Point of Views

Choosing what point of view you are writing in is hard. I know for me, I knew the which point of view I wanted to use right off the bat. I have seen many styles work and some that really don't. It's all personal preference but still.

What are the types of point of view?

First Person: This is the narrator talking about themselves.This narration uses, "I did this," or "we did that." It can be plural or singular. This point of view is good because you can feel and experience the narrators emotions. The downfall is that you only get those of the narrator.

Second Person: This narration is not commonly used. The word, "you," is used a lot in this style. The reader feels like they are a part of the story and are a character. An example would be in children's shows, Dora, "Can you find swiper?" You are the viewer, you are a part of the show.

Third Person: This style is where the narrator is an outside person. They aren't part of the story. This is the most commonly used point of view in modern literature. "He" "She" "It" or "They" are used in third person. Never is there an "I" "We" or "You." This style is successful because the reader knows more than the characters at time. You get an added insight into the story.

Now there is one more that is not common and a little tricky. This is alternating point of views. Generally the style stays the same throughout the book. Some books, for example, Harry Potter is told in third person. Sometimes it switches to a specific characters point of view. This is useful to build character development up yet still have the narrator know all.

A trend that I have been seeing a lot of lately is switching character point of views in first person. I have seen this used a lot in new adult and young adult novels. One chapter is from A's point of view and the next is from B's, then A then B. This is good because you get both sides of a story and both emotions. You become attached to both characters being portrayed.