First, Third, and Omniscient Point of View: Which one is right for you?
Determining the right point of view can be one of the more difficult aspects of a project. Each point of view can be associated with different genres and have different purposes in how you want to convey things. In this blog post, I’ll cover the three main points of view, what they look like on the page, and give you some pointers in determining which point of view is right for you.
First Person
First person is one of the more common points of view, especially if you’ve ever read anything in the Young Adult genre. Young Adult and coming-of-age stories tend to use this point of view as it works great for following just one character. In first person, the reader is put directly into the main character’s head, seeing the story unfold through the main character’s eye.
What does it look like?
“Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece—all gold. It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round—more than a body could tell what to do with.” — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
This point of view takes you right inside the head of Huck Finn, giving the reader insight into how Huck saw his situation with Tom. Mark Twain even used local dialect to create depth to the character and really transport the reader into Huck’s world.
Is this Point of View Right for you?
Is your story written for a younger audience such as the young adult genre? Is your book a coming-of-age story that focuses on one character’s personal development?
If you answered yes, then this point of view might be for you! Play around with writing from a first person point of view from your main character’s eyes.
Third Person Omniscient
Omniscient is also known as the narrator point of view. This point of view allows the reader to see the story unfold from farther away; similar to someone watching a play. The reader sees all the characters, their actions, and sometimes their thoughts.
What does it look like?
Below is an excerpt from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Here, Mr. Darcy is introduced through the description of a narrator. Even though Elizabeth Bennet is the main character, the reader isn’t introduced to other characters strictly through her eyes.
“Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud; to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.”
Is Omniscient Point of View Right for You?
Omniscient can be a great point of view for you to use especially if your story or book leans more toward literary fiction. This point of view allows you the freedom to tell the story through outside eyes. As if you're sitting with your reader watching the story unfold and explaining things to them.
Third Person Limited
Like Omniscient, Third Person Limited is told in third person. The difference is that your novel is limited to following around one character. Think of it like your narrator and your reader and walking behind your main character, watching the story unfold. They go where the main character goes, they see what the main character sees, they feel the main character's emotions.
What does it look like?
Below is an excerpt from Madeleine L’Egnle’s A Wrinkle in Time. Though the Young Adult genre typically uses First Person, Madeleine does a fantastic job of engaging younger readers on a trip through the universe.
“It was a dark and stormy night.
In her attic bedroom Margeret Murry, wrapped in an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind. Behind the trees, clouds scudded frantically across the sky. Every few moments the moon ripped through them, creating wraith-like shadows that raced along the ground.
The house shook.
Wrapped in her quilt, Meg shook.”
Is this the right one for you?
Third Person Limited can be a great option as it allows readers to get inside the main character’s head and connect with them, while also seeing the story unfold without the bias of the main character.
