narrative essay first person point view

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Last updated on Nov 14, 2022

First Person Point of View: Character-Driven Narration

First person point of view is when a story is told from a character’s own perspective using the pronoun ‘I,’ or more unusually, from a collective perspective using the plural pronoun “we.” The narrator interprets events in their own voice, giving the reader direct access to their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. This POV is common in fiction as it involves the reader directly in the story and allows authors to accomplish powerful characterization. 

An example of first person POV could look something like this: “ I feared what might greet me as I entered the kitchen.”

First person has remained a popular POV since the novel was invented, and it’s something all authors should try to master. That’s why we’ve created this guide to reveal the power of first person point of view.

First person creates an immersive experience

One of the main benefits of first person POV is that it creates intimacy. For Tracy Gold , Reedsy editor and Adjunct Professor of Composition at the University of Baltimore, writing in first person brings the reader closer to the narrator:

“With first person, the writer or reader becomes the character as they get deeper into the story, and that's the kind of immersive experience that makes me love a book.”

First person narration can create a sense of trust with the reader, pulling them into the story by evoking empathy. It feels like the story is being told to you by a confidant, which makes you care more about the protagonist and their struggles. 

A great example of the immersiveness of first person POV can be found in Dickens’ classic Great Expectations, famously about a young boy born into poverty. Since Dickens was writing for a primarily middle class audience, using the first person viewpoint was his way of getting the readers to relate more to his protagonist. 

I give Pirrip as my father’s name, on the authority of his tombstone and my sister, – Mrs. Joe Gargery, who married the blacksmith. As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like were unreasonably derived from their tombstones. 

— Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

This passage, told in Pip’s voice, immediately puts the reader into his shoes. They must process the casual tragedy of Pip’s short life through his eyes and feel the same loss he does. The readers of Dickens’s time would now more likely empathize with the main character even though they likely haven’t met a blacksmith before, let alone been a close relation to one. 

The intimacy of first person is why it’s such a popular viewpoint and some of that feeling is fostered by the story being told in the POV character’s unique voice.

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Character voices are at the forefront

The plot of a novel may fade from our memories over time, but we’ll always remember the characters and how they made us feel. This is even more true of first person perspective, where the protagonist tells us their story in their own words. Every line is filtered through their motivations , vices, and worldviews while in other POVs the only opportunity you get for this kind of filtering is through dialogue. The main character can come to life on the page as we are in their head through every moment of the journey. 

A particularly illuminating example of how first person POV can establish character voice is Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn — a novel in which a young boy recounts his adventures on the Mississippi River, together with a runaway slave. 

Tom’s most well now, and got his bullet around his neck as a watch-guard for a watch, and is always seeing what time it is, and so there ain’t nothing more to write about, and I’m rotten glad of it, because if I’d a knowed what a trouble it was to make a book I wouldn’t a tackled it, and ain’t a going to no more. But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I’ve been there before.

— The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

From this excerpt, we can clearly hear the childlike spirit that is characteristic of Huck. His voice also echoes the time and place the story takes place in, giving us further insight into the kind of world he inhabits. This is ultimately what makes him such a memorable character and the driving force behind this beloved novel. 

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Though a character’s unique voice isn’t always so benign. Sometimes, when a story is filtered entirely through one person, we might not get an unbiased version of events. 

Unreliable narrators create intrigue

First person narratives often excel at establishing intrigue by posing questions about the true nature of the narrator — are they representing an objective truth or are they pulling the wool over our overly trusting eyes?

As mentioned before, first person narrators are limited by their own personal understanding, biases, and motivations. They can easily become unreliable narrators , turning the concept of honesty and trust on its head. An unreliable narrator will make you wonder if they’re telling you the full story or leaving out details that completely alter what we’re seeing. This can be extra exciting if you only find out they’re unreliable partway through. 

For example, in Kazuo Ishiguro’s subtly dystopian novel, Never Let Me Go , we follow a group of students at Hailsham, a fictional English boarding school. Ishiguro uses the first person point of view to play with the concept of reliable and unreliable narration through an exploration of memory.

My name is Kathy H. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’ve been a carer now for over eleven years. That sounds long enough, I know, but actually they want me to go on for another eight months, until the end of this year. That’ll make it almost exactly twelve years. Now I know my being a carer so long isn’t necessarily because they think I’m fantastic at what I do. 

— Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro

In this passage, Kathy reveals that she’s become privy to new knowledge that has changed her perception of the past. But she’s not telling us what that knowledge entails. By slowly letting more doubt creep into the story, Ishiguro explores the fickle nature of memory, creating a creeping sense that there’s more to Hailsham than meets the eye. Readers will start to question not only the picture that Kathy paints, but their own ability to separate truth from reality.

An unreliable narrator not only creates an intriguing reading experience that challenges the reader to put the puzzle together themselves, but also highlights a first person narrator’s inherent subjectivity, though there are ways to bypass that even with first person narration.

Non-protagonist narrators can offer a different perspective

While unreliable narrators can lead to some juicy plot twists , in some cases a story can be made clearer from an outside perspective, which is where first person omniscient and outsider narrators come in. 

First person omniscient is when a first-person narrator is privy to the thoughts, actions, and motivations of other characters. Much like a journalist, they’re simply our eyes on the ground and can recount the events of the story with the benefit of hindsight. While they might not know exactly what the protagonist was thinking at the time, they have access to information that an observer wouldn’t. 

Most outsider narrators use the regular first person POV. Since they’re not personally part of the main conflict, they may be free from some of the biases first person narrators are subject to. We’re still getting the intimate character experience while getting an outside view of important characters and events. Some would call that the best of both worlds. 

A classic example of the outsider narrator is To Kill a Mockingbird, which takes place in the American South in the 1930s and recounts the trial of a Black man accused of raping a white woman. The story is narrated by a woman called Scout, looking back on the experiences of her 6-year-old self during the time of the trial. 

I said if he wanted to take a broad view of the thing, it really began with Andrew Jackson. If General Jackson hadn’t run the Creeks up the creek, Simon Finch would never have paddled up the Alabama, and where would we be if he hadn’t? We were far too old to settle an argument with a fist-fight, so we consulted Atticus. Our father said we were both right.

— To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Young Scout is central to the novel: any impressions the readers have are filtered through her eyes. However, the real drama unfolds in the courtroom and the world of the adults — a world she will only understand when she herself is grown up. Here we see how much Scout respects and values the opinion of her father, Atticus, which hints at how he will serve as the story’s moral compass, even when others in the town turn against him.

First person offers a straightforward way to introduce important characters and information, but this ease can be a double-edged sword. 

Exposition in first person is tough to get right

When a character is directly relating a story, it becomes far too easy to fall into the trap of “telling” rather than “showing,” especially when it comes to exposition. This poses a challenge to the writer who chooses the first person POV, the classic example being how to introduce your narrator. 

Sure, the POV character could just say what color their eyes are and some key personality traits they believe they have, but that will come across as unrealistic and shoehorned into the rest of the narrative. There are a few different ways to seamlessly include exposition in your story and avoid the dreaded infodump. 

Using dialogue to drip feed the reader important information is common — as is using the narrator's voice to get across personality. Self-description can also be sprinkled throughout instead of being listed in a paragraph.

James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues”, provides us with a great example of how descriptions of other characters can also reveal a lot about the narrator. It follows the reunion between the unnamed narrator and his estranged brother, Sonny, as they try to rekindle their relationship after Sonny’s addiction lands him in prison. 

When he was about as old as the boys in my classes his face had been bright and open, there was a lot of copper in it; and he’d had wonderfully direct brown eyes, and a great gentleness and privacy. I wondered what he looked like now. He had been picked up, the evening before, in a raid on an apartment downtown, for peddling and using heroin.

— "Sonny's Blues', James Baldwin

In this passage, we sense the affection our narrator feels for Sonny. The way he describes him as a younger man is full of love. However, the fact that he doesn’t know what he currently looks like reveals the conflict between them, though he never outright states that they haven’t spoken in years.

There you have it — the power of first person point of view. If you’re looking for something completely different, check out our next post about the controversial (but always intriguing) second person viewpoint!

3 responses

Sasha Anderson says:

31/05/2020 – 11:21

Isn't there a bit in The Great Gatsby where Nick tells us all about Gatsby's past? (It's a while since I read it so may be misremembering). Would that count as omniscient, or something else?

↪️ Franzie replied:

31/08/2020 – 01:39

Nevermind. I realized it's Second Person POV. Looking forward to know more from it on the succeeding lessons. :)

Franzie says:

31/08/2020 – 01:35

What do you call the POV wherein the person is talking to one of the characters. Is there such? For example: [ I felt nervous the moment our eyes met. "Hey, how are you?" you asked and I froze upon hearing your voice.] Something like that. Is this recommended? I plan my story to have a two POVs: FIRST PERSON and this kind of POV. Basically it's like a story within a story so there's a shifting of approach, thus I think it's okay to use as long as I know how to control it and it's not too much. But I will definitely not use this kind of POV for a whole novel. I am just curious on its purpose in a holistic view.

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• Writing Tips

First-Person Point of View: Definition and Examples

4-minute read

• 13th August 2023

The first-person point of view is a grammatical person narrative technique that immerses the reader into the intimate perspective of a single character or individual.

In this literary approach, the story unfolds through the eyes, thoughts, and emotions of the narrator, granting the reader direct access to their inner world. Through the narrator’s use of pronouns such as I and me , readers gain a personal and subjective understanding of the narrator’s experiences, motivations, and conflicts. For example:

If the author uses the third-person point of view , the sentence would read like this:

Why Write From the First-Person Point of View?

This point of view often creates a strong sense of immediacy, enabling readers to form a deep connection with the narrator while limiting the reader’s knowledge to what this character or narrator knows. It’s a dynamic viewpoint that allows the rich exploration of a character’s or narrator’s growth and provides the opportunity to delve into their personal struggles.

First-person narration shouldn’t be used or should be considered carefully in some situations. Familiarize yourself with genre style and tone before making this decision.

Using the First-Person Point of View in Fiction

The first-person point of view is a powerful tool in fiction because it can create an intimate and engaging connection between the reader and the narrator. It is particularly effective for the following purposes.

Developing a Character’s Voice and Personality

First-person narration facilitates a deep exploration of a character’s or narrator’s unique voice, thoughts, and personality. It enables readers to experience the story through the lens of the narrator or a specific character, giving the reader direct insight into their emotions, motivations, and growth.

Portraying Subjective Experiences

When the story relies heavily on the narrator’s or a character’s subjective experience, emotions, and perceptions, the first-person point of view can help the reader connect on a personal level. This bond is especially beneficial in stories that explore complex internal conflicts and psychological themes.

Enhancing Reader Empathy

First-person narratives can foster empathy by enabling readers to see the world through the eyes of the narrator. This perspective can lead to a more emotional and immersive reading experience, allowing readers to relate to and invest in the narrator’s or a character’s journey.

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Conveying Unreliable Narrators

First-person narration is excellent for stories featuring unreliable narrators . Readers can uncover discrepancies between what the narrator says and what they actually do, revealing layers of intrigue and mystery.

Delivering Engaging Storytelling

When the narrative requires a strong and engaging storyteller, the first-person point of view can make the story feel more like a conversation or confession, drawing the reader in.

It’s also important to note that using the first-person point of view comes with limitations. The narrator’s perspective is confined to what they personally experience, possibly limiting the scope of the story’s atmosphere and the portrayal of events that occur outside the narrator’s awareness. Consider how authors of classic novels have utilized point of view in their writing.

The First-Person Point of View in Research Essays

Generally, it’s preferable to avoid the first person in academic and formal writing. Research papers are expected to maintain an objective, unbiased, and impartial tone, focusing on presenting information, data, and analyses clearly. The use of I or we may introduce subjectivity and personal opinions, which can undermine the credibility and professionalism of the research.

Instead, the third-person point of view is preferred because it allows a more neutral and detached presentation of the material. Follow the guidelines and style requirements of the specific field or publication you’re writing for: some disciplines may have different conventions regarding the use of first-person language.

The first person can lend itself to some types of research description when the researcher is discussing why they made a particular decision in their approach or how and why they interpret their findings.

But be aware that when writers attempt to write without reverting to the first person, they often overuse the passive voice . In nonfiction or academic writing, staying in the first person may sometimes be better than using the passive voice.

Ultimately, the decision to use the first person in fiction or nonfiction depends on the specific goals of the author. Fiction authors should consider how this narrative choice aligns with the story’s themes, characters, and intended emotional impact. Research writers should carefully consider whether the use of the first person is necessary to convey their findings and decisions or whether that information could be described as or more effectively without it.

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What Is First-Person Point Of View? What You Should Know With Examples

What does it mean to write from the first-person point of view?

And what are the top benefits and pitfalls of a first-person narrative ? 

Think of the stories you’ve enjoyed reading.

How many of them used first-person perspective instead of third person (limited or omniscient)? 

If you’re debating whether to use first or third person (or even second) with your work in progress, we hope this post will help you decide. 

Let’s start with the obvious question: what is first-person ? 

What Is First-Person Point Of View? 

Examples of first-person point of view , benefits of writing in 1st person point of view , read the best-published examples of first-person pov. , decide on the tense you’ll use., create a detailed profile for your first-person character. , consider the benefits of an unreliable narrator. , make first-person pov evident from the beginning. , don’t italicize the first-person character’s thoughts. , share your narrator’s opinions. , go easy on the “i” filters. , vary your sentence structure. , stay true to your narrator’s voice. , stick with one first-person narrator (at a time)..

Point of view, in writing, has to do with the perspective from which you tell your story. First-person perspective is the default with nonfiction works like memoirs and other autobiographical pieces. 

You’ll know first-person point of view by the use of first-person pronouns, “I” and “we.” And when we talk about first-person in a story, we mean one of the two different types: 

• First-Person Central — where the narrator is the protagonist in the story and has an insider perspective (think Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye)
• First-Person Peripheral — where the narrator is a peripheral character and has more of an outsider perspective (think Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby )

Here are some examples of sentences written in both central and peripheral POV. 

First-Person Central

• I clearly remember the day he walked into my life, and my world changed from that moment on.
• We were confounded by her refusal even to consider our offer.
• I wish I could go back and experience that day again, as I didn’t appreciate then how exceptional it was.
• The day we discovered that little stream in the woods marked the beginning of a magical year.

First-Person Peripheral

• Eleanor told me she would never be the love of his life but always remain his dearest friend. 
• I wish I had known Michael when we were both young, before the weight of the world brought us together.
• My friendship with Sarah was never about common interests or anything like that but rather our twin souls.  
• Looking back, I see how it was inevitable that Tyler would have a meteoric rise to success and wealth.

If you’ve read any of the first-person point of view examples listed below, you know better than anyone how the use of first-person perspective drew you in and made the story more important to you. 

• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 
• Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood  
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

As a writer and storyteller, think about how your own experiences have formed your perspective and voice. 

Now that we’re clear on what first-person is, let’s explore the benefits of using it. Whether central or peripheral, your first-person narrator brings certain advantages over a third-person storyteller: 

• Because the narrator is in the story, their perspective draws the reader into it 
• First-person POV makes it easier for the reader to get to know the main character
• First-person POV is easier for newer fiction authors 

That last point is worth making. Authors who feel immersed in the story find it easier to draw their readers more deeply into it, too. And even with nonfiction, the first-person narrator’s personal experience lends credibility to the content they’re sharing. 

How to Write in First-Person Point of View 

Having a story to share and a preference for first-person perspective doesn’t guarantee you’ll find it easy to write or even get started. 

The following steps can help with that. 

The best place to start as a writer is to read the kinds of books you want to write. 

If you want to earn a living as a writer of sci-fi romances, for example, find and read stacks of highly-rated sci-fi romances, as well as sci-fi and romance novels of various types. 

If you’re not sure which ones use first person, download a sample and read it before buying the book.

Create a reading list and tackle it one title at a time. 

Will this story occur in the present, or is your first-person narrative telling a story from their past, relating it from memory (as if it were only yesterday)? 

The past tense works for both the central and peripheral types of first-person POV since either one could be telling the story from memory, as long as they survive. 

Present tense can make your story feel more urgent, though, because the narrator is living the moments as they share them. 

They don’t know how the story ends because, to them, it’s still unfolding. 

Interview your first-person character and build a profile based on their answers and what you picture when you think of them. Make them real enough to speak and to have opinions of their own. Put them to the test and see how they handle it. 

Give your first-person character a backstory, even if they’re not the protagonist. And decide how much of it you’ll share throughout the story. How much does the reader need to know to feel connected to (or at least interested in) the narrator’s perspective? 

One of the pitfalls of first-person POV is all-knowing characters whose omniscience robs the reader of the chance to figure things out along with the narrator. 

As with the present tense, an unreliable narrator raises the stakes and makes a satisfying outcome less of a given. There’s a chance it will all go wrong, so the reader has to keep reading to find out whether or not it will.  

Make it clear as soon as possible whose point of view you’re using and what role they play in the story.  This is one thing your reader shouldn’t have to guess. 

Think of openings like “Call me Ishmael” from Moby Dick — or the first line from David Copperfield : “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show…. ” 

Both authors make it clear from the beginning who’s speaking. 

You’re already telling the entire story from the first-person narrator’s perspective. Everything that isn’t another character’s dialogue comes from this character’s head. 

In most cases, italics are more distracting than helpful: “Icicles as long as my arm hang from the gutters over the garage. When will this winter end?”

Italics can be helpful, though, when the narrator remembers someone else’s words, which come to mind at a moment when their full meaning hits home.

The italics set the spoken words apart from present-moment thoughts and dialogue.

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Those opinions can be stronger than those of other characters, or they can be more flexible. 

As with real people, a character with strong opinions—and zero qualms about sharing them—but who can still laugh at themselves is more endearing than one with more flexible views who can’t bear to be criticized. 

That said, your narrator doesn’t have to be the most likable character in your story. 

Just because your narrator is the one telling the story doesn’t mean you have to make it extra obvious whose senses are involved in the description of the story’s setting and other characters. 

• “I saw the fog on the surface of the lake and could barely make out the hills on the opposite shoreline.” 
• Better: “The fog hovered over the surface of the lake and hid all but the shape of the hills on the opposite shoreline.” 

Reading a series of sentences starting with “I” gets old in a hurry. Mix it up by interspersing these I-sentences with less I-centric ones, as in the following example: 

“I felt the presence of someone behind me before I heard the sound of their boots on the snow-covered sidewalk. The snow fell in flakes the size of dandelion heads, and when one landed between my jacket and the back of my neck, I felt a hand sweep it away before it melted and dripped down my back. He stopped beside me and gently pulled up my hood…. “

The more familiar you are with your narrator’s unique voice, the easier it is to stay true to it throughout the story.

If the main story doesn’t do enough to help you develop the narrator’s voice, spend some time voice journaling as the narrator about anything that matters to them. 

• an opinionated rant about a movie they just watched
• a childhood memory that haunts them 
• thoughts about something related to the story

Be your narrator’s ghostwriter, and write the way they would speak. 

At the very least, each chapter should have only one character with a first-person point of view. The only way to be inside everyone’s head all at once is with third-person omniscient, which doesn’t use first-person pronouns (except in dialogue). 

Too many first-person speakers confuse the reader. They should know who is speaking as “I.” Readers tend not to finish books that confuse them. 

One voice at a time is enough for anyone to process. 

Now that you have a better handle on first-person point of view, which stories come to mind as great examples? And how will you use first-person perspective in a story of your own? 

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• Knowledge Base
• How to write a narrative essay | Example & tips

How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A narrative essay tells a story. In most cases, this is a story about a personal experience you had. This type of essay , along with the descriptive essay , allows you to get personal and creative, unlike most academic writing .

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Table of contents

What is a narrative essay for, choosing a topic, interactive example of a narrative essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about narrative essays.

When assigned a narrative essay, you might find yourself wondering: Why does my teacher want to hear this story? Topics for narrative essays can range from the important to the trivial. Usually the point is not so much the story itself, but the way you tell it.

A narrative essay is a way of testing your ability to tell a story in a clear and interesting way. You’re expected to think about where your story begins and ends, and how to convey it with eye-catching language and a satisfying pace.

These skills are quite different from those needed for formal academic writing. For instance, in a narrative essay the use of the first person (“I”) is encouraged, as is the use of figurative language, dialogue, and suspense.

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Narrative essay assignments vary widely in the amount of direction you’re given about your topic. You may be assigned quite a specific topic or choice of topics to work with.

• Write a story about your first day of school.
• Write a story about your favorite holiday destination.

You may also be given prompts that leave you a much wider choice of topic.

• Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself.
• Write about an achievement you are proud of. What did you accomplish, and how?

In these cases, you might have to think harder to decide what story you want to tell. The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to talk about a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

For example, a trip where everything went according to plan makes for a less interesting story than one where something unexpected happened that you then had to respond to. Choose an experience that might surprise the reader or teach them something.

Narrative essays in college applications

When applying for college , you might be asked to write a narrative essay that expresses something about your personal qualities.

For example, this application prompt from Common App requires you to respond with a narrative essay.

In this context, choose a story that is not only interesting but also expresses the qualities the prompt is looking for—here, resilience and the ability to learn from failure—and frame the story in a way that emphasizes these qualities.

An example of a short narrative essay, responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how the structure works.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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Writing First Person Point of View: Definition & Examples

by Alex Cabal

The first-person point of view (or PoV) tells a story directly from the narrator’s perspective, and using it can help the reader connect with your work. This is because first-person point of view uses language that mirrors how individual people naturally speak. It’s a way for a writer to share thoughts, ideas, or to tell a story in a close and relatable way, and brings the reader directly into the perspective of the narrator.

What is first-person PoV?

First-person perspective is when the protagonist tells a story from their own point of view using the pronoun “I.” This storytelling technique focuses on the internal thoughts and feelings of the “I” narrator, offering a deep immersion into the protagonist’s perspective. This creates the sensation that the character is speaking directly to the reader.

In conversation, first-person language would sound like “I went to the store earlier,” or “I saw a great movie on TV last night!” Internal thoughts may sound like “I wish he would just say how he feels,” or “Why can’t I be brave and just do it!”

Writing a first-person narrator provides the opportunity for both the writer and the reader to directly step into the “shoes” of the protagonist—if done well, it can deeply connect the reader to the work and allow them to experience the story directly from the perspective of the first-person narrator.

First-person narration can also be a great tool to use in non-fiction work, such as autobiographical and memoir pieces where the author is telling a true first-person account of their lived experience. For example, “I was there in Berkeley in 1969, and bore witness to rioting youth and the roots of the revolution.”

Writing in first-person narration brings the reader intimately—and at times empathetically—into the story, as they experience the world of the story directly from the character’s mind.

A writer can also use multiple first-person perspectives told through different characters in a story. Doing this can immerse the reader in each person’s unique perspective of what’s occurring in the plot.

A writer can also use first-person point of view to tell a story in both the past and present tense to offer direct opinions on the narrator’s personal experience through both reflection on the past and action in the present.

First-person point of view words and language

The words most often used in the first-person narrative include both singular and plural first-person pronouns.

Singular first-person point of view words list:

Plural first-person point of view words list:.

The language used follows the perspective of the narrator: “I did this,” or “he held my hand,” or “we went to the store together.”

What’s the difference between first, second, and third-person point of view?

You’ll often hear writers talking about first-person point of view, second-person point of view, and third-person point of view. But what’s the difference?

First-person PoV , as we looked at above, tells a story from just one character’s perspective (or, from one character at one time) using the pronoun “I.”

Second-person PoV is similar to first-person in that it follows just one character. In this case, however, second-person point of view uses the pronoun “you.” This perspective treats the reader as if they were part of the story.

Second-person point of view is challenging, and is generally best suited to the short story form. However, some authors have taken on the second-person PoV in novels, such as Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler . You might also recognize second-person narration from “Choose Your Own Adventure” books.

Third-person PoV is a perspective in which the reader is kept at a distance from the story. These stories use the third-person pronouns “He,” “She,” and “They.” Reading about a third-person narrator is like watching a film; you can see everything that’s happening, but you’re not part of it.

There are two common types of third-person perspective: third-person limited narration and the third-person omniscient narrator. The limited third-person narrative voice uses the he, she, they pronouns but follows only one character at a time.

The third-person omniscient point of view can see into all the characters, all the time. This type of third-person narration allows the reader to know more than any one character knows at any given time. An omniscient narrator mimics the experience of watching a stage play; the reader can see everything happening on the stage, even if the characters can’t.

Third-person point of view is popular and timeless because it’s the classic storytelling voice. It’s what we hear when someone says, “ Once upon a time… ” You’ll find that the majority of classic literary fiction, and much of contemporary fiction, uses this narrative point of view.

To learn more about using each of these point of view styles in your writing, why not visit the lesson series in our writing academy ?

What’s the difference between first-person and fourth-person point of view?

Writers often confuse first-person point of view and fourth-person point of view because they both tell a story from the perspective of the protagonist. The difference is that first-person PoV uses a singular voice, while fourth-person PoV uses a collective voice.

This isn’t quite the same thing as first-person plural. When plural first-person pronouns are used in first-person PoV—that would be words like “we” and “us”—it’s describing a shared experience between the narrator and another person.

For example, “We went to the movies, and Jim bought me some popcorn” is told in first person, even though it uses “we” to describe two people.

Fourth-person point of view treats a group of beings as one narrator. This is an experimental narrative form that’s become more popular in recent years and is effective in communicating large social issues. Your fourth-person narrator might be a group of suppressed office workers, a generation of young people facing a broken housing market, or a multilayered collective consciousness from outer space.

If you want to experiment with writing a fourth-person story, you’ll want to take a look at our detailed lesson here .

Types of first-person point of view

When we talk about first-person point of view, there are several types that we might be referring to. Let’s take a look at the different ways you might use the first-person voice in your story.

First-person central

In first-person central, the story is told from the protagonist’s point of view—the main character who is driving the plot. Using a first-person central PoV immerses the reader directly into the main character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions, as if the reader is the central character.

A classic example of first-person central PoV is Catcher in the Rye . Holden Caulfield, the novel’s protagonist, tells the story directly from his point of view. This provides the author the opportunity to address complex social issues from the perspective of a teenager.

First-person peripheral

In first person peripheral, the narrator tells the story as a witness, but is not the main character. Using the first-person peripheral perspective in storytelling allows the writer to keep the focus on the protagonist, yet keep the reader removed from the thoughts and feelings of the main character.

This type of distance puts the reader in the shoes of the narrator while the narrator relates their thoughts, opinions, and perception of the main character.

One example of first-person peripheral point of view is the Sherlock Holmes canon. In these stories, the narrator is John Watson, who tells the story from the perspective of witnessing his best friend solve mysteries. Writing from a peripheral perspective allowed the author to create intrigue, mystery, and suspense.

First-person subjective

In addition to the central and peripheral narrative point of view, your first-person PoV character will also use the subjective or objective voice.

Most first-person protagonists in literature are subjective. This means they tell the story through the lens of their own thoughts, feelings, cultural biases, and ambitions. This narrative choice adds richness to your story world, but also narrows the reader’s understanding to the way your protagonist sees the world around them.

First-person objective

The objective first-person point of view is less common, but can be very effective—particularly in genres like speculative fiction and horror. In this narrative style, the PoV character doesn’t interject their own preconceptions and ideas; it’s simply the narrator telling the reader what happens.

This makes the story sound a bit like a witness statement, and allows the impact of the events to come through the actions of the characters rather than through their emotions.

What is first-person limited and first-person omniscient point of view?

Choosing to write from a first-person limited or first-person omniscient point of view allows the author to decide what insight is shared with the reader, and how much the narrator knows about what’s occurring within the plot.

First-person limited point of view

First-person perspective typically takes on a limited perspective—the story is told directly, and only, from the narrator’s internal thoughts, feelings, and personal experiences. This means the entire story has a limited view of how the character sees and experiences the world.

An example of first-person limited point of view is the novel To Kill a Mockingbird . The story is told through the main character, a child named Scout, and the reader is only offered limited information from a child’s point of view. Writing from first-person limited offered Harper Lee the opportunity to approach complex topics from the eyes of a child.

First-person omniscient point of view

First-person omniscient is a more uncommon use of first person, as omniscient narration takes on a god-like understanding of what’s happening within the plot. Sometimes, this type of narration can be unnerving for a reader and cause them to disengage from a story. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done successfully.

An example of first-person omniscient narration is Saving Fish From Drowning , by Amy Tan. The story is written from the perspective of a ghost, Bibi Chen, a central yet peripheral character.

Having the story recounted by the spirit of the narrator allows the reader a vast amount of insight into all the characters’ thoughts and feelings without breaking the cadence of the story—at times offering comedic relief for experiences that might be deeply uncomfortable for the reader to experience first-hand.

Why do authors love first-person PoV?

First-person narrators allow the reader to get rooted in their character’s head and thereby achieve a tighter emotional connection with the reader. To make the connection even stronger, the character lets the audience in on secrets or insights that no one else knows.

First-person point of view is often used in autobiography and memoir writing, where the story must be told from one central perspective. Using first-person narrative in memoirs and autobiographies makes the story feel more genuine, authentic, and authoritative because the story is told directly as a first-hand account from the person who experienced the events themselves.

First-person novels are also popular with fiction writers, because they offer deep insight into the theme, story, and plot directly from the “I” narrator. This helps the writer connect with their demographics, their age, sex or gender, social status, and so forth.

First-person point of view in fiction writing can instill a sense of a narrator’s authority or credibility in the story, yet also offers the writer the opportunity to play with having the story told from an unreliable narrator or an unusual perspective.

Consider the earlier example of To Kill a Mockingbird and the way Lee used a child’s perspective to illuminate a theme of justice and complex social issues—a theme that might otherwise alienate a reader from the story, rather than create a sense of empathy.

While it may seem that writing in the first-person voice may be limiting in storytelling power—as the story focuses solely on the internal thoughts and feelings of the narrator—the role of the narrator can assist in weaving complexity and intricacy into the story.

Advantages of first-person point of view

First-person point of view can create a compelling, emotional story—sometimes even stronger than a story written in third-person PoV—because the character and reader are connected through intimate, one-on-one communication.

Advantages of first-person narrative include:

Creating a sense of mystery and intrigue; the first-person PoV shields the reader from certain information until a major moment unfolds in the plot, when both reader and narrator learn something new.

Lending a story credibility by building rapport with the reader, and thus making the narrator seem more reliable. This sense of connection can make the narrator and reader feel as if they’re sharing a private conversation.

Positioning the narrator as an unreliable narrator part way through the story can be used to subvert the reader’s expectations.

First-person PoV prose is highly character driven, leaning into who the character is as a person, their motivations, world views, the strengths and weaknesses of their personality. This perspective can evoke a deep sense of empathy and compassion that connects the reader to the story.

Disadvantages of first-person point of view

While first-person PoV can create an empathetic connection between the character and the reader, the reader is also limited to that one perspective—which can become very insular.

Disadvantages of first-person point of view include:

Given that first-person PoV is generally used as a limited perspective, it tends to the personal biases of the narrator. While bias from the narrator’s perspective may not fully be negative, it can turn away readers that don’t or can’t align with the inclinations, preferences, and perspectives of the narrator.

First-person PoV limits a story to the singular perspective of the narrator, which can make additional subplots more challenging since the reader can’t see into the mind of alternative characters.

Using a first-person perspective can also make it difficult for the narrator to describe themselves and their physical characteristics to give further context and details of the story.

Tips for writing in first-person PoV

The following tips for writing in the first-person point of view will lay out some best practices and give you some insight into how to avoid common mistakes.

1. Quickly establish who the narrator is

Open your story by establishing a strong character voice that demonstrates who this person is and why their voice is unique. Consider this example of an introductory paragraph to a story:

I’ll never understand why hospitals don’t use better lighting. No one wants ugly blue light shining into their eyes while as they look for the soft light everyone says calls to you from the end of the tunnel. I don’t see a tunnel, all I see is the burning glare of this light, reflecting at me from all of these too shiny metallic surfaces.

In this example, the character’s tone is immediately established as critical, unhappy, and bitter. Additionally, the reader is given clear details about the character—that they’re in a hospital, possibly dying, and that the story is told directly from their perspective.

2. Stay in character

Think about the demographics of your character, their background, culture, education, and influences, and remain true to who the character is.

This is especially true when it comes to writing dialogue, and if you’re using any kind of vernacular. For example, if a story is told from the perspective of an exhausted waitress who grew up in a big city on the east coast, it would be unlikely that she would approach a table and say:

“Hi y’all, you feelin’ hungry? What looks good today?”

She would probably use terse and maybe even sharp language that gets straight to the point, and wouldn’t use southern vernacular or phrases such as “y’all” or “feelin’.” Instead, she might say: “Did you look at the menu? Are you ready to order?” Make sure your PoV character uses their own voice.

3. Follow your narrator

Don’t lose scope of what the narrator knows within the story—not only pertaining to the thoughts and emotions of other characters, but also to what’s occurring in the plot and world around them.

For example, if your main character is sitting in a jail cell waiting to hear back from their lawyer about the verdict of the trial, there’s no way for them to know the events that are unfolding in the courtroom until a scene takes place where the character is told what happened.

4. Avoid head hopping

Avoid head hopping and don’t change characters’ perspectives within a single paragraph or chapter. If you choose to use more than one first-person narrator within a story, ensure that the transitions between the other characters and perspectives are easily identifiable within the text.

For example, a story about a relationship between two people could be told from each person’s first-person PoV, but the author would need to make it clear which character is telling each part of the story. To avoid slipping into another character’s head, consider this example:

She looked at me, thinking about how I had eaten the last piece of her chocolate birthday cake.

The narrator can’t know what “she” is thinking. Instead, consider the following example that strictly stays in the thoughts and perspective of the narrator:

She looked at the empty plate, and then at me. I felt the accusation in her glare. How dare she think I would eat the last of her chocolate birthday cake?

You can find out more about this cardinal sin of fiction writing through our lesson on head hopping here.

5. Limit the use of “I” and repetitive language

Overuse of “I” language within a story can be monotonous and repetitive for a reader, especially if “I” is used heavily at the beginning of sentences. To avoid the overuse and repetition of “I,” consider the following example:

“I love that particular flavor of ice cream…” vs. “That particular flavor of ice cream is a favorite of mine.”

Or, “I know this room…” could also be written in the passive voice as: “This room feels familiar.”

Playing with both active and passive voice and seeking creative ways to share information about a narrator can keep the text from becoming overwhelmingly repetitive with the use of “I.”

In addition, when writing dialogue in the first person, avoid repetition of “he said” and “she said.” In these instances using character names and descriptive language can assist in alleviating overly repetitive text.

For example:

“Angela, I want out of this wedding.” “You can’t,” she sighed. “My mother already bought the dress and my father put a downpayment on the venue.” “Do you think I care about a dress or a downpayment? I want out.” A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Fine. Leave, and don’t ever come back.” “I won’t.”

To dive deeper, you can check out our lesson on active and passive voice , and our detailed article on mastering dialogue tags !

First-person PoV examples from literature

One of the best ways to learn how to write in the first person is to read books and novels that have been written in first-person point of view. Here are a few novels written in this narrative style:

The Hunger Games , by Suzanne Collins.

The Fault in Our Stars , by John Green.

Elmet , by Fiona Mozley.

Into the Jungle , by Erica Ferencik.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , by Mark Twain.

Moby-Dick , by Herman Melville.

Never Let Me Go , by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Goodbye, Vitamin , by Rachel Khong.

The Time Traveler’s Wife , By Audrey Niffenegger.

First-person point of view opens new worlds

First-person point of view has a lot to offer the writer, no matter what genre you’re writing in. Unlike third-person point of view, which puts some distance between the reader and the story, using first-person pronouns effectively brings the reader right into the heart of your story.

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What Is Narrative Point Of View And Which One Should I Use?

The narrative point of view, in a nutshell, is the perspective through which your story is told—the eyes observing what happens.

Most would say there are three types of viewpoint, but to throw a spanner in the works and for the sake of clarity, I’m going to say there are four. You’ve got first person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient . Yes the last two are both third person, but they’re markedly different. 

Below, we look at the definition of each, discuss the advantages and disadvantages to help you choose which one to use, and the key differences between each one.

Choose A Narrative Point Of View

First person, second person, third person limited, third person omniscient, narrative point of view examples, tips on narrative point of view from professional book editors.

If you’d rather a visual explainer, check out this awesome video on narrative point of view:

This is the viewpoint of ‘I’.

“I picked up the sword. I chopped off his toes.”

First person has a present narrator, guiding us through the tale—what they see, think, feel. It’s perhaps the most intimate of all viewpoints, the reader sharing the mind of your point of view (POV) character.

H.P. Lovecraft was a big fan of the first person form, and in my view, was a master of it. The manner in which he tells his tales makes the narrator feel almost invisible. Rarely does he use the word ‘I’. On page one of chapter one of The Call of Cthulhu for example , ‘I’ is used just three times. Prose riddled with a repetitious word of any kind, ‘I’ one example, can disrupt a reader’s flow.

  As with all viewpoints, there are pros and cons. Here’s a few pros :

• The intimate nature of this approach makes it easier to build empathy between the reader and your character. This can be particularly helpful if your character is something of an anti-hero.
• For the reasons set out above, it’s immediately immersive for the reader, the story grabbing them by the collar and pulling them into the action.
• If your story focuses on characters, it’s a great way to shine that stage light right on them.

A few cons, to keep things balanced:

• The narration of the tale is limited to that character. So for example, it may be disruptive for the reader to be told the thoughts of one character, when the tale so far has been through the eyes of another. Your POV character ought instead to infer thoughts and feelings from the body language and facial expressions of others. Unless your story is about mind reading, in which case disregard this entire paragraph.
• When writing with ‘I’ it can be easy to slip into your own voice as opposed to the characters’. Stay vigilant!
• It can be tempting to over-indulge in thought or emotional reflection at the expense of moving the story forwards.
• If your POV character isn’t particularly likeable, engaging or charismatic the reader may lose interest.
• As mentioned above, try to avoid peppering a piece with ‘I’s’. If you’ve got a lot of them, you could try re-arranging sentences to remove them or altering words.

  The second person is the form you’re reading now—the ‘you’s’. The narrator addresses the reader directly, which also gives an intimate feel. It’s quite unusual to see in fiction. It’s a popular form in blogs, for example, because it makes for a more engaging read. I hope.

Literary agent Noah Lukeman in his book on writing The First Five Pages states that “it’s extremely stylistic and nearly impossible to keep up for

more than a page or two.” Sol Stein , master editor, in his book Stein On Writing recommends just shelving this approach altogether (in fiction).

Also referred to as third person subjective, this viewpoint tends to be the default for many writers. 1984 by George Orwell, a very relevant book at the moment, way ahead of its time, is an example of a story written in first person. George R.R. Martin uses it in all books of A Song of Ice and Fire , so too does Raymond Feist in The Riftwar Cycle novels, James Barclay in The Chronicles of the Raven series… we could list until nuclear warfare ends the world, which may not be far off, but we’ve all got better things to do.

Third person limited is similar to first person in that the story follows the perspective of one character, allowing the reader to step inside their mind. Prose is written in the form of ‘he’, ‘she’, and ‘they’, with the tense mainly past, though present sometimes too. Here’s a couple of examples:

“James ceased his commentary as something caught his eye. He turned abruptly, reached out, and yanked a small boy away from Borric’s horse. James lifted the boy off the ground and looked him hard in the eyes.”

Prince of Blood , Raymond Feist.

“Jon blew out the taper he carried, preferring not to risk an open flame amidst so much old dry paper. Instead he followed the light, wending his way down the narrows aisles beneath barrel-vaulted ceilings.”

A Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin.

Here’s a few advantages to using this viewpoint:

• If you enrich your tale with numerous, interesting and unique viewpoints it’ll serve the story well. It gives you a wider scope to world-build, develop conflict and tension. In busy scenes, such as battles, different viewpoints give you the ability to explain how things are developing across the scene, not just in one section, all the while exploring different emotions and reactions.
• Everyone loves a character that grows from a nobody into a hero, and this perspective is a great way to take the reader on that journey.
• It’s the preferred approach by many contemporary writers and publishers.

  And the disadvantages :

• As with first person, the narration is limited to your POV character. Behaviour can be observed, but thoughts not known.
• Linked to the above, knowledge is restricted to your POV character. For example, if your fantasy huntress has spent her entire life in the woods, with no knowledge of civilization, the narration would seem a bit odd if cities were described.

As with third person limited, the story is still about ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘they’, but the narrator tells the reader the thoughts and emotions of all, or a large number, of characters. It can be quite a demanding approach, but in the right hands works tremendously. Tolkien was a fan. He tended to stick to the POV’s of a handful of characters—Sam, Frodo, Aragorn (to name a few)—though dips into the minds of others too.

I’d say he falls into the realm of the in between. A blend of both. Adrian Tchaikovsky is another (fantastic) writer who I’d say adopts the same approach. A mix of the two is very useful when describing scenes, places or characters, then once description is done, return to your POV characters.

So why do I keep this and third person limited apart? It’s the styles in which they are written. Omniscient follows an all-knowing narrator, whereas limited follows the tale of one or a few characters. If anything, limited lies closer to first person.

The advantages :

• You can describe your world without restraint, because you are god and you know all. It does not matter if your protagonist has never been somewhere, you can describe it down to the last detail.

The disadvantages :

• It can get quite demanding exploring the thoughts of all or a group of characters. Your story may go from a hundred thousand word piece to a series of encyclopedic volumes. To address this, pick just a handful, like Tolkien.
• Stories told in this form are regarded as quite slow.
• According to Penguin Random House, its fallen out of favour with some publishers, mainly because it’s quite an old fashioned style. Tchaikovsky proves otherwise, mind.
• One of the biggest drawbacks is that this viewpoint tends to ‘tell’ the story, instead of ‘show’ it. See my blog post on showing v telling here .
• The narration can have something of a cold and distant feel, with little emotional depth and weak ties to characters.

What Is The Main Difference Between The Limited and Omniscient Third-Person Narrative Point of View?

The primary distinction between limited and omniscient third-person narrative points of view in fiction writing is the extent of access to characters’ thoughts and the breadth of knowledge conveyed to the reader.

In the limited third-person point of view, the narrator conveys the story from the perspective of a single character, often the protagonist, sometimes the villain or antagonist , such as in John Gardner’s Grendel, which I discuss below. The reader is privy to the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of this central character, experiencing the world through their eyes. However, knowledge is restricted to what this character knows or can observe.

The narrator in an omniscient perspective possesses a godlike omniscience, knowing the thoughts, emotions, and experiences of all the characters in the story. This vantage point allows the narrator to provide insight into the inner lives of multiple characters, delve into their motivations, and offer a comprehensive understanding of the story’s worldbuilding and universe. In essence, readers gain a panoramic view of the narrative.

It helps to look at some examples of books that adopt different narrative points of view. This is even more important if you’re trying a new viewpoint for the first time. Having that reference point can help no-end.

Here are a smattering of examples:

• “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger: The novel is narrated in the first person by its protagonist, Holden Caulfield, offering an intimate look into his thoughts and experiences.
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee: Scout Finch serves as the first-person narrator, providing a child’s perspective on the events in the book.
• “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling: The series predominantly employs a third-person limited point of view, following the adventures of Harry Potter while providing insights into his thoughts and emotions.
• “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins: Katniss Everdeen is the central character in this dystopian series, and the narrative is limited to her perspective, giving readers access to her inner world.
• “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy: Tolstoy’s epic novel utilizes a third-person omniscient point of view, allowing readers to delve into the thoughts and emotions of multiple characters across a vast canvas of Russian society.
• “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen: Austen employs a third-person omniscient perspective to offer insights into the thoughts and feelings of various characters, particularly Elizabeth Bennet.
• “Choose Your Own Adventure” series by various authors: These interactive books address the reader directly in the second person, allowing them to make choices that impact the course of the story.
• “If on a winter’s night a traveler” by Italo Calvino: This experimental novel employs the second person to engage the reader directly in a complex narrative structure.

The Narrative Point Of View In Grendel by John Gardner

Published in 1971, John Gardner’s novel “Grendel” is a must-read for those seeking a unique take on the classic Beowulf story. What sets this book apart is its innovative use of narrative point of view, offering readers a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on the age-old tale.

Unlike the traditional third-person narratives often found in epic and heroic sagas, Gardner takes a bold step by letting the monster, Grendel, take center stage as the novel’s first-person narrator.

This narrative choice is a game-changer. It allows readers to get inside Grendel’s head, experiencing his thoughts, feelings, and experiences firsthand. Suddenly, the monster isn’t just a mindless antagonist; he’s a complex character with profound existential struggles, deep loneliness, and a quest for meaning in a world that labels him a villain.

The first-person narrative perspective humanizes Grendel and forces us to question conventional notions of good and evil. We see the world through his eyes and understand his motivations.

Lukeman recommends sticking with one viewpoint until reaching a line break. Switching from first to third person within the same passage can be confusing for a reader. He’s very much against switching viewpoint at all, but says that “if you feel compelled to switch, at least do it in a place that will make it less disorientating for the reader.” He asks too why do you feel compelled to switch? Most times it’s down to the POV character lacking something and encourages you to spend more time working on that character.

Related to the above point, Sol Stein says, “The choice of point of view is yours, but once you’ve decided, be sure that you stick to it as if your reader’s experience of the story depended on it. Because it does.”

Which should you use? Stein recommends the one you feel most comfortable with. Try them all, and see for yourself. “… if your work isn’t satisfying you, you can always put the draft aside and re-write it from another point of view. If you’ve used third person, try first.”

For more writing tips and guides , head here.

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Types of Point of View: The Ultimate Guide to First Person and Third Person POV

by Joe Bunting | 72 comments

In my experience as an editor, point of view problems are among the top mistakes I see new writers make, and they instantly erode credibility and reader trust. Point of view isn't easy though, since there are so many to choose from: first person point of view, third person limited, third person omniscient, and second person.

What do those even mean? And how do you choose the right one for your story?

All stories are written from a point of view. However, when point of view goes wrong—and believe me, it goes wrong often—you threaten whatever trust you have with your reader. You also fracture their suspension of disbelief.

However, point of view is simple to master if you use common sense.

This post will define point of view, go over each of the major POVs, explain a few of the POV rules, and then point out the major pitfalls writers make when dealing with that point of view.

Table of Contents

Point of View Definition The 4 Types of Point of View The #1 POV Mistake First Person Point of View Second Person Point of View Third Person Limited Point of View Third Person Omniscient Point of View FAQ: Can you change POV in a Series? Practice Exercise

Point of View Definition

The point of view, or POV, in a story is the narrator's position in the description of events, and comes from the Latin word, punctum visus , which literally means point sight. The point of view is where a writer points the sight of the reader.

Note that point of view also has a second definition.

In a discussion, an argument, or nonfiction writing, a point of view is an opinion about a subject. This is not the type of point of view we're going to focus on in this article (although it is helpful for nonfiction writers, and for more information, I recommend checking out Wikipedia's neutral point of view policy ).

I especially like the German word for POV, which is Gesichtspunkt , translated “face point,” or where your face is pointed. Isn't that a good visual for what's involved in point of view? It's the limited perspective of what you show your reader.

Note too that point of view is sometimes called narrative mode or narrative perspective.

Why Point of View Is So Important

Why does point of view matter so much?

For a fiction writer, point of view filters everything in your story. Everything in your story must come from a point of view.

Which means if you get it wrong, your entire story is damaged.

For example, I've personally read and judged thousands of stories for literary contests, and I've found point of view mistakes in about twenty percent of them. Many of these stories would have placed much higher if only the writers hadn't made the mistakes we're going to talk about soon.

The worst part is these mistakes are easily avoidable if you're aware of them. But before we get into the common point of view mistakes, let's go over each of the four types of narrative perspective.

The Four Types of Point of View

Here are the four primary types of narration in fiction:

• First person point of view.  First person perspective is when “I” am telling the story. The character is in  the story, relating his or her experiences directly.
• Second person point of view. The story is told to “you.” This POV is not common in fiction, but it's still good to know (it is  common in nonfiction).
• Third person point of view, limited. The story is about “he” or “she.” This is the most common point of view in commercial fiction. The narrator is outside of the story and relating the experiences of a character.
• Third person point of view, omniscient. The story is still about “he” or “she,” but the narrator has full access to the thoughts and experiences of all  characters in the story. This is a much broader perspective.

I know you've seen and probably even used most of these point of views.

While these are the only types of POV, there are additional narrative techniques you can use to tell an interesting story. To learn how to use devices like epistolary and framing stories, check out our full narrative devices guide here .

Let's discuss each of the four types, using examples to see how they affect your story. We'll also go over the rules for each type, but first let me explain the big mistake you don't want to make with point of view.

The #1 POV Mistake

Do not begin your story with a first person narrator and then switch to a third person narrator. Do not start with third person limited and then abruptly give your narrator full omniscience. This is the most common type of error I see writers make with POV.

The guideline I learned in my first creative writing class in college is a good one:

Establish the point of view within the first two paragraphs of your story.

And above all, don't change your point of view . If you do, it creates a jarring experience for the reader and you'll threaten your reader's trust. You could even fracture the architecture of your story.

That being said, as long as you're consistent, you can sometimes get away with using multiple POV types. This isn't easy and isn't recommended, but for example, one of my favorite stories, a 7,000 page web serial called Worm ,  uses two point of views—first person with interludes of third-person limited—very effectively. (By the way, if you're looking for a novel to read over the next two to six months, I highly recommend it—here's the link to read for free online .) The first time the author switched point of views, he nearly lost my trust. However, he kept this dual-POV consistent over 7,000 pages and made it work.

Whatever point of view choices you make, be consistent. Your readers will thank you!

Now, let's go into detail on each of the four narrative perspective types, their best practices, and mistakes to avoid.

First Person Point of View

In first person point of view, the narrator is in the story and telling the events he or she is personally experiencing.

The simplest way to understand first person is that the narrative will use first-person pronouns like I, me, and my.

Here's a first person point of view example from Herman Melville's  Moby Dick :

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world

First person narrative perspective is one of the most common POVs in fiction. If you haven't read a book in first person point of view, you haven't been reading.

What makes this point of view interesting, and challenging, is that all of the events in the story are filtered through the narrator and explained in his or her own unique narrative voice.

This means first person narrative is both biased and incomplete, but it can also deliver a level of intimacy other POVs can't.

Other first person point of view examples can be found in these popular novels :

• The Sun Also Rises  by Ernest Hemingway
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• The Hunger Games  by Suzanne Collins
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte

First Person Narrative is Unique to Writing

There's no such thing as first person in film or theater—although voiceovers and mockumentary interviews like the ones in The Office and Modern Family provide a level of first person narrative in third person perspective film and television.

In fact, the very first novels were written in first person, modeled after popular journals and autobiographies which were first-person stories of nonfiction..

First Person Point of View is Limited

First person narrators are narrated from a single character's perspective at a time. They cannot be everywhere at once and thus cannot get all sides of the story.

They are telling their  story, not necessarily the  story.

First Person Point of View is Biased

In first person novels, the reader almost always sympathizes with a first person narrator, even if the narrator is an anti-hero with major flaws.

Of course, this is why we love first person narrative, because it's imbued with the character's personality, their unique perspective on the world.

The most extreme use of this bias is called an unreliable narrator. Unreliable narration is a technique used by novelists to surprise the reader by capitalize on the limitations of first person narration to make the narrator's version of events extremely prejudicial to their side and/or highly separated from reality.

You'll notice this form of narration being used when you, as the reader or audience, discover that you can't trust the narrator.

For example, Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl  pits two unreliable narrators against one another. Each relates their conflicting version of events, one through typical narration and the other through journal entries. Another example is  Fight  Club , in which *SPOILER* the narrator has a split personality and imagines another character who drives the plot.

Other Interesting Uses of First Person Narrative:

• The classic novel Heart of Darkness is actually a first person narrative within a first person narrative. The narrator recounts verbatim the story Charles Marlow tells about his trip up the Congo river while they sit at port in England.
• William Faulkner's Absalom,  Absalom  is told from the first person point of view of Quentin Compson; however, most of the story is a third person account of Thomas Sutpen, his grandfather, as told to Quentin by Rosa Coldfield. Yes, it's just as complicated as it sounds!
• Salman Rushdie's award-winning  Midnight's Children  is told in first person, but spends most of the first several hundred pages giving a precise third person account of the narrator's ancestors. It's still first person, just a first person narrator telling a story about someone else.

Two Big Mistakes Writers Make with First Person Point of View

When writing in first person, there are two major mistakes writers make :

1. The narrator isn't  likable. Your protagonist doesn't have to be a cliché hero. She doesn't even need to be good. However, she must  be interesting .

The audience will not stick around for 300 pages  listening to a character they don't enjoy. This is one reason why anti-heroes make great first person narrators.

They may not be morally perfect, but they're almost always interesting. (Remember Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye ?)

2. The narrator tells but doesn't show. The danger with first person is that you could spend too much time in your character's head, explaining what he's thinking and how he feels about the situation.

You're allowed to mention the character's mood, but don't forget that your reader's trust and attention relies on what your character does , not what he thinks about doing.

Second Person Point of View

While not used often in fiction—it is used regularly in nonfiction, song lyrics, and even video games—second person POV is still helpful to understand.

In this point of view, the narrator relates the experiences using second person pronouns like you and your. Thus, you  become the protagonist, you  carry the plot, and your  fate determines the story.

We've written elsewhere about why you should try writing in second person , but in short we like second person because it:

• Pulls the reader into the action of the story
• Makes the story   personal
• Surprises the reader
• Stretches your skills as a writer

Here's an example from the breakout bestseller  Bright Lights, Big City by Jay Mclnerney (probably the most popular example that uses second person point of view):

You have friends who actually care about you and speak the language of the inner self. You have avoided them of late. Your soul is as disheveled as your apartment, and until you can clean it up a little you don't want to invite anyone inside.

Second person narration isn't used frequently, however there are some notable examples of it.

Some other novels that use second person point of view are:

• Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure series? If you've ever read one of these novels where you get to decide the fate of the character (I always killed my character, unfortunately), you've read second person narrative.
• The Fifth Season  by N.K. Jemison
• The opening of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

There are also many experimental novels and short stories that use second person, and writers such as William Faulkner, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Albert Camus played with the style.

Breaking the fourth wall:

In the plays of William Shakespeare, a character will sometimes turn toward the audience and speak directly to them. In  A Midsummer Night's Dream , Puck says:

If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear.

This narrative device of speaking directly to the audience or the reader is called breaking the fourth wall (the other three walls being the setting of the story).

To think of it another way, it's a way the writer can briefly use second person in a first or third person narrative.

It's a lot of fun! You should try it.

Third Person Point of View

In third person narration, the narrator is outside of the story and relating the experiences of a character.

The central character is not the narrator. In fact, the narrator is not present in the story at all.

The simplest way to understand third person narration is that it uses third-person pronouns, like he/she, his/hers, they/theirs.

There are two types of this point of view:

Third Person Omniscient

The all-knowing narrator has full access to all  the thoughts and experiences of all  the characters in the story.

Examples of Third Person Omniscient:

While much less common today, third person omniscient narration was once the predominant type, used by most classic authors. Here are some of the novels using omniscient perspective today.

• War and Peace  by Leo Tolstoy
• Middlemarch  by George Eliot
• Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
• Still Life by Louise Penny (and all the Inspector Gamache series, which is amazing, by the way)
• Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (one of my favorites!)
• A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• More third person omniscient examples can be found here

Third Person Limited

The narrator has only some, if any, access to the thoughts and experiences of the characters in the story, often just to one  character .

Examples of Third Person Limited

Here's an example of a third person limited narrator from  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone  by J.K. Rowling:

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous…. He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: “To Harry Potter—the boy who lived!”

Some other examples of third person limited narration include:

• Game of Thrones s eries by George R.R. Martin (this has an ensemble cast, but Martin stays in one character's point of view at a time, making it a clear example of limited POV with multiple viewpoint characters, which we'll talk about in just a moment)
• For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
• ​The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
• The Da Vinci Code  by Dan Brown
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• Ulysses by James Joyce
• Love in the Time of Cholera  by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• 1984  by   George Orwell
• Orphan Train by   Christina Baker Kline
• Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Should You Use Multiple Viewpoint Characters vs. a Single Perspective?

One feature of third person limited and first person narrative is that you have the option of having multiple viewpoint characters.

A viewpoint character is simply the character whose thoughts the reader has access to. This character become the focus of the perspective during the section of story or the story as a whole.

While it increases the difficulty, you can have multiple viewpoint characters for each narrative. For example,  Game of Thrones  has more than a dozen viewpoint characters throughout the series.  Fifth Season has three viewpoint characters. Most romance novels have at least two viewpoint characters.

The rule is to only focus on one viewpoint character at a time (or else it changes to third person omniscient).

Usually authors with multiple viewpoint characters will change viewpoints every chapter. Some will change after section breaks. However, make sure there is  some  kind of break before changing so as to prepare the reader for the shift.

Should You Use Third Person Omniscient or Third Person Limited

The distinction between third persons limited and omniscient is messy and somewhat artificial.

Full omniscience in novels is rare—it's almost always limited in some way—if only because the human mind isn't comfortable handling all the thoughts and emotions of multiple people at once.

The most important consideration in third person point of view is this:

How omniscient are you going to be? How deep are you going to go into your character's mind? Will you read their thoughts frequently and deeply at any chance? Or will you rarely, if ever, delve into their emotions?

To see this question in action, imagine a couple having an argument.

Tina wants Fred to go to the store to pickup the cilantro she forgot she needed for the meal she's cooking. Fred is frustrated that she didn't ask him to pick up the cilantro on the way home from the office, before he had changed into his “homey” clothes (AKA boxer shorts).

If the narrator is fully omniscient, do you parse both Fred and Tina's emotions during each back and forth?

“Do you want to eat ? If you do, then you need to get cilantro instead of acting like a lazy pig,” Tina said, thinking, I can't believe I married this jerk. At least back then he had a six pack, not this hairy potbelly . “Figure it out, Tina. I'm sick of rushing to the store every time you forget something,” said Fred. He felt the anger pulsing through his large belly.

Going back and forth between multiple characters' emotions like this can give a reader whiplash, especially if this pattern continued over several pages and with more than two characters. This is an example of an omniscient narrator who perhaps is a little too comfortable explaining the characters' inner workings.

“ Show, don't tell ,” we're told. Sharing all  the emotions of all  your characters can become distraction. It can even destroy any tension you've built.

Drama requires mystery. If the reader knows each character's emotions all the time, there will be no space for drama.

How do You Handle Third Person Omniscient Well?

The way many editors and many famous authors handle this is to show the thoughts and emotions of only one character per scene (or per chapter).

George R.R. Martin, for example, uses “ point of view characters ,” characters whom he always has full access to understanding. He will write a full chapter from their perspective before switching to the next point of view character.

For the rest of the cast, he stays out of their heads.

This is an effective guideline, if not a strict rule, and it's one I would suggest to any first-time author experimenting with third person narrative. Overall, though, the principle to show, don't tell should be your guide.

The Biggest Third Person Omniscient Point of View Mistake

The biggest mistake I see writers make constantly in third person is  head hopping .

When you switch point of view characters too quickly, or dive into the heads of too many characters at once, you could be in danger of what editors call “head hopping.”

When the narrator switches from one character’s thoughts to another’s  too quickly, it can jar the reader and break the intimacy with the scene’s main character.

We've written about how you can get away with head hopping elsewhere , but it's a good idea to try to avoid going into more than one character's thoughts per scene or per chapter.

Can You Change POV Between Books In a Series?

What if you're writing a novel series? Can you change point of view or even POV characters between books?

The answer is yes, you can, but whether you should or not is the big question.

In general, it's best to keep your POV consistent within the same series. However, there are many examples of series that have altered perspectives or POV characters between series, either because the character in the previous books has died, for other plot reasons, or simply because of author choice.

For more on this, watch this coaching video where we get into how and why to change POV characters between books in a series:

Which Point of View Will You Use?

Here's a helpful point of view infographic to help you decide which POV to use in your writing:

Note that these distances should be thought of as ranges, not precise calculations. A third person narrator could conceivably draw closer to the reader than a first person narrator.

Most importantly, there is no best point of view. All of these points of view are effective in various types of stories.

If you're just getting started, I would encourage you to use either first person or third person limited point of view because they're easy to understand.

However, that shouldn't stop you from experimenting. After all, you'll only get comfortable with other points of view by trying them!

Whatever you choose, be consistent. Avoid the mistakes I mentioned under each point of view.

And above all, have fun!

How about you? Which of the four points of view have you used in your writing? Why did you use it, and what did you like about it? Share in the comments .

Using a point of view you've never used before, write a brief story about a teenager who has just discovered he or she has superpowers.

Make sure to avoid the POV mistakes listed in the article above.

Write for fifteen minutes . When your time is up, post your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop (if you’re not a member yet, you can join here ). And if you post, please be sure to give feedback to your fellow writers.

We can gain just as much value giving feedback as we can writing our own books!

Happy writing!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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Point of View: It's Personal

What to Know The point of view of a story determines who is telling it and the narrator's relationship to the characters in the story. In first person point of view the narrator is a character in the story telling it from their perspective. In third person point of view the narrator is not part of the story and the characters never acknowledge the narrator's presence. Less common than first and third is second person point of view. In second person point of view the reader is part of the story. The narrator describes the reader's actions, thoughts, and background using "you."

It's all about how you look at it.

When you tell a story, an important thing to choose is the point of view that the story should take. Point of view determines who tells the story, as well as the relationship that the narrator has to the characters in the story. A story can have a much different feel depending on who is doing the telling.

The main points of view are first person and third person, with second person appearing less frequently but still common enough that it gets studied in writing classes. These are also the terms used to distinguish the personal pronouns. The pronouns I and we are first-person pronouns; they refer to the self. The pronoun you , used for both singular and plural antecedents, is the second-person pronoun, the person who is being addressed. The third person pronouns— he , she , it , they —refer to someone or something being referred to apart from the speaker or the person being addressed. Narratives are often identified as first, second, or third person based on the kinds of pronouns they utilize.

First Person Point of View

In first-person narration, the narrator is a person in the story, telling the story from their own point of view. The narration usually utilizes the pronoun I (or we , if the narrator is speaking as part of a group). The character who tells the story might be in the middle of the action or more of a character who observes the action from the outer limits, but in either case you are getting that character’s recounting of what happens.

It also means that impressions and descriptions are colored by that character’s opinions, mood, past experiences, or even their warped perceptions of what they see and hear.

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed. — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre , 1847

In Jane Eyre , the narration is provided by the story’s title character, a governess. The information shared comes from her memories and impressions—of the weather, her knowledge of Mrs. Reed’s dining habits, and her dread at receiving a lecture from Nurse Bessie. We are likewise shielded from information that Jane doesn’t know.

Many classic works of fiction feature characters made memorable by their first-person voices: The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield), The Handmaid's Tale (Offred), or To Kill a Mockingbird (Scout Finch). In some stories, such as in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , the first person narrator (Nick Carraway) is an observer of the character around whom the story is centered (Jay Gatsby).

Second Person

Second-person narration is a little-used technique of narrative in which the action is driven by a character ascribed to the reader, one known as you . The reader is immersed into the narrative as a character involved in the story. The narrator describes what "you" do and lets you into your own thoughts and background. The most well-known piece of fiction that employs second-person narration might be Jay McInerney’s novel Bright Lights, Big City .

At the subway station you wait fifteen minutes on the platform for a train. Finally a local, enervated by graffiti, shuffles into the station. You get a seat and hoist a copy of the New York Post. The Post is the most shameful of your several addictions. — Jay McInerney, Bright Lights, Big City , 1984

You will also find second-person narration used in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" style of books popular with younger readers, in which readers determine where the story goes by which page they turn to next. Allowing the reader to "be" the central character in the story provides an immersive reading experience, enhancing what is at stake for the character and reader.

Third Person Point of View

In third-person narration, the narrator exists outside the events of the story, and relates the actions of the characters by referring to their names or by the third-person pronouns he, she, or they.

Third-person narration can be further classified into several types: omniscient, limited, and objective.

Third Person Omniscient

Omniscient means "all-knowing," and likewise an omniscient narrator knows every character’s thoughts, feelings, and motivations even if that character doesn’t reveal any of those things to the other characters.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott serves as a good example of third-person omniscient narration:

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. "It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. "I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff. "We've got Father and Mother, and each other," said Beth contentedly from her corner. The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was. — Louisa May Alcott, Little Women , 1868

The story is not told from the point of view of Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy, but from someone who is observing the four sisters as they talk to one another. Each character is therefore referred to by their names or the third-person pronoun she . The narrator does not exist as a character in the story, and the girls do not acknowledge the narrator’s presence.

However, the narrator is omniscient, which means that they know what the characters are thinking. This is demonstrated in the last line of the excerpt, when the girls silently ponder the thought of their father never returning from the war.

Third Person Limited

In third-person limited narration, the narrator still exists outside the events of the story, but does not know the motivations or thoughts of all the characters. Rather, one character is the driver of the story, and the reader is given a closer peek into that character’s psyche than the others.

J. K. Rowling utilizes third-person limited narration in the Harry Potter novels. Even though the narrator is not Harry, and Harry is referred to as 'he,' the reader is allowed into Harry's thoughts—what he is wondering without saying out loud. We are also, like Harry, left uncertain about what other characters are thinking:

Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn't see any way out of his situation. He lay on his bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to him. What was the good of magicking himself out of his room if Hogwarts would expel him for doing it? Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, he had lost his only weapon. Dobby might have saved Harry from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, he'd probably starve to death anyway. — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , 1999

Third-Person Objective

In third-person objective narration, the narrator reports the events that take place without knowing the motivations or thoughts of any of the characters. We know little about what drives them until we hear them speak or observe their actions. The resulting tone is often matter-of-fact, not colored by any opinions or commentary, nor of knowledge of what takes place outside the scene.

The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 25th. But in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner. — Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery," 1948

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Point of View

Point of View Definition

What is point of view? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Point of view refers to the perspective that the narrator holds in relation to the events of the story. The three primary points of view are  first person , in which the narrator tells a story from their own perspective ("I went to the store");  second person , in which the narrator tells a story about you, the reader or viewer ("You went to the store"); and third person , in which the narrator tells a story about other people ("He went to the store"). Each point of view creates a different experience for the reader, because, in each point of view, different types and amounts of information are available to the reader about the story's events and characters.

Some additional key details about point of view:

• Each different point of view has its own specific qualities that influence the narrative. It's up to the author to choose which point of view is best for narrating the story he or she is writing.
• Second person point of view is extremely rare in literature. The vast majority of stories are written in either the first or third person. 
• You may hear "point of view" referred to simply as "perspective." This isn't wrong, it's just another way of referring to the same thing.

The Three "Modes" of Point of View

Stories can be told from one of three main points of view: first person, second person, or third person. Each of the different modes offers an author particular options and benefits, and the point of view that an author chooses will have a tremendous impact on the way that a reader engages with a story.  

First Person Point of View

In first person point of view, the narrator tells the story from his or her own perspective. You can easily recognize first person by its use of the pronouns "I" or "We." First person offers the author a great way to give the reader direct access to a particular character's thoughts, emotions, voice, and way of seeing the world—their  point of view  about the main events of the story. The choice of which  character gets to have first person point of view can dramatically change a story, as shown in this simple scenario of a thief snatching a lady's purse

• Thief's POV: "I was desperate for something to eat. Judging by her expensive-looking shoes, I figured she could afford to part with her purse."
• Victim's POV: "He came out of nowhere! Too bad for him, though: I only had five dollars in my bag."

Consider also one of the most famous examples of first person point of view, the very first line of Herman Melville's  Moby-Dick :

Call me Ishmael.

Melville uses first person here because he wants to establish a confessional tone for the protagonist. He wants the reader to feel like Ishmael has just sat down next to him on a bar stool, and is about to tell him his life's story. Only first person can have this colloquial and intimate effect. Saying, "His name was Ishmael," for instance, would insert more distance between the reader and the character Ishmael, because the third person narrator would sit between  the reader and Ishmael. First person, in this way, can have the effect of connecting the reader directly with the story.

First Person Point of View and the Protagonist

In a story told in the first person, the character who acts as narrator will often also be the protagonist of the story. However, some stories told from the first person do  not  make the narrator the protagonist:

• First person in which the narrator is the protagonist: In The Catcher in the Rye , the first person narrator Holden Caulfield is the clear protagonist of the story. His voice dominates the story, and the story he tells is his own.
• First person in which the narrator is  not  the protagonist:  The novel The Great Gatsby is narrated by Nick Carraway, but the protagonist of the novel is Jay Gatsby. Nick Carraway tells the story, and the reader is limited to understanding the story through what Nick himself sees, knows, and thinks, but nevertheless the story that Nick tells is not his own but rather Gatsby's.

Second Person Point of View

Second person point of view uses the pronoun "you" to immerse the reader in the experience of being the protagonist. It's important to remember that second person point of view is different from simply addressing the reader. Rather, the second person point of view places the reader "on the playing field" by putting them in the position of the protagonist—the one to whom the action occurs. Few stories are appropriate for such a perspective, but occasionally it is quite successful, as in Jay McInerney's  Bright Lights, Big City , a novel in which the reader is taken on a wild night through Manhattan.

Eventually you ascend the stairs to the street. You think of Plato's pilgrims climbing out of the cave, from the shadow world of appearances toward things as they really are, and you wonder if it is possible to change in this life. Being with a philosopher makes you think.

Of the three points of view, second person is the most rarely used, primarily because it doesn't allow the narrator as much freedom as first person and third person, so it's hard to sustain this style of narration for very long.

Third Person Point of View

In third person point of view, the narrator is someone (or some entity) who is  not  a character in the story being told. Third person point of view uses the pronouns "he," "she," and "they," to refer to all the characters. It is the most common point of view in writing, as it gives the writer a considerable amount of freedom to focus on different people, events, and places without being limited within the consciousness of a single character. Below is an example of dialogue written in third person by Joseph Heller in his novel  Catch-22 :

"What are you doing?" Yossarian asked guardedly when he entered the tent, although he saw at once. "There's a leak here," Orr said. "I'm trying to fix it." "Please stop it," said Yossarian. "You're making me nervous."

The exchange above is narrated by a narrator who is outside the interaction between Yossarian and Orr; such distance is the hallmark of third person point of view.

Third Person and Degree of Distance

The third person mode is unique from first and second person in another way as well: third person has different variants. These variants depend on how far removed the narrator is from the events of the story, and how much the narrator knows about each character:

• Third Person Omniscient Point of View: "Third person omniscient" means that the narrator knows all the thoughts and feelings of every character and can dip in and out of the the internal life of anyone, as needed. Omniscient just means "all-knowing." This type of narrator is more god-like than human, in the sense that their perspective is un limited.
• A story like Young Goodman Brown , which follows one character closely and reports on that character's thoughts and feelings (but not the thoughts and feelings of others), is an example of third person limited point of view. This type of story gives the reader the feeling that they are inside one person's head  without  using first person pronouns like "I."

Alternating Point of View

Many stories are told from alternating points of view—switching between different characters, or even between different modes of storytelling.

• Stories can switch between third person points of view: Many novels switch between different third person points of view. For instance, the chapters of George R.R. Martin's The Song of Ice and Fire books are all named after characters, and each chapter is told from the limited third person point of view of the named character. 
• Stories can switch between first person points of view: William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying is structurally similar to the Song of Ice and Fire books in the sense that each chapter is named after a character. However, each chapter is told in the first person by the named character. The Darl chapters are told in the first person by Darl, the Cash chapter are narrated by Cash, the Vardamon chapters by Vardamon, and so on. 
• Stories can even switch between modes of storytelling:  Though less common than other sorts of alternating points of view, some stories can shift not only between different character's points of view, but between actual modes of storytelling. For example, Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury has four parts. The first three parts are all narrated in the first person, with the first part narrated by Benjy, the second part by Quentin, and the third part by Jason. But the fourth part is told in the third person omniscient and follows a bunch of different characters at different times.

Point of View Examples

Every work of literature has a point of view, and so there are essentially endless examples of point of view in literature. The examples below were chosen because they are good examples of the different modes, and in the case of The Metamorphosis the the subtle shift in the nature of the narrator's point of view also shows how an author can play with point of view to suit the themes and ideas of a story.  

Third Person Point of View in Kafka's  Metamorphosis

A great example of third person point of view in literature is the first line from Kafka's  The Metamorphosis . 

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

For the remainder of the book, Kafka follows the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, in a limited third person point of view as he struggles to come to terms with his sudden transformation into an insect. For as long as Gregor remains alive, the third person narrator remains limited by Gregor's own consciousness—the story is told in the third person, but the narrator never knows or sees any more than Gregor himself does. 

However, in the few pages of the story that continue after Gregor dies, the narrator shifts into a third person omniscient point of view , almost as if Gregor's death has freed the narrator in a way not so dissimilar to how his death tragically relieves a burden on his family. 

Point of View in Tolstoy's  Anna Karenina

Leo Tolstoy's  Anna Karenina   is a great example of the omniscient third person point of view. In the novel, the narrator sees and knows all, and moves around between the lives of the different characters, dipping into their internal lives and thoughts, and commenting on the narrative as a whole. In Part 5, Chapter 6, the internal lives of two characters are commented on at once, in the moment of their marriage to one another:

Often and much as they had both heard about the belief that whoever is first to step on the rug will be the head in the family, neither Levin nor Kitty could recall it as they made those few steps. Nor did they hear the loud remarks and disputes that, in the observation of some, he had been the first, or, in the opinion of others, they had stepped on it together.

Point of View in Thoreau's  Walden

Henry David Thoreau's transcendental meditations on isolation were based on his actual lived experience. It makes sense, then, that  Walden  (his account of time spent alone in the woods) is written in the first person point of view :

When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile away from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, and earned my living by the labor of my hands only. I lived there two years and two months. At present I am a sojourner in civilized life again.

What's the Function of Point of View in Literature?

Point of view is the means by which an author relays either one or a multiplicity of perspectives about the events of their story. It is the lens crafted by the writer that allows the reader to see a story or argument unfold. Depending on how much information the writer wants to give the reader, this lens will be constructed differently—or in other words, a different mode of point of view will be chosen:

• If the writer wants the reader to have full access to a particular character's internal life, then they might choose either first person or a closely limited third person point of view.
• If the writer wants the reader to know select bits and pieces about every character, they might choose an omniscient third person point of view.
• If the writer wants the reader to know about the rich internal lives of multiple characters, they might choose an alternating first person point of view.
• Lastly, if the writer wants the reader to feel like they themselves are in the center of the action, they might choose a second person point of view.

Other Helpful Point of View Resources

• The Wikipedia Page on Point of View:  An overview of narration with a focus on literary point of view.
• The Dictionary Definition of Point of View:   A very basic definition of the term point of view.
• Examples of Second Person:  A page with some examples of writing in the less common second person point of view.

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Essay writing: first-person and third-person points of view, introduction.

People approach essay writing in so many different ways. Some spend a long time worrying about how to set about writing an informative piece, which will educate, or even entertain, the readers. But it is not just the content that's the issue; it is also the way the content is - or ought to be - written. More may have asked the question: what should I use, the first-person point of view (POV) or the third-person?

Choosing between the two has confused more than a few essay-writing people. Sure, it can be easy to fill the piece up with healthy chunks of information and content, but it takes a deeper understanding of both points of view to be able to avoid slipping in and out one or the other - or at least realize it when it happens. Sure, a Jekyll and Hyde way of writing may be clever, but it can be very confusing in non-fiction forms, like the essay.

Why is all this important?

Continually swapping from the first-person to the third-person POV may leave the reader confused. Who exactly is talking here? Why does one part of the essay sound so detached and unaffected, while the next suddenly appears to be intimate and personal?

Indeed, making the mistake of using both points of view - without realizing it - leaves readers with the impression of the essay being haphazardly written.

Using first-person: advantages and disadvantages

The use of the first-person narration in an essay means that the author is writing exclusively from his or her point of view - no one else's. The story or the information will thus be told from the perspective of "I," and "We," with words like "me," "us," "my," "mine," "our," and "ours" often found throughout the essay.

Example: "I first heard about this coastal island two years ago, when the newspapers reported the worst oil spill in recent history. To me, the story had the impact of a footnote - evidence of my urban snobbishness. Luckily, the mess of that has since been cleaned up; its last ugly ripple has ebbed."

You will see from the above example that the writer, while not exactly talking about himself or herself, uses the first-person point of view to share information about a certain coastal island, and a certain oil spill. The decision to do so enables the essay to have a more personal, subjective, and even intimate tone of voice; it also allows the author to refer to events, experiences, and people while giving (or withholding) information as he or she pleases.

The first-person view also provides an opportunity to convey the viewpoint character or author's personal thoughts, emotions, opinion, feelings, judgments, understandings, and other internal information (or information that only the author possesses) - as in "the story had the impact of a footnote". This then allows readers to be part of the narrator's world and identify with the viewpoint character.

This is why the first-person point of view is a natural choice for memoirs, autobiographical pieces, personal experience essays, and other forms of non-fiction in which the author serves also as a character in the story.

The first-person POV does have certain limitations. First and most obvious is the fact that the author is limited to a single point of view, which can be narrow, restrictive, and awkward. Less careful or inexperienced writers using first-person may also fall to the temptation of making themselves the focal subject - even the sole subject - of the essay, even in cases that demand focus and information on other subjects, characters, or events.

Using third-person: advantages and disadvantages

The third-person point of view, meanwhile, is another flexible narrative device used in essays and other forms of non-fiction wherein the author is not a character within the story, serving only as an unspecified, uninvolved, and unnamed narrator conveying information throughout the essay. In third-person writing, people and characters are referred to as "he," "she," "it," and "they"; "I" and "we" are never used (unless, of course, in a direct quote).

Example: "Local residents of the coastal island province suffered an ecological disaster in 2006, in the form of an oil spill that was reported by national newspapers to be worst in the country's history. Cleaning up took two years, after which they were finally able to go back to advertising their island's beach sands as 'pure' and its soil, 'fertile.'"

Obviously, the use of the third-person point of view here makes the essay sound more factual - and not just a personal collection of the author's own ideas, opinions, and thoughts. It also lends the piece a more professional and less casual tone. Moreover, writing in third-person can help establish the greatest possible distance between reader and author - and the kind of distance necessary to present the essay's rhetorical situations.

The essay being non-fiction, it is important to keep in mind that the primary purpose of the form is to convey information about a particular subject to the reader. The reader has the right to believe that the essay is factually correct, or is at least given context by factual events, people, and places.

The third-person point of view is more common in reports, research papers, critiques, biography, history, and traditional journalistic essays. This again relates to the fact that the author can, with the third-person POV, create a formal distance, a kind of objectivity, appropriate in putting up arguments or presenting a case.

OASIS: Writing Center

Scholarly voice: first-person point of view, first-person point of view.

Since 2007, Walden academic leadership has endorsed the APA manual guidance on appropriate use of the first-person singular pronoun "I," allowing the use of this pronoun in all Walden academic writing except doctoral capstone abstracts, which should not contain first person pronouns.

In addition to the pointers below, APA 7, Section 4.16 provides information on the appropriate use of first person in scholarly writing.

Inappropriate Uses:   I feel that eating white bread causes cancer. The author feels that eating white bread causes cancer. I found several sources (Marks, 2011; Isaac, 2006; Stuart, in press) that showed a link between white bread consumption and cancer.   Appropriate Use:   I surveyed 2,900 adults who consumed white bread regularly. In this chapter, I present a literature review on research about how seasonal light changes affect depression.

Confusing Sentence:   The researcher found that the authors had been accurate in their study of helium, which the researcher had hypothesized from the beginning of their project.   Revision:   I found that Johnson et al. (2011) had been accurate in their study of helium, which I had hypothesized since I began my project.

Passive voice:   The surveys were distributed and the results were compiled after they were collected.   Revision:   I distributed the surveys, and then I collected and compiled the results.

Appropriate use of first person we and our :   Two other nurses and I worked together to create a qualitative survey to measure patient satisfaction. Upon completion, we presented the results to our supervisor.

Make assumptions about your readers by putting them in a group to which they may not belong by using first person plural pronouns. Inappropriate use of first person "we" and "our":

• We can stop obesity in our society by changing our lifestyles.
• We need to help our patients recover faster.

In the first sentence above, the readers would not necessarily know who "we" are, and using a phrase such as "our society " can immediately exclude readers from outside your social group. In the second sentence, the author assumes that the reader is a nurse or medical professional, which may not be the case, and the sentence expresses the opinion of the author.

To write with more precision and clarity, hallmarks of scholarly writing, revise these sentences without the use of "we" and "our."

• Moderate activity can reduce the risk of obesity (Hu et al., 2003).
• Staff members in the health care industry can help improve the recovery rate for patients (Matthews, 2013).

Pronouns Video

• APA Formatting & Style: Pronouns (video transcript)

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What is a Narrative Essay — Examples, Format & Techniques

I was in the Amazon jungle the first time I wrote a narrative essay, enlightened and enraptured by the influence of ayahuasca. That’s not true. I’ve never been to South America nor have I ever taken ayahuasca. The purpose of that opening is to show how to craft a narrative essay intro — hook, line, and sinker. Narrative essays rely on hooking the reader, and enticing them to read on. But what is a narrative essay? We’re going to break down everything you need to know about these essays — definition, examples, tips and tricks included. By the end, you’ll be ready to craft your own narrative essay for school or for publication.

What’s a Narrative Essay?

First, let’s define narrative essay.

Narrative essays share a lot of similarities with personal essays, but whereas the former can be fictional or non-fictional, the latter are strictly non-fictional. The goal of the narrative essay is to use established storytelling techniques, like theme , conflict , and irony , in a uniquely personal way.

The responsibility of the narrative essayist is to make the reader feel connected to their story, regardless of the topic. This next video explores how writers can use structural elements and techniques to better engage their readers. 

Personal Narrative Essay Examples With Essay Pro

Narrative essays rely on tried and true structure components, including:

• First-person POV
• Personal inspiration
• Focus on a central theme

By keeping these major tenets in mind, you’ll be better prepared to recognize weaknesses and strengths in your own works.

NARRATIVE ESSAY DEFINITION

What is a narrative essay.

A narrative essay is a prose-written story that’s focused on the commentary of a central theme. Narrative essays are generally written in the first-person POV, and are usually about a topic that’s personal to the writer. Everything in these essays should take place in an established timeline, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. 

Famous Narrative Essay Examples

• Ticker to the Fair by David Foster Wallace
• After Life by Joan Didion
• Here is a Lesson in Creative Writing by Kurt Vonnegut

Narrative Writing Explained

How to start a narrative essay.

When you go to sleep at night, what do you think of? Flying squirrels? Lost loved ones? That time you called your teacher ‘mom’? Whatever it is, that’s what you need to write about. There’s a reason those ideas and moments have stuck with you over time. Your job is to figure out why.

Once you realize what makes a moment important to you, it’s your job to make it important to the reader too. In this next video, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker J. Christian Jensen explains the power of the personal narrative. 

Narrative Writing and the Personal Narrative Essay  •  Video by TEDx Talks

Anything and everything can be the topic of your essay. It could be as benign as a walk to school or as grandiose as a trip to the moon — so long as that narrative exists within reality. Give your thoughts and opinions on the matter too — don’t be afraid to say “this is what I think” so long as it’s supported by storytelling techniques. Remember, never limit yourself as a writer, just keep in mind that certain topics will be harder to make engaging than others.

Narrative Essay Outline

How to write a narrative essay.

First step, game plan. You’re going to want to map out the story from beginning to end, then mark major story beats in your document.

Like all stories, your narrative essay needs a clear beginning, middle, and end. Each section should generally conform to a specifically outlined structure. For reference, check out the outline below.

Narrative Essay Format  •  How to Write a Narrative Essay Step by Step

Make sure to reference back to this outline throughout the writing process to make sure you have all your major beats covered.

Purpose of narrative essay writing

Narrative essays give writers the ability to freely express themselves within the structure of a traditional story. Nearly all universities ask applicants to submit a narrative essay with their formal application. This is done for two reasons: they allow institutions to judge the linguistic and grammar capabilities of its applicants, as well as their raw creative side.

If you’re considering studying creative writing in an undergraduate or graduate program, then you’re going to write A LOT of narrative style essays. This process may seem indomitable; How am I supposed to write hundreds of pages about… me? But by the end, you’ll be a better writer and you’ll have a better understanding of yourself.

One thing that all successful essayists have in common is that they make radical, often defiant statements on the world at large. Think Ralph Waldo Emerson, Virginia Woolf, and Langston Hughes for example.

Being a professional essayist isn’t easy, and it’s near-impossible to be one who makes a lot of money. Many essayists work as professors, editors, and curriculum designers as well. 

This next video features the late, award-winning essayist Brian Doyle. He explains all the things you need to hear when thinking about writing a story.

Narrative Essay Examples “Lecture” via Boston University

We can learn a lot from the way Doyle “opens” his stories. My favorite is how he begins with the statement, “I met the Dalai Lama once.” How can we not be interested in learning more? 

This brings us all the way back to the beginning. Start with a hook, rattle off the line, then reel in the sinker. If you entice the reader, develop a personal plot, and finish with a resolute ending, you’ll have a lot of success in essay writing. 

 Up Next

Narrative essay topics.

We've curated a collection of narrative essay topics that will spark your creativity and bring your experiences to life. Dive into the rich tapestry of your memories, explore the unique threads of your life, and let your narrative unfold.

Up Next: Narrative Essay Topics →

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How to write a First Person Essay and Get a Good Grade

First-person essays are fun essays to write. The reason is that they are usually written in the first-person perspective. In this article, you will discover everything crucial you need to know about first-person essay writing.

By reading this article, you should be able to write any first-person essay confidently. However, if you need assistance writing any first-person essay, you should order it from us. We have competent writers who can write any first-person essay and deliver ASAP.

What is a first-person Essay?

A first-person essay is an academic writing task written from the first-person perspective. A typical first-person essay will involve the author describing a personal experience. This is the reason why first-person essays are also known as personal essays .

Since first-person essays are personal, they are usually written in a casual tone and from the first-person point of view. However, there are occasions when such essays must be written in a formal tone (calling for using citations and references). Nevertheless, as stated, they are often written in a casual tone.

The best first-person essays are those with a casual tone and a solid first-person point of view (POV). A casual tone is a conversational tone or a non-formal tone.

And a solid first-person POV writing is writing that is characterized by the generous use of first-person pronouns, including “I,” “me,” and “we.” It differs from the academic third-person POV writing that is characterized by the use of third-person pronouns such as “her,” “he,” and “them.”

Types of First-person Essays

There are several types of first-person essays in the academic world. The most popular ones include admission essays, reflective essays, scholarship essays, statement of purpose essays, personal narrative essays, and memoirs.

1. Admission essays

An admission essay, a personal statement, is a first-person essay that potential students write when applying for admission at various universities and colleges. Most universities and colleges across the US require potential students to write an admission essay as part of their college application.

They do this better to understand students beyond their academic and extracurricular achievements. As a result, the best college admission essays are often descriptive, honest, introspective, meaningful, engaging, and well-edited.

2. Reflective essays

A reflective essay is a first-person essay in which the author recalls and evaluates an experience. The objective of the evaluation is usually to determine whether an experience yielded any positive or negative change. Professors typically ask students to write reflective essays to encourage critical thinking and promote learning.

Reflective essays can be written in various styles. The most popular style is the conventional introduction-body-conclusion essay writing style. The best reflective essays follow this style. In addition, they are introspective, precise, well-structured, and well-edited.

3. Scholarship essays

A scholarship essay is a first-person essay you write to get a scholarship. Most competitive scholarships require students to submit an essay as part of their application. The scholarship essay submitted is one of the things they use to determine the scholarship winner.

Usually, when scholarship committees ask applicants to write a scholarship essay, they expect the applicants to explain what makes them the most suitable candidates/applicants for the scholarship. Therefore, when you are asked to write one, you should do your best to explain what makes you deserve the scholarship more than anyone else.

The best scholarship essays are those that are honest, direct, useful, and precise. They also happen to be well-edited and well-structured. 

4. Statement of purpose essays

A statement of purpose essay is a first-person essay that graduate schools require applicants to write to assess their suitability for the programs they are applying to. A statement of purpose is also known as a statement of intent. The typical statement of purpose is like a summary of an applicant’s profile, including who they are, what they have done so far, what they hope to achieve, and so on.

When you are asked to write a statement of purpose essay, you should take your time to assess what makes you a good candidate for the program you want to join. You should focus on your relevant academic achievements and what you intend to achieve in the future. The best statement of purpose essays is those that are well-structured, well-edited, and precise.

5. Personal narrative essays

A personal narrative essay is a first-person essay in which the author shares their unique experience. The most successful personal narrative essays are those that have an emotional appeal to the readers. You can create emotional appeal in your personal narrative essay by using vivid descriptions that will help your readers strongly relate to what you are talking about. You can also create emotional appeal in your personal narrative essay by generously using imageries.

The typical personal narrative essay will have three parts: introduction-body-conclusion. In addition, the best ones usually have good descriptions of various settings, events, individuals, etc. Therefore, to write an excellent personal narrative essay, you should focus on providing a detailed and engaging description of whatever you are talking about.

A memoir is a first-person essay written to provide a detailed historical account. Memoirs are usually written to share confidential or private knowledge. Retired leaders often write memoirs to give a historical account of their leadership era from their perspective.

You may not be worried about the prospect of being asked to write a memoir as a college student, but it is good to know about this type of first-person essay. It may be helpful to you in the future. Moreover, you can always write a memoir to be strictly read by your family or friends.

 Structure and Format of a First-Person Essay

You are not required to follow any specific format when penning a first-person essay. Instead, you need to write it just like a standard format essay . In other words, ensure your essay has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

1. Introduction

Your essay must have a proper introduction paragraph. An introduction paragraph is a paragraph that introduces the readers to what the essay is all about. It is what readers will first read and decide whether to continue reading the rest of your essay. Thus, if you want your essay to be read, you must get the introduction right.

The recommended way to start an essay introduction is to begin with an attention-grabbing sentence. This could be a fact related to the topic or a statistic. By starting your essay with an attention-grabbing sentence, you significantly increase the chances of readers deciding to read more.

After the attention-grabbing sentence, you must include background information on what you will discuss. This information will help your readers know what your essay is about early on.

The typical essay has a body. It is in the body that all the important details are shared. Therefore, do not overshare in the introduction when writing a first-person essay. Instead, share your important points or descriptions in the body of your essay.

The best way to write the body of your first-person essay is first to choose the most important points to talk about in your essay. After doing this, you are supposed to write about each point in a different paragraph. Doing this will make your work structured and easier to understand.

The best way to write body paragraphs is, to begin with, a topic sentence that sort of declares what the writer is about to write. You should then follow this with supporting evidence to prove your point. Lastly, you should finish your body paragraph with a closing sentence that summarizes the main point in the paragraph and provides a smooth transition to the next paragraph.

3. Conclusion

At the end of your first-person essay, you must offer a conclusion for the first-person essay to be complete. The conclusion should restate the thesis of your essay and its main points. And it should end with a closing sentence that wraps up your entire essay.

Steps for Writing a First-Person Essay

If you have been asked to write a first-person essay, you should simply follow the steps below to write an excellent first-person essay of any type.

1. Choose a topic

The first thing you need to do before you start writing a first-person essay is to choose a topic. Selecting a topic sounds like an easy thing to do, but it can be a bit difficult. This is because of two things. One, it is difficult for most people to decide what to write about quickly. Two, there is usually much pressure to choose a topic that will interest the readers.

While it is somewhat challenging to choose a topic, it can be done. You simply need to brainstorm and write down as many topics as possible and then eliminate the dull ones until you settle on a topic that you know will interest your readers.

2. Choose and stick to an essay tone

Once you choose a topic for your essay, you must choose a tone and maintain that tone throughout your essay. For example, if you choose a friendly or casual tone, you should stick to it throughout your essay.

Choosing a tone and sticking to it will make your essay sound consistent and connected. You will also give your essay a nice flow.

3. Create an outline

Once you have chosen a topic and chosen a tone for your essay, you should create an outline. The good news about creating an outline for a first-person essay is that you do not have to spend much time doing research online or in a library. The bad news is that you will have to brainstorm to create a rough sketch for your essay.

The easiest way to brainstorm to create a rough sketch for your essay is to write down the topic on a piece of paper and create a list of all the important points relevant to the topic. Make sure your list is as exhaustive as it can be. After doing this, you should identify the most relevant points to the topic and then arrange them chronologically.

Remember, a first-person essay is almost always about you telling a story. Therefore, make sure your points tell a story. And not just any story but an interesting one. Thus, after identifying the relevant points and arranging them chronologically, brainstorm and note down all the interesting details you could use to support them. It is these details that will help to make your story as enjoyable as possible.

3. Write your first draft

After creating your outline, the next thing to do is to write your first draft. Writing the first draft after creating a comprehensive outline is much easier. Consequently, simply follow the outline you created in the previous step to writing your first draft. You already arranged the most relevant points chronologically, so you shouldn’t find it challenging to write your first draft.

When writing this first draft, remember that it should be a good story. In other words, ensure your first draft is as chronological as possible. This will give it a nice flow and make it look consistent. When writing the first draft, you will surely remember new points or details about your story. Feel free to add the most useful and interesting ones.

4. Edit your essay

After writing your first draft, you should embark on editing it. The first thing you need to edit is the flow. Make sure your first draft has a nice flow. To do this, you will need to read it. Do this slowly and carefully to find any gaps or points of confusion in your draft. If you find them, edit them to give your story a nice flow.

The second thing you need to edit is the tone. Make sure the draft has a consistent tone throughout. Of course, ensure it is also in first-person narrative from the first paragraph to the last. The third thing you need to edit is the structure. Ensure your essay has a good structure with three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

5. Proofread your essay

After ensuring your essay has a nice flow, a consistent tone, and a good structure, you should proofread it. The purpose of doing this is to eliminate all the grammar errors, typos, and other writing mistakes. And the best way to do it is to read your essay aloud.

Reading your essay aloud will help you catch writing errors and mistakes. However, you should also proofread your essay using an online editor such as Grammarly.com to catch all the writing errors you may have missed.

After proofreading your essay, it will be crisp and ready for submission.

Topic ideas for a first-person essay

Below are some topic ideas for first-person essays. Since there are several distinct types of first-person essays, the ideas below may not be relevant to some types of first-person essays. However, the list below should give you a good idea of common first-person essay topics.

• A story about losing a friend
• A story about your first foreign trip
• A story about the best thing that happened to you
• A dangerous experience that happened to you
• A high school friend you will never forget
• A story about how you learned a new skill
• The most embarrassing thing that happened to you
• The first time you cooked your own meal
• The first time you did something heroic
• The first time you helped someone in need
• Your first job
• The most fun you’ve ever had
• The scariest thing that ever happened to you
• A day you will never forget
• The biggest life lesson you have learned
• How you met your best friend
• Your first time driving a car
• Your first time, feel depressed and lost
• A story from a vacation trip
• Your cultural identity

Sample Outline of a First-person Essay

Below is a sample outline of a first-person essay. Use it to create your first-person essay outline when you need to write a first-person essay.

• Attention-grabbing sentence
• Background info
• Thesis statement
• Body Paragraph 1
• First major point
• Closing sentence

2. Body Paragraph 2

• Second major point

3. Body Paragraph 3

• Third major point

4. Conclusion

• Thesis restatement
• Summary of major points
• Concluding statement

Example of a first-person essay

My First Job Your first job is like your first kiss; you never really forget it, no matter how many more you get in the future. My first job will always be remarkable because of the money it gave me and how useful it made me feel. About two weeks after my 17 th birthday, my mother asked me if I could consider taking a job at a small family restaurant as a cleaner. I agreed. I could say no if I wanted to, but I didn’t. My mother was a single mother working two jobs to care for my three younger siblings and me. She always came back home tired and exhausted every single day. I had always wanted to help her, and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it with my two hands. My mother had heard about the cleaner job from a close friend; hence she hoped I could do it to earn money for our family. Once I agreed, I went to the restaurant the next day. I took the train and arrived at about seven in the morning. The restaurant was already packed at this time, with the workers running around serving breakfast. I asked to speak to someone about the cleaning job, and I was soon at the back office getting instructions about the job. Apparently, I was the first to show genuine interest in taking the job. For the first three days, the other staff showed me around, and after that, I started cleaning the restaurant daily at $8 an hour. Now $8 an hour may seem like little money to most people, but to me, it meant the world! It was money I didn’t have. And within the first week, I had made a little over $400. I felt very proud about this when I got my first check. It made me forget how tired I was becoming from working every day. It also made me happy because it meant my mom didn’t have to work as hard as she did before. Moreover, within a month of working at the restaurant, I had accumulated over $250 in savings, which I was very proud of. The little savings I had accumulated somehow made me feel more financially secure. Every weekend after work was like a victory parade for me. The moment I handed over half my pay to my mother made me feel so helpful around the house. I could do anything I wanted with the remaining half of the pay. I used quite a fraction of this weekly to buy snacks for my siblings. This made me feel nice and even more useful around the house. After about three months of work, my mom got a promotion at one of her places of work. It meant I no longer needed to work at the restaurant. But I still went to work there anyway. I did it because of the money and how useful it made me feel. I continued working at the restaurant for about five more months before joining college.

Final Thoughts!

First-person essays are essays written from the first-person perspective. There are several first-person perspective essays, including personal narrative essays, scholarship essays, admission essays, memoirs, etc.

In this post, you learned everything crucial about first-person essays. If you need help writing any first-person essay, you should contact us. We’ve got writers ready to write any type of first-person essay for you.

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Table of Contents

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, first-person point of view, when is first person point of view used.

First person point of view is often used in personal narrative—when the writer is telling a story or relating an experience. This perspective is writer’s point of view, and the writer becomes the focal point. First person personal pronouns include  I, we, me, us, my, mine, our,  and  ours.

Examples of sentences written from the first person point of view:

• I was only seven years old when my family moved to the United States.
• We took a vacation that allowed us to explore our nation from east to west and north to south.
• My friend and I finally relaxed once we got to the beach and waded into the ocean.
• How long will it be before our car is repaired and we can continue our trip home?
• Our ability to construct a convincing argument grew after our participation in a rousing debate.

When should first person point of view be avoided?

Writing from the first person point of view can, at times, weaken the credibility of the writer in research and argument papers. When the paper is written in first person, the work may sound like it is based only on personal opinion.

Weak: I am writing this paper to let you know how bad I think bullying is. (1 st person)

Stronger: Bullying is a social issue that may result in devastating physical, mental, and emotional consequences for its victims. (3 rd person)

First Person Personal Pronouns

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

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CMP-125 (Titus, Spring 2024)

• **Essay 1: Ethnography Proposal
• **Essay 4: Research Narrative Essay & Annotated Bibliography
• Keyword Generator (From UT Austin) This link opens in a new window
• **Choosing & Identifying SOURCES This link opens in a new window
• **SEARCHing Tips and Strategies This link opens in a new window
• Reference Sources: Print & Online
• Library One Search This link opens in a new window
• What is the Library Catalog?
• Finding Articles (Using Databases) This link opens in a new window
• Web Evaluation This link opens in a new window
• Citing Sources: MLA Style This link opens in a new window
• RefWorks: Citation Management Tool This link opens in a new window
• Viewing & Downloading ebooks This link opens in a new window
• Core Concepts in Research (Short Tutorials)
• Ask a Librarian This link opens in a new window

Strategies for Essay 4

• Assignment Breakdown
• Hints for Searching
• Who is the Author?
• Learning about Your Source Using the Databases
• Using Ulrichs to Help Identify Your Source Type
• Found on the Internet: What Kind of Source is This?
• Assignment Text

You need at least 6 secondary sources for your Research Narrative and Annotated Bibliography.

• Academic journal articles
• Magazine articles
• Book chapters/books (ebooks)
• Look under the "Source Type" limit to see all that is available on your topic in that database.

Read widely! Don't think "six and done" if there is more to learn about your topic. Your reading informs your thinking!

1. Choosing Sources

Remember that different sources serve different needs.

2.  Annotated Bibliography: Assessing Credibility

• Working with Your Keywords
• Use the Advanced Search. Combine your terms with AND, OR, NOT (Boolean searching) .
• Truncate your terms with an *
• Use the databases LIMITERS, EXPANDERS, and SUBJECT TERMS.
• BOOKS that are collections of essays contain pages, either at the beginning or the end, that  list credentials , affiliations , and/or provide a brief bio .
• Books written by one person may contain information in the beginning or end of a book, or on the book jacket. You may also find information in the "acknowledgments" section or the preface.

ARTICLES in academic journals and magazines list the credentials and affiliations of and may give a brief bio about the author:

• either at the beginning or end of the article.
• in a separate section of the journal , either in the beginning or end pages. 
• Via the database. This prefatory or concluding material may or may not be available through the library subscription databases. To check, click on the "Source" link in the full citation to open up the journal record. Click on the year, volume, and issue for your citation.  The contents of the journal should be listed there, but often this information is not included.
• Via the Publisher.  You can get this information by visiting the publisher's website for the journal. Browse to your volume and issue.  While articles may not be available for free this way, contributor information is often free/unlocked.

Internet Search

If you want more information on the author, Google him or her to see what you can find! It may be helpful to put their name in quotes and include any institutional affiliations.

• Is your item an article, a book, or a book chapter? 
• Is it in a magazine, newspaper, or an academic journal? 
• What kinds of articles does the journal publish?

Option 1.The citation information in the library database you're in will tell you.

• Source Icon
• Full citation fields (publication type; peer reviewed; in ProQuest databases, click "Details" on the full record)
• Hyperlinked Source field (opens journal detail page)

Option 2. Use the Journals button to look get more details.

Option 3. Look up the source in UlrichsWeb.

• Ulrichsweb This link opens in a new window Ulrichsweb™ is the authoritative source of bibliographic and publisher information on more than 300,000 periodicals of all types–academic and scholarly journals, Open Access publications, peer-reviewed titles, popular magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and more from around the world.

Option 4. Search for the journal title on the Internet and visit the publisher's site.

• Is this an article from a peer-reviewed journal ?
• Is this a popular or a scholarly source?
• What type of magazine or journal do I have?

Ulrichsweb can answer your question!

The Rider University Libraries subscribes to a database called Ulrichsweb that gives " detailed information on more than 300,000 periodicals (also called serials) of all types: academic and scholarly journals, e-journals, peer-reviewed titles, popular magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and more. "

You can search by journal title, keyword, ISSN number, and subject area.

Below is the record for a journal called Marvels & Tales.   This record tells you that Marvels & Tales is an academic or scholarly journal that is peer-reviewed .

• Evaluating Information Sources by The Rider University Libraries Last Updated Mar 22, 2024 209 views this year

So, you find a great article on the Internet. How can you tell if it's good to use? 

Questions to ask include: What kind of source it is (news, magazine, blog ) ? It is reputable or fake news? Should you trust the reporting and journalism? What is the bias of the publication? Is coverage fair? If it's a blog, who is the blogger and do they have authority and expertise?

Right now we will cover how to tell what you've got and how to learn about the resource.

1. From the website itself.

• Who owns or sponsors the publication (a corporation, an organization, individuals)
• Who the editor(s) are.
• The history and philosophy of the publication, and what it covers.
•  How pieces are solicited. Do they have a staff of writers? Do they accept submissions?
• If you can't find this information, ask yourself why do they not want you to know this?
• Click on the byline to see what else they have written or to see their biography.
• Google the author to see what you can learn.

2. Search the Internet about it.

• Open a new tab and search for the website name. What do others say about it?

3. Use the library database UlrichsWeb Global Serial Directory to tell you more.

• Type of publication:  news, magazine, trade, or a scholarly/academic journal? 
• Publication frequency
• Subject areas
• Editor information and contact information
• Availability/subscription
• Whether it is indexed in library databases (this may or may not be an indication of quality)

What can you learn about the following, for example, using these methods?

• Transformative Works and Cultures

CMP 125 Essay 4: Narrative of Your Research into Your Subculture

            Through the semester, we have analyzed our subcultures from a variety of perspectives. We’ve looked at the space in which our subculture resides, and we’ve looked at the people who inhabit our subculture. While we’ve used secondary sources sparingly in our first few formal writing assignments, the time has come for us to begin more thoroughly synthesizing our primary and secondary sources. This next essay is a research narrative, or an essay in which you detail your thought process as you collect more exhaustive secondary research. The goal of this essay is to help you begin to make more in-depth connections between your research and your own ideas about your subculture, but in a less formal way than academic essays typically ask you to.

            The goal of this assignment is to write a first-person, chronologically organized narrative account of your thinking process as you investigate your subculture through secondary research, talking with others, and doing your own reflective thinking. For this essay, you will focus largely on the research you have found about your topic (such as sources you find during our library session), and bring in primary research only as needed . As you reflect on your research, you can also bring in your own memories and experiences.

Your goal in this essay is to examine your topic from a variety of perspectives, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of particular points of view. By the end of your essay, you should attempt to draw some conclusions about your subculture in the form of a thesis that presents your own point of view towards your subculture. However, you will be rewarded for the quality of your exploration and thinking processes. In other words, this essay focuses more on the process of wrestling with all the sources you have about your issue.

Instead of this essay having a thesis that you are required to prove, think of this thesis more as a hypothesis: in your introductory section, you can establish that you think X and perhaps Y about your subculture, and are curious to learn more. Your conclusion, then, is not a reiteration of the introduction, but rather, an assessment of the overall process of researching your subculture, what you have learned, and a presentation of your current position.

An exploratory essay such as this one needs to have a particular structure. I encourage you not to feel trapped by the structure; instead, use it as a point of departure for how you are developing your point of view toward your subculture. The structure is as follows:

• Establishes your subculture, and explains to the reader why you are interested in it
• Presents relevant background – what does the reader need to know to follow the essay?
• Either begins with or builds up to your hypothesis (what you currently think, what you want to know more about, and why).
• Introduces your first source and shows why you started with it
• Provides rhetorical context and information about the source (where it came from, who wrote it and why, etc.)
• Summarizes the source’s content and its argument (try to do this in a few sentences)
• Offers your response to this source. Try to include points that you agree with and points that you find contentious
• Discusses what this source contributes to your understanding of your subculture and your hypothesis: What did you learn? What values does this source have for you? What is missing from this source that you want to consider? Where do you want to go from here, and why?
• Explains why you chose this source (to find an alternative view, pursue sub-questions, find more data, etc.)
• Summarizes the source’s content and argument
• Provides your response and how the source contributes to your understanding of your subculture
• Shows how your cumulative reading of sources is shaping your thinking or leading to more questions
• Develops and continues the process
• Wraps up your intellectual journey and explains where you are now in your thinking and how your understanding of your problem has changed
• Presents your current position based on what you have read and learned so far, or explains why you are still unsure of your position towards your subculture.
• Includes complete list of citations n MLA format.

( adapted from Ramage, Ramage, and Bean, p. 151)

For this essay, you must use at least six (6) secondary sources, of which only two (2) can be Internet sources (ie., sources not found through the library or other databases). If you have more than two Internet sources that you believe are essential to your research, please see me.

This essay should be approximately 6-8 pages, double-spaced, with proper MLA formatting and a Works Cited page.

CMP 125 Annotated Bibliography Assignment

Due: Friday, 3/31 in Conference; any changes must be submitted to Canvas by 4/3

For Essay 4, you are asked to use a larger amount of sources that we have used for any of the papers we’ve written so far. The formatting for using these sources is also different; you will be required to assess each source’s credibility and value to your project, and also to summarize and respond to each source accordingly. Constructing an annotated bibliography can be an excellent start to composing this kind of research narrative; it asks you to analyze the sources in similar ways.

For your annotated bibliography, you will include any sources you wish to use. However, you are required to have at least 6 secondary sources (all non-database sources must be approved by me). The goal here is to cast a wide net, and then figure out which sources work best for your research narrative.

Your annotated bibliography consists of citations (as they would appear on a Works Cited page), followed by a 5-7 sentence paragraph that discusses each source. The annotated bibliography should include the following:

• All your sources should be alphabetized. They do not need to be numbered.
• All sources should be cited according to proper MLA style; you will lose points if you

do not use correct MLA formatting.

• First, offer some information that assesses the credibility of this source. Who is the author? What is the style of the source (is it a book, a journal article, a Web site, a film, etc.?), and how does the style impact the source’s credibility?
• Next, summarize the main argument or point of the source; use concrete language. Include quotations if you want.
• Then, indicate the writer’s stance. How credible or biased is this source? How do you know?
• Finally, and most importantly, describe the relevance of this source to your research. What did you learn about your topic from this source, and why is that information significant? ( adapted from Alfano and O’Brien 156)

  Because of the nature of this assignment, it will be worth 60 points, 10 for each annotation.

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• Last Updated: Mar 22, 2024 2:45 PM
• URL: https://guides.rider.edu/cmp125-titus-spring2024