Point of view, or perspective, is the lens through which you tell your story. For example, you might tell an entire story through the eyes of the central character. In that case, you’ll read a lot of, “I thought I was going to die. I ran down to the store in such a flurry, I didn’t even notice him in my wake. Was he coming after me?”

Or, you might take on an all-knowing lens and tell the story through several characters’ eyes. In that case, you’ll read things like, “Jake took his seat beside her in the massive hall. It was so cold, he wondered if she could hear his teeth chatter. Elizabeth glanced at him out of her periphery. She wondered what that scent was emanating off him.”

Exciting, right? Point of view is to writers what clay is to sculptors. Let’s talk a little bit more about first, second, and third-person perspective. Then we’ll figure out how to use point of view in a way that will allow your writing to take flight.

By-view meaning

Related articles

Words near by-view in the Dictionary

Filter