The Six Narrative Perspectives

As a writer who has been critiqued and often critiques other authors, point-of-view (POV) is a common topic. However, talking about POV is not enough because it is intertwined with the overall narrative perspective of the work. That perspective is a mix-and-match of several concepts that should stay fairly consistent within a story:

• Who is narrating the story and how obvious is that person?
• Who are the characters and are any of them also narrators?
• When is the story (or scene) being told?
• What are the constraints imposed by grammar?
  • Person, as in 1st person (I), 2nd person (you), and 3rd person (he, she, they)
  • Tense, as in present, past, and future with all the shadings in between.

Why on earth did writers make this so complicated? Originally, it was not complicated. Early humans told stories of hunting: “Find rabbit. Eat it.” Thank goodness prehistoric humans always kept the period inside the quotes. The rules of story telling expanded over time to the complicated and overlapping concepts of writing we now have.

Whether you’re writing fantasy, science fiction, or horror, the perspective you choose shapes the reader’s experience of your world. Each of the following six perspectives offers different advantages and can open new possibilities for your speculative fiction.

1. Third-Person Limited Narrator

Popularity: High
Best for: Character-driven stories, mysteries, suspense, and stories with one or a few main characters.
Key concepts: The narrator uses “he,” “she,” or “they,” but restricts the story’s scope to the thoughts of only one (POV) character a time (per scene) and only describes (narrates) what that character can see or otherwise sense.
Example: In George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, each chapter limits the point of view perspective to one character, although each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character.

Pros:

• Deep Character Connection: It lets readers form a close bond with the main character, getting insight into their thoughts and emotions.
• Balance of Flexibility and Focus: Authors can still describe things outside the character’s immediate experiences, such as action or setting, without needing to account for the character’s direct awareness of these things. E.g. Columbine flowers sprouted along the trail that John hiked. (John does not know what a Columbine flower is, but the narrator does.)
• Increased Tension: This perspective limits knowledge to what the character knows, which can keep secrets and maintain suspense, especially in mysteries or thrillers.

Cons:

• Restricted Knowledge: The reader only knows what the main character knows, which can be challenging if you need to reveal information that the character wouldn’t reasonably know.
• Limited World-Building: In speculative fiction, where world-building is essential, third-person limited may make it harder to convey broad world details, as these would need to be revealed through the character’s perspective.

---

2. Third-Person Omniscient Narrator

Popularity: Moderate, especially in epic fantasy and historical fiction.
Best for: Large, complex worlds and stories with multiple plot-lines.
Key concepts: The narrator is all-knowing and can see inside the minds of multiple characters. This viewpoint can also reveal important background details and different settings, making it a good choice for stories with large casts and complex plots.
Example: J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings uses a third-person omniscient narrator

Pros:

• Broad World-Building: This perspective is ideal for building a rich, complex world because it allows the narrator to reveal history, background, and connections between events that the characters might not be aware of.
• Flexible Character Perspectives: It allows access to multiple characters’ thoughts and motivations, giving a complete view of the story and its players.
• Layered Narrative Structure: Omniscient narration makes it easier to weave in subplots and story-lines, especially in multi-character epics.

Cons:

• Emotional Distance: Readers might feel less connected to individual characters, as the omniscient perspective often shifts viewpoints and provides an overview rather than deep immersion. Readers may feel the narrator is holding back information.
• Risk of Overloading Information: Authors may be tempted to include too much background or switch perspectives too often, which can overwhelm readers or dilute the story’s impact.

---

3. First-Person Protagonist Narrator

Popularity: High in young adult fiction and genres like contemporary, thriller, and horror.
Best for: Intimate, character-driven stories where readers should feel directly connected to the protagonist.
Key concepts: The protagonist tells the story directly, using “I.” This approach can create a close, immersive experience, letting readers see the speculative world through one character’s unique perspective. The first-person protagonist narrator is commonly used in speculative fiction when the goal is to highlight personal experiences within a strange or dangerous setting.
Example: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss Everdeen tells her story in the first person.

Pros:

• High Emotional Engagement: The first-person perspective creates an intense connection between the reader and the protagonist, as they experience the character’s inner world directly.
• Distinctive Voice: It lets the character’s voice shine through, which can add personality, quirks, and bias to the story, making it feel more unique.
• Natural for Unreliable Narrators: First-person narration works well for unreliable narrators, as readers are limited to the character’s subjective, possibly flawed view of events.

Cons:

• Limited Perspective: The story is limited to what the main character knows or experiences, which can make it challenging to reveal broader information or subplots.
• Risk of Monotony: Spending an entire novel in one character’s mind can make it feel repetitive or claustrophobic, especially if the protagonist’s perspective is narrow or if the voice isn’t particularly engaging.

---

4. First-Person Witness Narrator

Popularity: Low but notable in literary fiction and psychological horror.
Best for: Stories where the main character is enigmatic, or when the narrator has a unique perspective on the main events.
Key concepts: The narrator tells the story from the viewpoint of a character who is not the protagonist but closely observes the main events. This perspective can offer a unique, sometimes detached lens through which to view the protagonist’s journey, which is especially valuable in speculative fiction where the narrator’s role is secondary yet insightful.
Example: H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu, the narrator is a distant relative of the main character.

Pros:

• Unique Angle: A witness narrator can provide a distinct, sometimes impartial view of the main character, creating mystery around the protagonist’s motives or actions.
• Intriguing Storytelling: This perspective lets the author present the protagonist through someone else’s eyes, which can add depth and multiple layers of interpretation to the story.
• Maintains Distance from Protagonist: It gives the reader some distance from the protagonist, which can be helpful for horror or psychological fiction, where an unreliable narrator can intensify the story’s impact.

Cons:

• Limited Insight: Since the narrator isn’t the protagonist, readers may lack a direct understanding of the main character’s thoughts or motivations, which can make it harder to create emotional investment.
• Challenging to Maintain Engagement: If the narrator isn’t fully involved in the action or doesn’t have an interesting perspective, readers may lose interest.

---

5. Third-Person Objective Narrator

Popularity: Low in fiction but sometimes used in noir, mystery, or short speculative fiction.
Best for: Stories that rely on atmosphere, suspense, or mystery, where actions speak louder than words.
Key concepts: The narrator tells the story without access to any character’s inner thoughts or feelings, presenting events like a neutral observer. This “fly on the wall” perspective allows the reader to interpret characters’ emotions and motives through actions and dialogue alone. In speculative fiction, this can create a sense of detachment or distance, which may be useful for particular story types or atmospheres.
Example: Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery uses a third-person objective narrator.

Pros:

• Creates Mystery: This detached approach leaves characters’ thoughts hidden, so readers must interpret feelings and motives through action alone, creating suspense and intrigue.
• Neutral Tone: It’s useful for gritty or noir stories that benefit from a detached, almost journalistic tone.
• Emphasis on Action and Dialogue: Since readers don’t have access to characters’ inner thoughts, they focus on what characters do and say, which can make dialogue and actions feel more meaningful.

Cons:

• Emotional Detachment: With no access to characters’ thoughts or feelings, it can be difficult for readers to connect deeply with them, which may make the story feel cold or distant.
• Challenging for Complex Plots: Without inner dialogue, conveying motivations, especially in speculative genres that require complex world-building, can be challenging.

---

6. Second-Person Narrator

Popularity: Low but used in experimental fiction, certain short stories, and some horror.
Best for: Stories that want an immersive or surreal effect, placing readers directly in the character’s shoes.
Key concepts: The narrator uses “you,” directly addressing the reader as if they are part of the story. This style is unusual but can create an immersive or unsettling experience, which can be very effective in speculative fiction.
Example: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, one of the storylines is told in the second person.

Pros:

• Direct Reader Involvement: By using “you,” this perspective makes readers feel like they’re part of the story, heightening immersion.
• Effective for Psychological Impact: It can create an intense, sometimes unsettling feeling, making it effective for horror or psychological fiction.
• Adds a Unique Twist: Second-person narration is uncommon and immediately stands out, which can make it memorable and impactful in short stories or experimental works.

Cons:

• Difficult to Sustain: This perspective can feel awkward over a long narrative, as the reader may feel forced into a role they don’t relate to.
• Risk of Alienating Readers: If readers don’t connect with the “you” character, they may feel distanced from the story, as it assumes they’re experiencing the events firsthand.
• Limited Appeal: It’s not a widely-used style, so readers might not be accustomed to it, which can make it feel like a barrier instead of an invitation into the story.

---

In summary, third-person limited remains the most popular because it balances emotional connection and flexibility, while first-person and third-person omniscient are also favored depending on the desired closeness or scope. Many authors feel that third-person limited requires less technical skill and is faster to produce. Each perspective has its pros and cons, so consider your story’s needs and the experience you want to give your readers when choosing a narrative perspective.