First or Third? Picking Your POV

When I write my blog posts, it's coming from my POV. My quirks. My experiences. My sense of humor. And I'll let you in on a secret: The main characters in my stories usually have a strikingly similar backstory as me. They all carry a little bit of "Jill" in their handbag.

Many writers do this, and it acts as a window into the author's soul, albeit slightly dusty and hard to see through. But it raises a good question: Is a first-person POV the best choice?

In first person, "Jill" is front and center. Maybe even more vulnerable. In third person, "Jill" is still there, but she might be filtered differently.

It poses the question: Is the reader getting the same story?

As an author, whether you’re writing in first or third person, you have to trust your readers. In first person, you rely on them to pick up on cues from the main character—because if they don’t, they won’t know much about anyone else. Everything the reader learns comes straight from the main character’s mouth—or mind.

On the flip side, in third person, you still have to trust your readers, but in a different way. They need to understand the main character—not just the surface, filtered version, but the squeaky clean view, the real, deep-down person underneath. This is the key element that makes the reader care, feel invested, and want to keep reading.

My daughter Kiki recently read my book, Edith Pembroke's Ever After, as a gift to me for my birthday. She gave me her annotated copy, and with her witty notes, it's now truly a masterpiece. However, she told me she "disliked Edith." Edith was created with both of my daughters in mind, and although she landed how I intended for Makena, I was sad that Kiki saw her as "annoying."

After drowning my sorrows in a strong cup of green tea, it got me to thinking: Would Kiki have sympathized more with Edith if the story had been told in first person?

And I guess this is a good place to start when deciding POV. Think about your readers. Think about what kind of work you want them to put into understanding the characters. Because at the end of the day, the POV you choose shapes how your readers see your characters.

The bottom line is that either POV can succeed. Your voice guides the story—through "Jill" in a handbag or Edith on the page. Part of being a writer is trusting readers to follow along.