In the first of a three-part series for Writer’s Digest, Sharon Short discusses some common myths about choosing the right point of view for your story. There’s more to it than deciding whether first, second, third, or omniscient POV is right for you. “POV is the principle that pulls together every other element of your prose,” Short says. “You might have a compelling premise, interesting characters, beautiful writing, and great pace. But if the POV is not right, the reader will sense something is off.”
- Myth: First Person POV is Easy. In reality, sustaining a distinctive character voice for an entire novel-length manuscript is challenging. While you might think you’re merely letting your character tell their own story, it’s easy to fall into your own voice or resort to bland telling.
- Myth: First Person is the Only Way to Use Deep POV. This might seem easiest, but there’s a risk of oversharing interior information in deep first person POV. You can also use deep POV in third person.
- Myth: Third-person is More High Concept. Whatever. There are many examples of high-concept novels with first-person POV.
- Myth: You Can Only Have Multiple POVs in Third Person. Wrong. It’s more common to use third person for multiple POVs, but that’s not a strict rule.
- Myth: No One Uses Omniscient Anymore. Wrong.
- Myth: Changing POV Just Means Changing Pronouns. “This is a common myth—that if somehow first-person POV isn’t working, then switching to third-person POV is as simple as replacing all the ‘I’s’ with she, he, they, or a name,” Short writes. “But it’s not that simple. Proper POV depends so much on emotional distance and time.”
