First vs. Third Person: Choosing the Right Point of View for Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

The wrong point of view character can throw off an entire story, so choose wisely. 

Point of view is one of the strongest tools a writer has in their toolbox, because a story can drastically change just by changing who's telling it and how they feel about those events. Like witnesses to an event who all see something different.

The wrong point of view can even hurt an otherwise great story, because a character might be too far from the story's events to make a good point of view character. They might even be too close and not able to give the proper perspective needed for that particular tale.

It's an important choice to make in any story.

Choosing Your Point of View Character(s) 

The one with the most to lose is usually the protagonist, and most times your protagonist is your point of view character. But for novels with multiple characters and storylines, it's not always as clear which points of view to show. Sometimes, you're not even sure if your story needed a single, dual, or multiple point of view.

If you're unsure which type of point of view to use, ask:

1. Is this a personal story or an epic tale?

Personal stories usually benefit from a tight point of view to really understand the nuances of that personal struggle, so either first person or a tight third person are good choices.

Epic tales tell a "big picture" story and often require multiple people to show all sides of the story. These tales benefit from a multiple third person point of view, and can either use a tight or far narrative distance.

If the story is about a person and their journey, close and single points of view allow you to really get into the head of that character and focus on their problem. A story about a situation, be it a quest, a war, a terrorist attack, might be better told through the eyes of characters who can see all sides of it.

(Here's more on Point of View Basics: Through My Eyes. Or Your Eyes. Or Somebody's Eyes.)

2. What scope do you want to show?

Even if the tale is personal, you might choose to look at the bigger picture to convey a theme or ideal. Or a massive situation might be best seen from the eyes of one single character. Think about what aspect of the story you want to focus on. Big tales don't have to be told by a big cast, same as personal tales can involve more than one person.

(Here's more on Balancing the Number Characters and the Scale of Your World)

3. Who has the freedom to act?

If the story is about something happening to a particular person, it seems natural for that person to be the point of view character. But sometimes the one in the thick of it isn't the one in the best position to know what's going on.

In my novel, The Shifter, Tali is the one in trouble, but it would have been a boring book if she were the point of view character, or even a point of view character. She might have been deepest in the mess, but Nya was the one with the freedom to act and get her out of it.  

(Here's more on Whose Story is It?)

4. Would the story work in a single point of view?

Some novels just won't work with a single point of view character, such as many romances. But some stories are improved by focusing on one character and showing the entire tale through their eyes. It provides a closer perspective, a more personal connection to the reader, and a greater sense of personal stakes.

The closeness is what make the story work so well, and bringing other perspectives into it would ruin in. Knowing what's going on in other character's heads and seeing what goes on in their lives would steal tension and give too much of the story away. 

(Here's more on How a Limited vs. a Tight Point of View Can Confuse Writers)

5. Would the story work in multiple points of view? 

Some novels are complex enough to thrive with multiple point of view characters. The tales are large and vast and important aspects affect multiple characters and locations and seeing the bigger picture is more important than any one character. Capturing the entire scope is what matters and what makes the story shine.

However, using multiple points of view can be a red flag that you have a premise novel in the works. If the only reason is to show that point of view is because "you can't show that part of the story any other way" then you might want to reconsider. If there's no goal driving that character, they'll feel flat and their sections will feel pointless--or worse--that they're just there as exposition or backstory.

Multiple points of view work best when each point of view character brings something unique to the tale. A fresh perspective, goals of their own, a subplot that connects to a larger theme that encompasses the entire story, and so on. The reader cares about that point of view character, even if what they care about is to see that character get what they deserve.

(Here's more on Whose Head is it Anyway? Understanding Omniscient Point of View)

Developing Characters Based on Point of View

Regardless of what point of view you choose, character development is pretty much the same. You want layered characters with goals and stakes, and plausible motivations that come from real desires.

Tight points of view might have more personal goals and stakes, as close narratives are often about more personal journeys, but even in a third omniscient point of view, you still want your readers to connect to the characters through their goals and motivations.

Telling an epic tale doesn't mean you skimp on the character development. In fact, it's probably even more critical because there are more characters to keep track of, and you'll have less time per character to make that reader connection. 

(Here's more on Lost in the Crowd: Working With Multiple Point of View Characters)

Some Point of View Risks

There are some things to be aware of no matter which point of view you choose.

The farther away you get from the character's perspective, the easier it is to make them do what you want, not what they want. A more distant point of view runs the risk of sounding flat, having more told sections and less showing. Unless you're writing an omniscient narrator, make sure you don't slip outside your point of view and forget who's telling the story.

The closer you get to the point of view character has its own risks, too. First person or a tight third person point of view can sometimes make you feel that you have to explain everything that character does, thinks, or says, and you wind up with a "I did this, I felt that" style going. Instead of having a tight point of view, you have a narrator who's not actually in the story, just observing it and relaying it to the reader. 

(Here's more on Do You Know Who Your Narrator Is?)

A great point of view trick is to convey how a character feels about something by their actions. They won't think "I feel sad," they'll cry. They won't "be afraid" they'll tremble and cower. They won't "hate that girl" they'll slip her homework into the trash when she accidentally leaves it on her desk.
Let the reader figure out how a character feels by observing what they do.

A solid point of view, no matter what type, gives you the freedom to let that character shine. Because if you're in their head, then everything they think and do and say is who they are and what they believe in. Not only will that flesh out the character, but the world around them as well.

Which point of view do you prefer? Do you change per story? 

Find out more about characters, internalization, and point of view in my book, Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems.

Go step-by-step through revising character and character-related issues, such as two-dimensional characters, inconsistent points of view, too-much backstory, stale dialogue, didactic internalization, and lack of voice. Learn how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak areas, and fix those problems.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems offers five self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:

• Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs
• Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story
• Determine the best point(s) of view and how to use them to your advantage
• Eliminate empty dialogue and rambling internalization
• Develop character voices and craft unique, individual characters 

Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems starts every workshop with an analysis to pinpoint problem areas and offers multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best fit your writing process. It's an easy-to-follow guide to crafting compelling characters, solid points of view, and strong character voices readers will love.

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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