guns. Moscow could not hide the events that were about to unfold.
This illustrates one reason why many creative writers struggle with point of view. In fiction, you’re not just telling a story – you’re immersing your readers in it. The last thing you want is to create distance between your audience and the unfolding events. To captivate readers, you must pull them into the world you’ve crafted, seeing it through your characters’ eyes. You want them to feel what the characters feel, love or hate them, and experience the world they inhabit.
When done right, storytelling can be so immersive that it leads to multi-billion dollar fan followings.
So, does that mean you should only write in first person (the “I” perspective) or second person (the “you” perspective)? Not necessarily. The third-person narrative offers two distinct approaches:
- Omniscient Narrator: This is the “Godlike” perspective, where the narrator knows everything – events and characters alike. It’s akin to using Google Earth, zooming in and out of various locations, gaining vast amounts of information from a detached overview.
- Limited Third Person: Here, the reader experiences events through a specific character’s point of view. It’s like switching to Google Earth’s “street view” – you’re immersed in the scene but limited to the character’s perspective. If you step away, the perspective shifts back to omniscient.
While omniscient narration has its place, the current market favours stories that draw readers into the experience through a character’s point of view, especially using limited third person. This style follows two key writing principles:
- Show, don’t tell.
- Story is about people; plot is about events. Story is what sells.
You can achieve this immersion in a third-person narrative, but only if you focus on the limited third-person perspective.
An Example of Limited Third Person vs. Omniscient Narration
Consider this scenario: the hero (let’s call him John) steps onto the road, alone, talking on his phone. Meanwhile, a speeding car is about to turn the corner. From an omniscient perspective, the reader can see both John and the car, making it clear that danger is imminent.
But let’s shift the perspective to limited third person. Now, we’re with John, unaware of the car’s approach. He’s engaged in a phone conversation, possibly warned of a threat. Suddenly, there’s an impact – and everything goes black. John wakes up in the hospital, clueless about what happened, and the reader is left equally in the dark. This limited perspective creates a sense of mystery and dramatic tension.
The advantage of limited third person is that it conceals information from both the character and the reader, which enhances suspense. By withholding crucial details, you invite your readers to join the character in their quest to uncover the truth. This uncertainty propels the narrative forward, forcing readers to turn the pages to find out what happens next.
The result? An unpredictable, and thus more compelling, story.
How Many Points of View Should I Use?
Every character in your story has their own journey, motivations, and perspective. These individual stories intertwine, shaping the larger narrative. A strong story isn’t just about events (the plot) – it’s about how characters react to those events. It’s about their evolution, their conflicts and how they change one another.
Think of your characters as threads in a tapestry. Some are subtle, adding nuances at just the right moments, while others hold the story together. It’s crucial to determine:
- What is your story truly about? (Remember, it’s about the people, not the plot.)
- Who are your lead characters?
- What motivates each character? (Do this for each character.)
- How do their stories intertwine?
- How do their stories end?
By exploring these elements, you’ll understand how to weave different PoVs into your narrative.
Coping with Conflicting Perspectives
When your story involves multiple key characters, writing from different PoVs allows you to explore a variety of perspectives while maintaining the limited third-person approach. This creates opportunities for tension, as different characters hold contrasting views based on the limited information they possess.
Consider this: John believes the villain ran them down. But from the villain’s point of view, they were misinformed – misled into thinking that running over John would buy them time to save the world. The reader, who knows both perspectives, is left wondering: How will this conflict resolve? This uncertainty builds dramatic tension, making the story all the more compelling.
About the Author:
Sonny Whitelaw is an award-winning author who tutors the Write a Novel Course and the Short Story Course at the NZ Writers College. With over 30 years of experience, her work as a photojournalist has appeared in leading international magazines, including National Geographic. Sonny’s debut novel, The Rhesus Factor, won the Draco Award, and her eight novels, including five based on the Stargate television series, have been international bestsellers.
