Glossary · Writing & editing
What is POV (point of view) in writing?
Definition
POV (point of view): Point of view is the perspective a story is told from — first, second or third person, and whose eyes the reader sees events through.
Point of view (POV) is the narrative perspective of a story: who is telling it, and how much they know. It shapes how close readers feel to the characters, what information they get and when, and the voice of the whole book.
The main options are first person ("I"), where a character narrates their own story; second person ("you"), rare in novels but sometimes used for effect; third person limited ("she"), where the narration stays close to one character at a time and knows only what they know; and third person omniscient, where the narrator can move into any character's head and comment on events. Many genre novels use first person or close third; romance often alternates between two POV characters, chapter by chapter.
Whatever you choose, the key is consistency. "Head-hopping" — slipping into another character's thoughts mid-scene in a limited POV — confuses readers and is one of the most common issues editors flag. If you use multiple POV characters, switch at scene or chapter breaks and make each voice distinct, often labelling the chapter with the character's name.
POV and tense (past or present) are separate choices. Decide both before drafting, because changing them later means rewriting every page.