Point of View

What is point of view?

Point of view is the angle from which a story is told. It answers the question: Who is telling the story, and how much do they know?

The voice telling the story is called the narrator. Sometimes the narrator is a character inside the story. Sometimes the narrator is outside the story, watching and describing what happens.

Point of view changes everything: what readers learn, what they don’t learn, and how close they feel to the characters.

Finding the point of view

The fastest way to find point of view is to look at the pronouns the narrator uses (not the ones in dialogue).

First person

In first person, the narrator is a character in the story and tells it using I, me and we.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. My little brother had painted the dog blue.

What it does well:

• Readers feel close to the narrator and hear their thoughts and feelings directly.
• It feels personal, like listening to a friend tell a story.

Its limits:

• Readers only know what the narrator knows, sees or hears.
• The narrator might be wrong, or might not tell the whole truth.

Diaries, memoirs, autobiographies and many adventure stories use first person.

Second person

In second person, the narrator speaks directly to the reader using you. The reader becomes part of the story.

You step into the dark cave. Water drips somewhere ahead. You reach for your flashlight.

Second person is rare in stories, but it is common in:

• choose-your-own-adventure books
• instructions and recipes: First, you mix the flour and eggs.
• advertisements: You deserve a treat!

Third person

In third person, the narrator is outside the story. Characters are called by their names or by he, she and they. There are two main kinds.

Third person limited

A limited narrator follows one character closely. Readers know that character’s thoughts and feelings, but not anyone else’s.

Leo stared at the test. His mind went blank. Across the room, Ava was already writing quickly.

We know Leo is panicking, but we can only guess what Ava is thinking.

Third person omniscient

An omniscient narrator is all-knowing. It can tell us what every character thinks and feels, and even what will happen later.

Leo stared at the test, his mind blank. Ava wrote quickly, secretly worried she had studied the wrong chapter. Neither of them knew the fire alarm was about to ring.

Fairy tales and many classic novels use the omniscient point of view.

Third person objective

Some third-person narrators report only what can be seen and heard, like a camera, without sharing anyone’s thoughts. Readers must figure out feelings from actions and dialogue.

Comparing points of view

Here is one moment told three ways:

• First person: I tripped on the stage, and my face burned with embarrassment.
• Third limited: Sara tripped on the stage. Her face burned with embarrassment.
• Third omniscient: Sara tripped on the stage, her face burning. In the front row, her dad smiled, proud she kept going.

Each version gives the reader different information.

Why point of view matters

When you read, ask:

• Who is telling the story?
• What does the narrator know, and what don’t they know?
• Can I trust the narrator?
• How would the story change if someone else told it?

Retelling a story from another character’s point of view is a great way to think deeply. The Three Little Pigs sounds very different when the wolf tells it!

Point of view in your writing

• Choose first person to make readers feel close to one character.
• Choose third limited for a balance of closeness and storytelling freedom.
• Choose third omniscient to show many characters’ thoughts.
• Stay consistent. Don’t switch from I to she in the middle of the story by accident.

Common mistakes

• Counting pronouns in dialogue. A third-person story can include "I’m hungry," said Ben. Look at the narrator’s words, not the characters’ speech.
• Head-hopping. In third limited, don’t suddenly share another character’s thoughts.
• Switching point of view partway through without a reason.

Try it yourself

Name the point of view:

1. We raced to the bus stop, laughing.
2. You pick up the key and turn it slowly.
3. Omar wondered if anyone would notice his new haircut.

Then rewrite number 3 in first person.

Answers: first person, second person, third person limited. Example: I wondered if anyone would notice my new haircut.

Quick recap

• Point of view is who tells the story and how much they know.
• First person uses I; second person uses you; third person uses he, she and they.
• Third person can be limited (one character’s thoughts) or omniscient (everyone’s).
• Point of view shapes what readers learn and how they feel.