How to Choose a Point of View for your Novel

From: Elements of Fiction Writing - Characters & Viewpoint: Proven advice and timeless techniques for creating compelling characters by an award-winning author Orson Scott Card

Point of View: Omniscient vs. Limited
Sometimes the differences in points of view are Earth shattering, while other times they can be subtle. But when writing in 1st person or narrative or 3rd person or any other viewpoint, it’s critical to evaluate how your writing choices affect your story. Here are a few examples of the themes covered in this download:

Absolute Power: Choosing the Point of View
All decisions about the characters of your story—whether they live or die, fall in love, live in New York City or Tulsa—are up to you. The same goes for how you choose to tell your story. Understanding the differences between the Omniscient and Limited points of view will go a long way toward helping you decide how to effectively connect with a broad audience.

Changing from First Person Point of View to Second Person Point of View
Can you switch viewpoint characters without having a clear transitional break? Does it always have to come at the end of a chapter? How do you indicate to the reader that you’ve made the switch? All these questions (and more) are answered as this section gets to the bottom of things you can and can’t do with each point of view in writing.

The Advantage of Limited 3rd Person Point of View
Did you know that limited third-person is the overwhelmingly dominant narrative voice in American fiction today? That’s hard to believe when the omniscient narrator is always there, tugging at our hands, pulling us from place to place, allowing us to see everything. But it’s true, mainly because the limited narrator point of view has a distinct advantage over omniscient that drives us to be more deeply connected with some stories. Find out what that advantage is by downloading this free tip sheet.