Fiction Writing 101: Point of View

Welcome to some thoughts about point of view.  I saved this for last because point of view can be complicated, and I don't want this post to be confusing.  [Update: Due to overwhelming demand, this is not my last post about fiction writing.  A big thank you to my fans in Europe!] The first point to make about point of view is a general one.  Once the writer creates the rules about the point of view of her story, the writer must stick with them.  Okay, the writer doesn't have to stick to her own rules, but her story won't be as strong as it could be if she did stick to her own rules.  Actually, it might not be very readable if she doesn't stick to them.  However, rule breakers have invented all sorts of cool things, so please feel free to experiment once you have the hang of point of view.

One (to repeat because it's worth repeating): It's a good idea for the writer to stick to the rules she created about point of view.

Two: The writer must decide whether her story will be told in the first, second, or third person.

I can hear this question now:  Can a novel have a combination of first, second, or third person?  Perhaps.  But only if you're an experienced writer, and your rules are very clear in your head.

But I'm keeping this simple.

Decide whether the writer is speaking (in third or second person) or whether a character is speaking (first person).

If a character is speaking-- in other words, if the story is being told using "I"-- then what the character can tell us is only what the character knows or believes or feels.

If the writer is telling the story in third person-- in other words, if the story is told using he, she, and they-- then the writer must make another decision.  How much does the writer know?  Does the writer know everything or just some things?  For example, the writer can make the decision that she can report objectively about what is happening and only has access into the mind of one character.

How about choosing the second person?  In my opinion, this is an annoying point of view, and I'd avoid it.  As a reader, I hate being "you'd" to death.

Three: Decide to whom you are telling the story.  Usually, writers tell their stories to the reader, but sometimes stories are told to other characters so that the reader is, in effect, eavesdropping.  And some stories are told to the self; the reader is reading a character's diary, or the story takes place totally in the mind of the character, stream of consciousness.  Be aware that stream of consciousness is hard to pull off.

So those are three basic thoughts about point of view.  It's only a start.  Please feel free to email me if you have a specific question about point of view, and I'll attempt to provide you with a satisfying answer.  The most important thing to take away from this post is that once point of view rules are made, please keep them.

I conclude with a quote that has nothing to do with point of view:

"Fiction writers are, by their very natures, middle children. They are searchers, doubters, malcontents. They believe themselves somehow abandoned, uncoddled, unloved. They deserve more, understand more, desire more. They are voyeurs, con artists, liars. They are fallen angels, gold-hearted whores."

--- John Gregory Brown, "Other Bodies, Ourselves: The Masks of Fiction"