Workshop: The Power of Perspective – Choosing the Right POV for Your Story

Workshop_ The Power of Perspective

0:00

By Tom Riley

Point of view (POV) is more than a technical choice—it’s the lens through which your readers see, hear, and feel your story. It determines tone, intimacy, emotional resonance, and how much information your audience has access to at any given moment. A simple shift in POV can completely change a story’s atmosphere, pacing, and the way readers connect with your characters.

Choosing the right perspective isn’t simply a matter of preference—it’s about matching your storytelling goals to the vantage point that will serve them best. In this workshop, we’ll break down the main POV options, explore their strengths and challenges, and give you the tools to decide which one will bring your narrative to life.

When you sit down to write, you’ll inevitably face this question: First person, second person, third person limited, or third person omniscient— which is best for your story? Each comes with its own pros and cons, and the choice you make will shape how your readers experience the journey.

Let’s start with first-person POV, where the narrator uses “I,” “me,” or “my.” Many writers—including myself—gravitate toward this perspective because it feels personal, immersive, and intimate. It allows readers to step directly into a character’s mind, to see the world through their eyes, and to walk in their shoes. When done well, it can make the reader feel like they are the character, sharing every thought, fear, and victory.

Third-person POV shifts the reader’s position. Instead of living inside the character’s mind, the reader observes them from just outside. In third-person limited (or “close”), the narrator still focuses on one character’s perspective—using “he,” “she,” “they”—but filters the story through that character’s knowledge and experiences. In third-person omniscient, the narrator has a god-like perspective, revealing the inner thoughts and emotions of multiple characters and providing a broader, more expansive view of the story world.

Over the course of this workshop, we’ll examine how each POV shapes the emotional connection between your characters and your readers, how it affects pacing and suspense, and how to choose the right one for your narrative goals. By the end, you’ll be able to identify not just what POV you’re using, but why—and use it with confidence and precision.

1. Understanding the Main POV Options

First-Person POV – Inside the Character’s Mind

• Strengths: Intimacy, immediacy, a strong narrative voice. Readers feel as though they’re experiencing the events with the narrator.

• Challenges: Limited to what the narrator knows or notices; can be biased or unreliable; harder to show events happening elsewhere.

• Best for: Deep emotional journeys, character-driven stories, and unreliable narrators.

• 
  

Example: “I tightened my grip on the envelope, my pulse loud in my ears. Whatever was inside could change everything.”

Third-Person Limited POV – Close, but with a Little Distance

• Strengths: Balances intimacy with flexibility; allows you to show both internal thoughts and external action; can shift to other characters between scenes or chapters.

• Challenges: Readers only know what the viewpoint character knows; difficult to reveal off-screen events without breaking immersion.

• Best for: Stories where you want focus on one character while maintaining some narrative distance.

• 
  

Example: “Maya gripped the envelope tightly. She didn’t notice her hands trembling until the paper crumpled under her fingers.”

Third-Person Omniscient POV – The All-Knowing Storyteller

• Strengths: Offers access to multiple characters’ thoughts, motivations, and emotions; gives a broad, world-encompassing view.

• Challenges: Can distance readers from characters if not balanced with emotional detail; risks overwhelming the audience with too much information; requires a consistent narrative voice.

• Best for: Sweeping, multi-character narratives, epic worldbuilding, and stories with interconnected plotlines.

Example: “Maya gripped the envelope tightly, unaware that across town, Daniel was holding an identical one, his mind racing with the same fear.”

Second-Person POV – The Immersive “You” (Experimental)

• Strengths: Unique and immersive; places the reader directly into the action.

• Challenges: Can feel forced if overused; works best in short pieces or specific stylistic contexts.

• Best for: Choose-your-own-adventure formats, literary experiments, or high-intensity emotional scenes.

Example: “You grip the envelope, your pulse thudding in your ears, as if the paper itself might bite.”

2. The Hidden Influence of POV

• Tone: A sarcastic first-person narrator changes the emotional tone completely, while an omniscient narrator might maintain an elegant, sweeping style.

• Intimacy: First-person and deep third-person limited create closeness; omniscient pulls back for a wider, more objective view.

• Suspense: Restricting information to what one character knows can create tension; omniscient can build dramatic irony by letting readers in on secrets characters don’t know.

• Character Development: POV dictates how much readers understand a character’s motivations, backstory, and growth.

3. Common Challenges

• First-Person Pitfalls: Risk of monotony if voice isn’t strong; difficulty showing events outside the narrator’s knowledge.

• Third-Person Limited Issues: Can feel claustrophobic if too much happens “off-page”; risk of “head-hopping” if you slip into another character’s mind.

• Omniscient Hazards: Information overload; lack of emotional intimacy if characters feel too distant.

• POV Switching Risks: If transitions aren’t clear and purposeful, readers may become confused or emotionally disconnected.

4. Practical POV Exercises

Exercise 1 – The POV Swap Take a short scene from your work-in-progress and rewrite it in:

• First-person (focus on emotional immediacy)

• Third-person limited (balance internal thoughts with external action)

• Omniscient (show multiple characters’ perspectives)

Compare how each version changes the tone, emotional impact, and pacing.

Exercise 2 – Character-by-Character Lens Write the same event from two different characters’ perspectives (first-person or third-person limited). Notice how their personal biases, knowledge gaps, and emotional states alter the same sequence of events.

Exercise 3 – Omniscient with Restraint Write a short paragraph in omniscient POV, but limit yourself to revealing only two characters’ inner thoughts. Focus on maintaining a consistent narrative voice while shifting perspectives smoothly.

Exercise 4 – Experimental Leap Write a 300-word scene in second-person POV or from a non-traditional narrator (e.g., the POV of a city, an animal, or an object). This will challenge your creativity and help you think differently about narrative connection.

Exercise 5 – POV and Suspense Write a suspenseful scene where the chosen POV either hides a critical piece of information (limited) or reveals it to the reader but not the character (omniscient). Compare how each creates a different type of tension.

5. Writer’s Takeaways

• Match POV to Purpose: Decide what emotional distance, scope, and level of information your story needs.

• Stay Consistent: Once you choose a POV, maintain clarity and avoid unintentional shifts.

• POV Shapes Trust: An unreliable first-person narrator can keep readers questioning; omniscient narration can create trust through authority.

• Experiment Early: Test different POVs before committing—you might find your story’s most powerful voice in an unexpected place.