In elementary school, I always learned that there are three points of view (POVs)—first person, second person, and third person.
Which is true. Kind of. But it’s not the full truth.
One of my biggest awakenings as a writer was the realization that POV is more of a spectrum than a set of categories. POV is just a word for the viewpoint through which you watch the story unfold, and there are infinite different angles you can choose.
Personally, I love writing in creative points of view, especially for short stories.
So today, I’m sharing three of my favorite underrated POVs, and some guiding questions that can help you use each of them.
1. Plural POV
The plural POV is when you write a story from the point of view of a collective group, rather than any one individual.
You can use a first-person plural pronoun (like “we” and “us” and “our”), or a third-person plural pronoun (like “they” and “them” and “their”).
Plural POV can be a particularly effective choice if you’re writing about a societal issue, since it lends itself well to highlighting the flaws of a culture or institution. There’s a very clear in-group in these stories—and, on the flipside, also a very clear out-group.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you want to try a plural POV:
- What makes your protagonists a collective group?
- Who isn’t included in the protagonists’ group, and what makes them outsiders?
- What’s a broader question or societal issue that your story can examine?
2. Instructional POV
“Get out of bed.”
“Write a new story.”
“Tell your mother all the secrets you’ve never let yourself say.”
All of these sentences are written in the instructional POV. It’s similar to second person, except you’re phrasing your story as a series of instructions, rather than a series of descriptions.
Stories told through the instructional POV are fun because they can take a lot of unique forms. For example, you might write a story that looks like a recipe or a how-to guide. Or you can write a story that sounds like someone talking to themself as they go about their day.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you want to try an instructional POV:
- Is the protagonist giving orders to themself, or to someone else?
- What form does your story take (e.g., a recipe, a how-to guide)?
- How can you make this POV resonate with your story’s overall theme?
3. Epistolary POV
The epistolary POV is written by a narrator (“I”) to a reader (“you”).
Most stories told through an epistolary POV use a specific communication form, such as a letter, an email, or a string of texts.
Epistolary can be an extremely intimate POV, because when you read it, it feels like the narrator’s speaking directly to you. They might be telling you a secret, or accusing you of doing something wrong, or begging you to do them a favor—there are a lot of ways you can spin it.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you want to try an epistolary POV:
- What is the relationship between the “I” and the “you” in your story?
- What form does your story take (e.g., a letter, an email)?
- Why is the narrator writing this message?
If you’re in the mood to try something new, POV can be a fantastic writing technique to play with. Give it a try and see if it changes the way the story unfolds.
What do you think is the most underrated POV? Is it one of these three, or a different one entirely? Let me know in the comments!
I’m Hannah Yang, and I’m a full-time author. Every Monday, I publish a new blog article about writing craft tips, my writing process, or my journey to publication. Share this article if it resonated with you, and subscribe if you want to see more!