Point of View, or POV as we’ll call it, is a tricky topic for many writers. The mechanics of it are often misunderstood and poorly executed. Inconsistent POV is one of the main problems that editors encounter when considering submissions, and while tolerance for the issue varies, it’s always a good idea for writers to have a firm grasp of which POV they choose to write in and why regardless of publication plans.
In this article we’re dealing strictly with commercial fiction. Different thinking applies to nonfiction, poetry, and experimental fiction. We’re talking to people who want to see their work published in mainstream litmags and appear on bookstore shelves. Certain standards exist in the industry for a reason, primarily to hook and keep the attention of the reader. Take too much liberty and lose that attention, and you may lose your reader altogether. Publishers know that, therefore they’re keen to find manuscripts meeting that criteria but are willing to invest very little in those that don’t.
Attention spans in today’s market are microscopic compared to generations past when people had hours of uninterrupted time to lose themselves in a sweeping epic novel. Online content competes with flashing ads, notification beeps and buzzes and links on a page that beg for a click. People steal moments to read on trains and buses and when kids go down for a nap. We have to keep this in mind at all times while writing for a modern audience. Plus, we have to remember that if we leave a weak area of narrative that allows them to put our story down for any reason, it will likely go forever unread. Hook them fast, hold them hard, and make it worth the ride. That’s how we’ll gain a reading audience in 2020 and beyond.
First person point of view is one of the easiest POVs to identify. The main protagonist will relate the narrative from their unique perspective, in terms of “I” and “me.” Only what can be seen, heard, felt, or experienced by the protagonist makes it into the story. Therefore the first person narrator can be quite unreliable, more or less so depending on the author’s intent.
The advantage of first person POV is the deep intimacy that can develop between the protagonist and the reader. Pitfalls that can sabotage a work written in first person include a narrator that is simply too unreliable and unlikable for readers to connect with, and too much internal thought that interferes with pacing.
The best advice we can give for writing commercial fiction in this POV is just don’t. Experimentally, it can be a fun exercise and certainly in the case of “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, it’s a valid tool in the author’s toolkit. But in terms of highly readable, publishable work, it’s an almost certain way to end up in the rejection pile.
One fault that is closely akin to second person POV is called “breaking the fourth wall.” This is a theatrical term that references the three curtained walls surrounding a stage and the invisible “fourth” wall between actors and audience. “Breaking the fourth wall” is when an actor pauses in mid-scene and begins interacting directly with the people watching. This is usually scripted, much like a voiceover in a film.
The problem with this in written fiction is that is pulls the reader out of the story and reminds them that they are just an observer, which is the opposite of the immersive experience that most modern readers prefer. From the publisher’s perspective, anything that creates a risk of losing the audience is a liability that is not worth gambling on.
Third Person Point of view is the most common presentation for fiction, but it’s a complicated bit of mechanics. Differing types of third person POV can work in combination when used with great skill, but in most cases it’s best to stick with one: third person limited. Otherwise the narrative can become so muddled that the reader has a difficult time understanding which character they’re supposed to care about or why.
Third person limited is a variation on the technique of first person--only what the POV character sees, hears, thinks, feels, or experiences can be included in the narrative. This may be one of the most difficult POVs to write, but it can be one of the most satisfying for the reader. Different POVs can be experienced over the course of the story, but this requires clear and unmistakable scene or chapter breaks. Otherwise, the reader experiences something akin to whiplash while hopping from one head into another, and sometimes even into a narrator’s point of view.
Deep POV is a third person technique that can be interspersed within third person limited to bring the reader directly into the scene. It’s a deep, unfiltered dive into the character’s thoughts and a change of voice that, when deployed effectively, creates in intensely immersive experience. Mechanics of the writing can change dramatically. Just as action scenes call for shorter sentences and punchier construction, Deep POV can incorporate fragments, slang, colloquialism, and broken thought patterns characteristic of someone in moments of high stress.
Compare the following two examples.
Drake knew he should run. He had to get out of there. If he didn’t escape now, he would die. He raced to the end of the hallway and stopped to catch his breath. But there was no time for that. He had to keep moving.
Run. He should definitely run, get out of there, now.
Drake raced to the end of the hallway and stopped to catch his breath. Nope. No time for that. Keep moving or die--no other option available.
The most problematic type of third person POV is omniscient. While many examples of omniscient POV can be found in classic literature and even some contemporary bestsellers, it’s a very difficult technique to master and some debate could be had about whether it’s been mastered at all. Theoretically, in third person omniscient, the voice of an all-seeing, all-knowing narrator tells the story. But therein lies the trouble--a narrator “tells” the story. Most readers want to experience a story, not have it relayed to them by a third party who already knows the ending.
However, what usually happens is that instead of third person omniscient, the writer produces third person limited that head hops from one character to another. This makes it difficult for the reader to truly invest in the story or even know who the protagonist is supposed to be. It’s a nightmare for editors to untangle and for many publishers, a cause for instant rejection.
All of the “rules” that bedevil writers and make them chafe against the restraints of convention came about in the interest of producing fiction that will hook and hold the reader’s attention. While we will forever experiment and test boundaries and find newer, fresher ways to tell our stories, we are all wise to ground our technique firmly in the basics. POV is an essential cornerstone of narrative that requires choice and execution, so the better a writer understands it, the more well-crafted their work will be.
