First-person point of view 

In the first-person point of view, the reader accesses the story through one person. It’s like reading the main character’s diary. You will notice pronouns like I, me/my, we, us, or our in first-person writing. This limits the scope of what a reader can know about other characters, but it is true to how we live our lives.

Second-person point of view

The second-person point of view uses the pronoun you. This point of view establishes the reader as the protagonist or main character. It is the most difficult point of view to maintain in a longer piece of creative writing. As a writer, you want your reader to be engrossed, engaged, and enthralled but . . . involved? There is a time and place for the second person, such as nonfiction, advertising, immersive stories, and this blog post. There are examples of second-person point of view in novels, which we’ll explore later in this article. Just know that it’s the most challenging and least-often-used point of view in fiction.

Third-person point of view

In the third-person point of view, the narrator can know everything. You’ll see the pronouns he/his, she/her, they/them/their, and it/its in third-person point of view. This point of view allows for the greatest flexibility and also creates the most complexity.

USE THE SETTING

Many writers create settings that reflect a character's mood or circumstances. You can also use a setting to impact a character's decision-making process, making it an active component of a story's conflict. 

CREATE FORESHADOWING

Foreshadowing is a way to provide hints about events in a story before they happen. Writers often use foreshadowing to add an element of tension and emotion to their stories, as readers may recognize the event and continue reading to see if they're correct. You can also include foreshadowing to give a story an ominous tone, depending on its genre.

 INCLUDE SENSORY IMAGERY

Writers often use sensory imagery to create all the visuals of a scene using only words. This technique can help a reader understand a scene's varied elements, allowing them to understand a physical environment. For instance, a scene that takes place in a grocery store might include details about voices a character hears on the loudspeaker or the food they smell, taste, see and touch while they shop.

CHANGE THE CHRONOLOGY

Some writers use a flashback or flash-forward to include relevant experiences from a character's past or future. Adding a scene about a past event can reveal why a character takes certain actions in the present timeline of a story. Incorporating a future event can provide dramatic irony, which occurs when a reader learns how a story ends before the characters do.

CHOOSE A POINT OF VIEW

Point of view typically describes who narrates a story's events. Writers typically choose a perspective that best conveys the information they prefer readers to know versus what they prefer to obscure. For example, a first-person narrative only reveals the motivations of one character. A third-person point of view uses she, he, or they pronouns, revealing the observations of many characters while the narrator exists outside of the story entirely.

USE SYMBOLISM

Symbolism is the use of objects or words to represent an abstract concept or mood. Writers often incorporate symbols in a story to develop its core themes and add another emotional element. For instance, a character might see a certain type of weather pattern whenever they process their relationship with another character.

PERSONIFY AN ANIMAL CHARACTER

Personification is a technique for applying the qualities of one entity to another. Writers often personify animals by giving them the attributes of humans, allowing them to have human motivations and language abilities. Many fable and fairy tale writers personify animals to give the story a fantastical style and tone. You can also personify animals to encourage readers to connect with them emotionally.

INCLUDE BIG SURPRISES IN THE PLOT

Often referred to as a plot twist, some writers introduce an unforeseen event in a story that dramatically alters the narrative. Writers often include plot twists to add a dramatic element and adjust a reader's expectations.