Author's Point of View

Point of view describes the perspective of a story, or the way the events of a story are told to readers. It refers to whose version of the events is being shared with readers. Point of view can vary from story to story. Below is a list of the different types of point of view that writers use.

First-Person Point of View

In first-person point of view, the narrator is a character within the story who is telling his or her own version of events. Here are more details about first-person point of view:

allows the reader to know everything the main character knows
uses the pronouns I, me, my, mine, we, our, and ours
example: "I was horrified to learn that I had missed the school bus."
book example: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Second-Person Point of View

In second-person point of view, the narrator is telling a story by speaking directly to the reader. Here are more details about second-person point of view:

least commonly used point of view in storytelling
most commonly used in instruction manuals, directions, and recipes
uses the pronouns you and yours
example: "You must turn left at the intersection."
book example: Choose Your Own Adventure series by R.A. Montgomery

Third-Person Point of View

In third-person point of view, the narrator is not a character in the story. Instead, the narrator is outside the story describing the events. There are three different types of third-person point of view: omniscient, limited, and objective.

Third-Person Omniscient: In this point of view, the outside narrator can know and share everything about the characters and events in the story. This knowledge includes all of the thoughts, feelings, and actions that may relate to the characters and events in the story. Here are more details about third-person omniscient point of view:
- uses the pronouns he, she, it, and they
- example: "Clara was upset that she missed the school bus, but Juan knew she would recover quickly."
- book example: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Third-Person Limited: In this point of view, the outside narrator is able to see into the mind of one character from the story. The narrator can also tell readers everything that character observes. Here are more details about third-person limited point of view:
- uses the pronouns he, she, it, and they
- example: "Clara was exhausted from her run to the bus and wondered what Juan thought about her being late."
- book example: Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Third-Person Objective: In this point of view, the outside narrator is completely detached from the story and can tell readers only about the actions and dialogue that are observable. Here are more details about third-person objective point of view:
- uses the pronouns he, she, it, and they
- example: "Clara ran across the street to the bus stop, while Juan watched from the corner."
- book example: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck