1. Which viewpoint should you use?

2. First Person The character tells the story, using the pronoun ‘I’.
Example: I walk into the room. I know he's there in the darkness. I smile as I smell the sunshine and wind in his hair.

3. Six Viewpoint Structures in First Person
Simple – One character tells the story.

4. Six Viewpoint Structures in First Person
Simple Unreliable Narrator – One character tells the story but we don’t know if he is telling the truth.

5. Six Viewpoint Structures in First Person
Rashamon Effect – This means multiple characters tell their version of the same events in the story.

6. Six Viewpoint Structures in First Person
Separate Multiple Viewpoints – This means multiple characters tell the story using first person perspectives.

7. Six Viewpoint Structures in First Person
Sequential Multiple Viewpoints – This means different characters tell the story from their perspective in a timeline or sequence. You may have Jane narrating events in January, Debbie narrating events from February to June, and Sarah in July.

8. Six Viewpoint Structures in First Person
First Person Omniscient - The narrator is a character in the story, but also knows the thoughts and feelings of all the other characters

9. Second Person The character tells the story using the pronoun ‘You’.
Example: You walk into the room. You know he's there in the darkness. You smile as you smell the sunshine and wind in his hair.

10. Second Person
This is the least common of all viewpoints used by authors.

11. Second Person
It is used to make the reader feel uncomfortable.

12. Second Person
The character is often alienated or in an altered state.

13. Second Person
The reader feels as if he or she is being compelled to listen.

14. Second Person
Children do not like second person.

15. Third Person
The narrator tells the story using the pronouns ‘He’ and ‘She’.
Example: She walks into the room. She knows he's there in the darkness. She smiles as she smells the sunshine and wind in his hair.

16. Viewpoint Structures in Third Person
Subjective – This means the author focuses on one character and his thoughts and feelings.
It is similar to simple first person but the author uses ‘he’ instead of ‘I’.

17. Viewpoint Structures in Third Person
Omniscient – This means the author gives readers a broad view of the story.
The thoughts and feelings of many, or all, the characters are shown.

18. Viewpoint Structures in Third Person
Objective – This means the author observes, and tells the story according to the actions of the characters.
Readers have no idea what is going on inside the heads of the main characters.

19. Viewpoint Structures in Third Person
Tip:
If you don't know which viewpoint to choose, write a scene in two or three different viewpoints.
Read the scenes out loud and you will hear which one works best for your story.