Choosing a point of view and tense for writing
The Writer’s Stance: Point of View and Tense Options
Fiction and nonfiction writers often simply fall into a point of view (POV)—the narrator’s stance—on an intuitive whim, adopting either first-person (the I-position), second-person (addressing a ‘you’); or third-person (the all-knowing off-stage persona.) But at some point in the drafting stage it can be illuminating to test an alternate POV, to see if another approach might better serve your story. Review your options:
First person restricts the piece to one set of feelings, and limits the action to that character. This POV, with its immediacy and intensity, gives readers access to the […]