Understanding Point of View (POV) in Fiction and How to Choose the Right One for You

The Process #6 Confused about first person singular present tense vs omniscient third person past? Here's a quick guide to POV

Hi there,

For those of you new to

Wild Writing with Sanjida

, welcome! I’m an award-winning writer and I write about writing, wildlife and wilderness. This is the sixth instalment in my breakdown of How to Tell a Story, from start to finish, covering ideas, outlining, plot, character and location, using my short story Meat, written for Comma Press, as an example, to help you become a better writer.

You’ll find ALL the essays on the craft of writing in The Process.

© Šárka Jonášová

Here’s what Meat is about:

A short thriller about an artist who creates modern memento mori (‘remember you must die’) paintings using real meat for her first solo show. But when her husband persuades her to make her exhibition more sensational using lab-grown meat, she has no idea how devastating the consequences will be…

This month we’re looking at Point of View (POV) (the next and final instalment in this series will be on editing). POV is one of the most crucial elements of fiction writing. It's the lens through which the story is told, shaping how readers perceive characters and events and is what will draw them into the narrative. For aspiring novelists, mastering POV is essential. In crime and thriller fiction, where tension and suspense are paramount, your choice of POV can make or break the story.

Let's delve into what POV is, its different types, and how to use it effectively, especially in the crime and thriller genres.

What is Point of View (POV)?

POV is the perspective from which a story is narrated. It determines who is telling the story and how much information the reader has access to. The POV affects the depth of insight into characters' thoughts and emotions, the level of suspense, and the overall tone of the story.

There are three primary types of POV in fiction:

1. First Person POV: The narrator is a character within the story, using ‘I’ or ‘we’ to tell the tale. This POV provides intimate access to the narrator's thoughts and feelings but limits the reader's knowledge to what this character knows.

2. Third Person Limited / Close POV: The narrator is outside the story but focuses on one character's perspective. This allows a balance between insight into the character's inner world and the ability to describe scenes the character observes.

3. Third Person Omniscient POV: The narrator knows everything about the story and its characters, offering insights into multiple characters' thoughts, emotions, and backgrounds. This POV allows for a broad perspective but can be challenging to manage without overwhelming the reader.

4. Second Person POV: The narrator addresses the reader as ‘you’ making them feel like a character in the story. This POV is less common in crime and thriller fiction due to its experimental nature but can create a unique, immersive experience.

For a more academic take on POV, beginning with a wonderful passage from The Hunger Games, have a look

Toby Litt

’s The Complete Guide to POV:

‘Although I love both the books and the films, what I love most is Suzanne Collins’ brilliant use of first person singular present tense to keep us close to Katniss whilst allowing a much vaster political story to occur, almost entirely offstage.’

Toby Litt

And for another brilliantly insightful and in-depth perspective on POV I recommend

Emma Darwin

’s essay on Psychic Distance.

How to choose the right POV for you