Point of View

Four Basic Types of POV first person second person third person limited third person omniscient.

Second Person Uses picture books choose your own adventure stories Limitations Anything else

First Person Uses Ties readers to the MC Shows off the voice of a sassy or snarky MC Limitations Easy to get melodramatic or overuse inner monologue One POV character

Third Person Limited Most common POV in modern books Uses Multiple POVs Allows for distance during emotional scenes Connects readers to the POV characters Limitations Easy to drift in and out of deep POV The fix Give purpose for your character’s actions to keep the connection with the readers

Third Person Omniscient Uses Can get into the head of even minor characters Shows all sides to a story Takes a step back from characters Limitations Very hard to do well The fix Use a clear narrator

Head-hopping You can head-hop in any type of POV The most common head-hopping slips with experienced authors come in... Dialogue tags Explanations of complex reactions The author wants to communicate something the POV character doesn’t know Angela looked like her leg hurt. Diana noticed my confusion and explained. “Pavo cristatus is a peacock.” The king ignored me, his eyes following Lady Louisa as she walked up behind me. “Hello, Lady Louisa,” he said.

Fixes: The more you “show” the less likely you are to be writing mind readers, because you will be using observable details and not intuitive leaps. Remember that your readers will pick up things from your non-POV characters that your POV character misses Angela looked like her leg hurt. Angela limped down the path, wincing every time she put weight on her right leg.

Head-hopping Fixes: The more you “show” the less likely you are to be writing mind readers, because you will be using observable details and not intuitive leaps. Remember that your readers will pick up things from your non-POV characters that your POV character misses Diana noticed my confusion and explained. “Pavo cristatus is a peacock.” Diana smiled in return to my confused look. “Pavo cristatus is a peacock,” she explained.

Head-hopping Fixes: The more you “show” the less likely you are to be writing mind readers, because you will be using observable details and not intuitive leaps. Remember that your readers will pick up things from your non-POV characters that your POV character misses The king ignored me, his eyes following Lady Louisa as she walked up behind me. “Hello, Lady Louisa,” he said. The king’s eyes stayed fixed on the crowd behind me as I talked. “Hello, Lady Louisa,” he interrupted. I turned to see that she was suddenly standing next to me.

Character Thoughts To italicize or not to italicize Anna ran down the street. She wondered how they had found her. She pushed such thoughts aside and ran faster. Anna ran down the street. How did they find me? She pushed such thoughts aside and ran faster. Anna ran down the street. They found me. How did they find me? She ran faster. Anna ran down the street. They had found her. How had they found her? She ran faster.

Character Thoughts What feels right to you? Use your natural style and voice. But be CONSISENT If you use them, don’t forget about your characters thoughts for a whole scene. If you don’t use them, don’t use them.

Deep POV Anna ran down the street. She wondered how they had found her. She pushed such thoughts aside and ran faster. Anna ran down the street. They had found her. How had they found her? She ran faster.

Deep POV POV character and the narrator are one and the same Can be done in first or third POV Word choice, descriptions, thoughts, reactions, sentence structure, grammar, etc. should all be in the POV character’s voice

Deep POV Maya particularly hated Fridays. The other students sat around and talked about their weekend plans and fidgeted and checked the clock for the whole second half of the school day. Even Mr. Bobby, the most dull and serious of the teachers, seemed to have a shorter attention span on Fridays, losing his train of thought a little more often than usual. Maya stretched and pretended to be listening to the student next to her blather on about a party the next day. She tried not to think about the fact that she could be doing something useful right now. Only two more weeks of high school, she reminded herself. Then I’ll be free of this forever.

Deep POV Maya hated Fridays. Everyone would sit around and talk about their weekend plans and fidget and check the clock and generally be useless for the whole second half of school. Even dull Mr. Bobby had a shorter attention span on Fridays, losing his train of thought a little more often than normal. Maya stretched. The girl next to her droned on about some party tomorrow. Pointless. Maya could have been out doing something useful. Only two more weeks of high school. Then she was free of this forever.