Point of View (a.k.a. POV) is frequently ignored as an essential story telling technique. There is (among many) the thought that POV just “is” and therefore needs no explanation. For those who don’t know the different types of POV, here’s a quick primer.
FIRST PERSON: Telling the story from the narrator’s POV, this uses “I” to refer to the main character. With this style, there is no excuse for the readers to not know everything that the protagonist knows the instant the protagonist knows it. Authors that use this POV include Carrie Vaughn (Kitty series), Gini Koch (Alien series), and Moira J. Moore (Hero series).
SECOND PERSON: Telling the story from a non-narrator POV, this uses “you” to refer to the main character. Many “Choose Your Own Adventure” childrens books uses this POV. It is least favorite POV in the industry for several reasons. Few readers identify with the protagonist and most readers hate being told what to do.
THIRD PERSON: Telling the story from a more distant perspective than the First Person, this uses “he” or “she” to refer to the main character. This POV allows an author to be nearly as close to the protagonist as First Person or allows the author to put some distance between the protagonist and the reader. Most books use this POV.
OMNISCIENT: Telling the story from a god-like perspective where the reader can see into everyone’s minds, this is a popular style that is the most difficult of POVs to execute. Many Authors like Omni POV, but few can execute it without losing the tension in the story or confusing their readers. Within the space of the same scene, Omni switches between the emotions, thoughts, and actions of all characters. Omni can be combined with any of the above POVs, working well with the Second Person adventure books and sometimes (when executed correctly) working well with Third Person. It rarely plays well with First Person unless the protagonist is a god (and sometimes not even then).
Variations on POV include Limited POV (narrow focus on what the characters know or see), Multiple POV (Third Person POV that has an ensemble cast who star in their own scenes – like Robert Jordon’s Wheel of Time series), Objective POV (which includes internal thoughts and reactions of a character), and Subjective POV (which stays outside the characters’ heads and treats the story like a movie camera).
When writing, it is essential to know what POV the story needs, not what POV the author wants. POV shapes the expectations of the readers, the author-reader contract, and the eventual outcome of the plot. There is a major difference in how a First Person story reads compared a Third Person tale. A good book can be destroyed by the wrong Point of View. A bad book can be salvaged by the correct Point of View.
Just remember: It’s all a matter of perspective. @=)
