Lesson 1: Point of View
At the end of this lesson, you should be familiar with the options for point-of-view of your story, as well as be able to identify first-person, third-person, and omniscient point-of-view. The practice exercises at the end of this lesson will allow you to practice identifying, then using point-of-view. You should be able to use the information presented in order to determine which option is best for the story you want to tell.
So Many Points of View
Every story is told through a viewpoint character. The viewpoint may be first-person, third-person, or omniscient point-of-view. These viewpoints are defined as follows:
First-person: These are the "I" stories. Stories told from this point-of-view are limited to what the one character (normally the protagonist) senses, either through sight, touch, hearing, smell, or taste. Your character cannot be seen through someone else's eyes, and the reader is not privy to the thoughts of other characters.
This point-of-view is not used very often and is not usually seen in mainstream or genre fiction. However, it may occasionally be used in young adult fiction, as well as in "confession" stories, and in the real-life stories published in women's magazines.
This technique may also be used when a story or sequence of events are being seen from several first-person points-of-view. This is accomplished by either by breaking the story into sections, each told by a different character, or by having each chapter reflect a different character's perception and description of events.
Third-person, single point-of-view: These are the "he", "she", "they" stories. From the single point-of-view, they are much like the first-person stories. This technique is particularly acceptable in the romance and mystery genres, since it allows for the building of suspense. The reader can only know as much as the protagonist knows. The reader does not have access to all of the clues, or the thoughts of the romantic hero. This is the most common point-of-view in use today. In romance stories, generally only the heroine's point-of-view is used. In mysteries, often only the protagonist's thoughts and actions are revealed to the reader.
Third-person, multiple points-of-view: These are also "he", "she", "they" stories. However, the multiple viewpoints add depth to the story. In a romance, the reader can see the thoughts and know the motives of both the hero and the heroine. In a mystery novel, the reader can know things that the protagonist may not know. This allows the reader to think ahead of the hero and root for him.
The key to the third-person, multiple point-of-view, is to make it clear who is speaking, or whose thoughts are being revealed. Using clear section or chapter breaks makes this point-of-view easier to manage.
Omniscient point-of-view: The reader can experience the story from many different perspectives. However, as with third-person, multiple points-of-view, it is important for the reader to know who is speaking, or whose thoughts are being revealed. Chapter breaks would be the preferred method of making the viewpoint character clear to the reader.
Keep in mind that points-of-view other than the first-person and the third-person, single point-of-view take practice to master. The exercises that follow will help you develop these viewpoint techniques.
