Point of view primer

Here's a quick lesson for those of you who don't understand point of view.

There are three types:

First person. I went to the fair.

Second person. You went to the fair.

Third person. He went to the fair.

Pretty simple, right? Yes, it is simple. People don't write in second person, so either your narrator is I or she/he/it.

If you're writing in third person, you have some options on how much information you want to give the readers.

Third person limited means that while the narrator is she/he/it and not I, readers only get to know the narrator's thoughts, feelings, etc. Think Harry Potter.

Third person omniscient means that the narrator is its own omnipotent entity that knows all and sees all. Therefore, readers get to know the thoughts and feelings of any and all characters. Think Winnie the Pooh.

Current trends in fiction overwhelmingly favor third person limited. I assume this is because it takes away the ability to say, "Little did he know..."

Now you might be thinking, "I'm going to write a book in third person, so who cares if it's omniscient or limited?" Let me answer that question for you.

Everyone cares.

Once you choose to write in third person limited, you cannot for any reason switch to omniscient. Limited means readers only get to hear the thoughts and feelings of the main character, so imagine how jarring it would be to suddenly get someone else's thoughts. It would be like hearing voices, only in book form. Yes, some authors do switch main characters from chapter to chapter, but when they do, they become limited to the thoughts and feelings of the new main character.

If you are going to write a book, you absolutely must understand the differences in point of view. You cannot write in third person sorta limited but sometimes semiomniscient. This is not only bad writing; it is inexcusable.

The end.