What is point of view in fiction? | Revise and Refine

Point of view (POV) refers to the perspective from which a story is told in fiction writing. It determines whose thoughts, feelings, and experiences are being shared with the reader. Consistent POV in fiction plays a crucial role in shaping the reader’s experience by providing clarity and enhancing immersion in the story.

On the other hand, inconsistent point of view in fiction can significantly affect the reader’s experience, often in a negative way if not handled with care. It may cause confusion for the reader or create a break in the reader’s suspension of disbelief. Inconsistent POV can also dilute the emotional impact of the story and undermine the reader’s trust in the narrative.

I’ll discuss the importance of maintaining a consistent point of view in your writing in more depth in the next few posts, but for today, let’s talk about what it is. First, there are three primary types of point of view in fiction:

1. First person POV: In this point of view, the story is told from the perspective of a single character, who refers to themselves as “I” or “me.” This POV allows readers to experience the story through the character’s thoughts and emotions but limits what the reader can see and know to what the character knows.
2. Second person POV: In this POV, the story is told from the perspective of the reader, using “you” as the pronoun. This POV is less common in fiction but can be used to create an immersive and interactive experience for the reader.
3. Third person POV: In this point of view, the story is told from the perspective of an outside narrator who refers to the characters as “he,” “she,” or “they.” Third person POV can be further broken down into three main types:
   • Third person omniscient: In this POV, the narrator knows everything about the characters and can share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This allows for a broad and comprehensive view of the story world.
   • Third person limited: In this point of view, the narrator only knows the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of a single character. This allows for a closer connection with the character and their journey.
   • Third person objective: In this POV, the narrator only reports what can be observed and doesn’t share any thoughts, feelings, or experiences of the characters. This creates a more detached and objective view of the story world.

Choosing the right POV for your story depends on the type of story you want to tell and the effect you want to create on the reader. Determining which point of view is best for your story is a matter of artistic choice. You might decide to tell your entire story using one consistent POV, or you may decide to experiment with POV like I did in my novel One Bad Cat and tell one character’s story in first person, while telling another character’s story in third person point of view.

Consistency doesn’t necessarily mean picking one POV and sticking with it. However, when you use multiple POVs, it’s important to do so consciously and develop strategies for shifting from one POV to the next. For example, when I wrote One Bad Cat, I carefully marked the beginning of each POV switch with the character’s name to help the reader make the switch without having to stop and think about what was happening. This allows the reader to remain immersed in the story even when there is a POV switch. Whatever point of view you choose, it’s important to maintain consistency with your chosen POV(s) throughout the story to avoid confusing the reader.

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Now that Jack has been forced to reflect on everything he has to lose, he resolves to do better. He’s determined to spend more time at home with his family and repair the relationships that have suffered over the years while he’s been so focused on work. But as Callie’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre, Jack realizes he has a lot more room to improve than he realized – and it might be too late to save his daughter after all.

For fans of We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Push, and Baby Teeth.