Dear Mandy,
Can omniscient point of view be written as if it’s directed at “you?”
ANSWER: Absolutely.
Many writers assume that omniscient point of view and second-person point of view are mutually exclusive, but they’re actually describing two different aspects of narration.
Point of view refers to the pronouns being used. If the story addresses the reader or a character as “you,” it’s written in second person.
Omniscience refers to the narrator’s knowledge. An omniscient narrator knows more than any individual character. They can reveal hidden thoughts, events happening elsewhere, future outcomes, and information that the main character doesn’t know.
Because these are separate concepts, they can be combined.
Continue reading “Ask the Author: Can a story be told in omniscient and second-person POV?”