2. Point of View

"Point of View" - the three little words that can make or break your story. If you're new to the world of writing, you might be wondering, "What in tarnation is POV?" Well, let me serve it up to you on a silver platter. POV, or point of view, is the perspective from which your story is told. Think of it like the chef's choice of seasoning in a dish, it can change the whole flavor of the story and the way your readers taste it. It's the lens through which your readers see the world and the characters within it. And just like how a sprinkle of salt can elevate a dish, the POV you choose can elevate your story and change the way your readers experience it.

There are three main types of POV that you'll encounter in literature:

3rd person omniscient

3rd person limited, and

1st person

3rd person omniscient POV is like trying a taste of every dish on the menu. The narrator is not a character in the story but has access to the thoughts and feelings of all the characters. It offers a variety of perspectives on the same event and creates a sense of detachment from the characters. This "they" point of view is a classic favorite, but not as commonly seen in genre fiction, where readers increasingly like to feel closer to the characters and experience the story with them.

3rd person limited POV is like sampling a single dish from the menu. The narrator is not a character in the story, but they have a special access to the thoughts and feelings of a single character. This allows the reader to feel close to the POV character and experience the story with them, while the "he" or "she" point of view keeps just a bit of distance between character and reader so it isn’t jarring when say different chapters have different POV characters. For this reason, 3rd person limited is often used in larger stories with many characters, like epic fantasy or scifi.

1st person POV is like eating a home cooked meal. The narrator is a character in the story, telling it from their own unique perspective. This "I" or "me" point of view creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, perfect for fiction that wants the reader as close to the character as possible, almost like reading the character’s memoir or diary. This is great for stories with 1 or 2 POV characters.

Let's take a look at some examples of POV in popular fantasy series.

"Skyward" by Brandon Sanderson is written in the first person point of view, allowing readers to soar through the skies alongside protagonist Spensa as she fights to become a full pilot and prove she’s not a coward. The intimate POV creates a personal connection to Spensa's thoughts, emotions, and actions, making readers deeply invested in her journey and the way she sees things. This also helps us stay on her side when she makes questionable decisions because we would have made the same decisions given the information available.

"The Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan uses the third person limited POV, granting readers access to the inner thoughts and emotions of the main character Rand al'Thor. The story also includes scenes told from the perspective of other characters (note that any 1 scene will only have 1 single POV character). This provides a multi-faceted understanding of motivations and actions. This POV creates a complex tapestry of perspectives, making the story all the more rich. Keep in mind that readers will likely know more than any single character in this POV style, so it will be harder for readers to relate to characters making questionable decisions.

"Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor takes a different approach, using the 3rd person omniscient POV. This allows readers to delve into the thoughts and emotions of multiple characters, including protagonist Lazlo Strange, his love interest Sarai, and even the villains sometimes (POVs never change within a paragraph, though, only between paragraphs. This helps readers to reorientate). The omniscient POV holds little back, often revealing its hand fully from early because readers expect to be able to hear what everyone, including the villain, is thinking. This moves the interesting parts of the book from reveals to how characters deal with threats. As we see on YouTube, reactions can be quite captivating so it can be useful, even if it is not what modern readers expect

In summary, Point of View, or POV, is the lens through which we see the world of a story. The three main types of POV are 1st person, 3rd person limited, and 3rd person omniscient, each with its own unique strengths. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson uses 1st person POV to create an intimate and personal connection with the Spensa, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan uses 3rd person limited POV to weave a multi-faceted tapestry of perspectives, and Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor uses 3rd person omniscient POV to reveal everyone’s complex goals so the reader is left waiting for the conflicting goals to collide and explode.

Choosing which POV is right for your story

it's all about crafting the ideal reading experience for your audience. Think about the type of vibe you want to give off and which POV will best showcase your characters and plot. For instance, 1st person POV is the perfect choice for YA books, as it provides a more relatable and personal perspective for the young reader. Meanwhile, epic fantasy writers often opt for 3rd person limited POVs for that perfect balance of character intimacy and a sprawling cast. Finally, 3rd person omniscient POV is often used in scifi to create a sense of grandeur and scope.

Great. So I get POV now. But how do I git gud quick?

1. Read books written in different POVs to get a sense of how different POVs can be used to create different reading experiences.

2. Write short stories or scenes from different perspectives.

3. Get real-time feedback on YOUR work and ask questions. There are no stupid questions.

I’ll leave the reading to you, but for the short stories, Here are three writing prompts to help you practice writing in different POVs:

1. Write a short story from the perspective of a minor character in your favorite fantasy novel. How does this character see the main events of the story and how do they feel about the main characters? (1st person)

1. A young orphan discovers they possess magical powers, but must navigate the politics and prejudices of the ruling class in order to hone their abilities. (3rd person limited)

1. A group of travelers embark on a journey to a mysterious, forbidden island, each with their own hidden agendas and secrets. (3rd person omniscient)

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Happy writing!

Reece Naidu