POV

What is POV? It's an expression used by lazy writers to mean "point of view." It's who's eyes your story is scene through, or mode you convey information. It has the potential to enrich your story and add more depth than normal. There's more than one kind of POV.

The first is "first-person." This is where the writer invents a character who talks to the reader as though he were a real person. You use pronouns like "I" and "my." For example;

"I slammed my knee onto the ground and heard a bone pop."

The second method is "second-person." Only rarely do I advise even touching this method. For the most part, it's a lame way to try and put the reader into the story. For example;

"You walked up to the counter and slapped a quarter on the solid wood."

The most common POV today is "third-person." The pronouns are "he/she." Example;

"He raised a finger but protest died on lips as he lowered it."

Many new writers are tempted to use an "omniscient" POV. This is where you bounce between different character's heads and the reader sees everything going on in the story. Adhering to the other styles can feel restricting, but maintaining one character's perspective allows you to make that person more memorable. An example of "omniscient" is;

"Karen broke a vase as Alf worked at his desk at work and wondered what was for dinner."

The job of the writer is to convey information in ways that won't confuse the reader. Use one character's POV every scene. Make a break in the text when you're switching to someone else's perspective, or start a new. At the start of every scene or chapter, establish early who the POV character is.

In short stories, it's best to have only one POV character. For longer stories or books, it's OK to have more. Capping it at three is safe for a novel.

You have to decide which character will carry your story forward in the most dramatic way. At a table with a mother, father, and teenage daughter, who will carry the scene above in the most dramatic way?

If you have questions, leave a comment.