Whose Head Are You In?
Point of View: Seeing Through Your Story’s Eyes
Are you an omniscient narrator, or do you use a first- or third-person POV?
For first-person stories, consistency is the challenge — don’t change perspective along the way. The reader travels with your protagonist and only becomes aware of events when they do. Everything is perceived through your protagonist’s eyes. There is no context other than the protagonist’s viewpoint, thoughts, and actions.
When using a third-person narrative, make sure you stay with that protagonist or show (as in a new chapter or with a paragraph break) you are moving away to perceive things from someone else’s POV.
All too often, narratives jump from one person to another. That confuses the reader; it also makes it difficult to empathise or fall in love with the protagonist. Thus, they lose interest in your characters and are less invested in the plot.
Remember: head-hopping’s only cute if you’re a bunny, not a novelist.