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
, 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 and character, 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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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
’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.’
And for another brilliantly insightful and in-depth perspective on POV I recommend
’s essay on Psychic Distance.How to choose the right POV for you
I primarily write thrillers as Sanjida Kay, but I’m also writing a non-fiction nature memoir, Wilderness, and have written fiction, historical fiction and non-fiction as Sanjida O’Connell.
In crime and thriller fiction in particular, POV plays a vital role in building suspense, developing characters, and controlling the flow of information. The genre's focus on mystery, tension, and psychological depth means that your choice of POV can significantly impact how your story unfolds.
First Person POV is commonly used in crime fiction and psychological thrillers as it allows the reader to experience the investigation through the eyes of the protagonist. This POV can create a strong sense of immediacy and intimacy, drawing the reader into the protagonist's quest for truth. However, it also means the reader can only know what the protagonist knows, making it perfect for slowly unraveling a mystery.
Example: In Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, the story is told from the first-person perspective of private detective Philip Marlowe. This POV allows readers to see the world through Marlowe's cynical eyes, experiencing his observations and deductions firsthand. The reader learns information as Marlowe does, which builds suspense.
‘It was about eleven o’clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn’t care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars.’
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Example: In Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, the story alternates between the first-person perspectives of the two main characters, Nick and Amy. This approach allows readers to experience the story from both characters' viewpoints, creating a complex, unreliable narrative that adds layers of tension and intrigue.
Third Person Limited / Close POV is another popular choice in crime and thrillers, particularly when writers want to delve deeply into the psyche of one or more characters. This POV provides a balance between the intimacy of the first person and the broader narrative scope of the third person. In thrillers, where the internal conflict of the protagonist can be as intense as the external dangers they face, this POV can be highly effective.
Example: Many of the characters in The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman:
‘PC Donna De Freitas would like to have a gun. She would like to be chasing serial killers into abandoned warehouses, grimly getting the job done, despite a fresh bullet wound in her shoulder. Perhaps developing a taste for whisky and having an affair with her partner.
But for now, twenty-six years old, and sitting down for lunch at 11.45 in the morning, with four pensioners she has only just met, Donna understands that she will have to work her way up to all that. And besides, she has to admit that the last hour or so has been rather fun.’
Third Person Omniscient POV can be used to great effect in thrillers that involve a large cast of characters or complex, multi-layered plots. This POV provides the freedom to reveal information that the characters themselves may not be aware of, adding to the tension by letting readers know more than the characters at critical moments. However, it requires careful management to avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information and it can have a distancing effect.
Example: Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None uses an omniscient POV to provide glimpses into the minds of multiple characters, all suspects in a series of murders on a remote island. The shifting focus between characters heightens the suspense, as readers are privy to each character's thoughts and suspicions, yet the full truth remains tantalizingly out of reach.
What I do…
Usually, when I write full length psychological thrillers, I use first person present tense narrative. It immediately gives you the character’s voice, drawing the reader in and allowing them to experience the character’s emotions and witness the investigation unfolding as it appears to them. It is both intimate and adds tension by putting the reader in the present at the same time as the protagonist.
If I have more than one character’s perspective, I would have one of the other voices in a close third person (he says, she says). If you have multiple perspectives and they are all first person narratives, it can become confusing for the reader.
In My Mother’s Secret I had two first person narratives (mother, Laura and daughter, Stella) and third person, Lizzie Bradshaw. I felt two first person narratives would work because the voices of Laura and Stella are so different from one another.
When I was writing Meat I chose a close third person POV from the main character, Lily’s, perspective. This is the opening scene:
‘Lily tries not to look at the coffin. If she stares straight ahead, it’s out of her eye line. There aren’t many people here, only a few have made the journey over from Northern Ireland. She unfolds the piece of paper and reads out loud:
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
Tears blur her vision and threaten to spill down her cheeks. Her voice wobbles. It was too soon. She wasn’t meant to die. Not yet. Not now.’
What you’ll notice is that the scene is seen completely from Lily’s point of view, physically - If she stares straight ahead… as well as how she feels physically and emotionally - Tears blur her vision… and very quickly we’re in her head, directly experiencing her thoughts: She wasn't meant to die. Not yet.
It also allows me to take a step back, allowing the reader to observe the scene a little outside Lily’s perspective, as well as being able to hear exactly what Lily is thinking or feeling in her internal monologue.
‘She knows this poem off by heart. She folds the paper and puts it in her jacket pocket. Her voice deepens and echos in the stillness of the church. As she reaches the last lines, she looks at her husband for the first time. A shaft of light from one of the mullioned windows illuminates his face, highlighting his square jaw, the nordic blue of his eyes. He’s looking up at her: he’s calm, composed; he radiates compassion. Her fingers reach for the glass vial in her pocket, warm from her body heat.
He doesn’t know, she thinks. He doesn’t know what I’m going to do.’
Meat by Sanjida Kay
Tips on using POV
Match POV to the Story's Needs: Consider what kind of story you're telling. If you want to create an intimate, character-driven narrative, first person or third person limited might be the best choice. For a story with a larger scope or a more complex plot, third person omniscient could be more suitable (but beware of the distancing effect this can have).
Take a look at Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series, as he is a master at voice and POV, skilfully using third person omniscient, whilst zooming in to make this limited third person, with contrasting chapters in first person (from Joyce’s perspective, for instance).
Joyce
‘Well, let’s start with Elizabeth, shall we? And see where that gets us?
I knew who she was, of course; everybody here knows Elizabeth. She has one of the three-bed flats in Larkin Court. It’s the one on the corner, with the decking? Also, I was once on a quiz team with Stephen, who, for a number of reasons, is Elizabeth’s third husband.
I was at lunch, this is two or three months ago, and it must have been a Monday, because it was shepherd’s pie. Elizabeth said she could see that I was eating, but wanted to ask me a question about knife wounds, if it wasn’t inconvenient?’
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Control Information: In crime and thriller fiction, the release of information is crucial for building suspense. Use POV to control what the reader knows and when they know it. First person and third person limited are particularly effective for withholding information, as the reader can only know what the narrator or focal character knows.
Build Unreliable Narrators: One of the strengths of first person and limited third person POVs in thrillers is the ability to create unreliable narrators (think of Amy Dunne in Gone Girl!). This technique can add layers of complexity to your story, making readers question what they believe to be true.
Maintain Consistency: While it's possible to switch POVs within a story, be consistent and clear about changes to avoid confusing the reader. If using multiple POVs, ensure each character has a distinct voice and perspective. (Labelling chapters with the character’s name can help.)
Use POV to Develop Character: The chosen POV can help reveal character traits, motivations, and conflicts. A first-person narrator might reveal their personality through their thoughts and observations, while a third-person limited POV can offer a close look at a character's internal struggles as well as their actions.
In summary…
Point of View is a powerful tool, particularly in crime and thriller fiction. It shapes how your story is told and experienced, influencing everything from character development to plot structure. By carefully choosing and skillfully executing POV, you can create a gripping narrative that keeps readers turning the pages. Whether it's the intimate first-person account of a hard-boiled detective or the broad, omniscient perspective of a complex thriller, mastering POV will elevate your storytelling and engage your readers.
Exercise: Exploring POV in crime and thriller fiction
To solidify your understanding of POV and how it affects storytelling, try the following exercise. This will help you explore different perspectives and see how they change the narrative’s impact.
Step 1: Create a crime scene
Write a brief scene (300-500 words) in which a crime has just occurred. It could be a robbery, a murder, or a kidnapping—something with high tension and stakes. Focus on setting up the scene with sensory details, but don’t reveal who committed the crime or why. This scene will serve as the basis for exploring different POVs.
Step 2: Rewrite the scene from different POVs
Rewrite the same scene three times, each from a different POV. Use the following guidelines:
First Person POV: Choose a character present at the crime scene (e.g., the victim, a witness, or even the perpetrator). Rewrite the scene from their perspective using ‘I’ Focus on their immediate thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. What details do they notice? How do they interpret what's happening?
Third Person Limited POV: Now, rewrite the scene from the perspective of an observer—perhaps a detective arriving on the scene. Use ‘he/she’ and delve into this character’s inner thoughts and reactions. How do they piece together the clues? What suspicions form in their mind as they assess the situation?
Third Person Omniscient POV: For this version, take on the role of an all-knowing narrator. Describe the crime scene and provide insight into the thoughts and emotions of multiple characters present. Offer glimpses into what each character knows and suspects, creating a broader picture of the event.
Step 3: Reflect on the differences
After rewriting the scene in each POV, reflect on how the perspective changes the reader's experience:
How does the level of suspense differ in each version?
Which POV creates the most tension or intrigue, and why?
How does the character’s perception (or lack thereof) shape the narrative?
Which version leaves the most questions unanswered, and how does that affect the story's tone?
Step 4: Apply the exercise to your work
Consider how the insights gained from this exercise might apply to your current writing project. Experiment with changing the POV of a scene in your work-in-progress to see how it alters the story’s dynamics. Use what you learn to make deliberate choices about POV in your crime or thriller novel.
Let me know what you think and post an example in the comments if you’d like to share it!