An issue I often see when editing is the author switching point of view in the middle of a chapter, from chapter to chapter, or just switching in general and forgetting to change it throughout the novel.
First-Person
"If I cannot be better than them. I will become so much worse." – Holly Black, The Cruel Prince.
Writing first-person allows for more intimacy between the narrator and the reader. The narrator is telling a first-hand story account, so the reader is transported into the narrator's perspective. This point of view is told using "Me, myself, and I" pronouns. This point of view usually follows one person throughout the novel or sometimes switches between multiple chapters. The author can show the character's inner workings by being directly in their mind. The character perspective you write from is the narrator of your story.
Many novels are written in this person, such as The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.
Second-Person
“You saw me before I saw you.” - Lucy Christopher, Stolen.
The second-person is the least used point of view in novels because it can be more challenging than the first or third. In most schools, we are taught not to write in the second-person because it isn't professional or inappropriate to address the reader directly. However, many people still write in the second-person for all types of literature. The second-person uses the pronouns "you, your, yourself."
Examples of novels written in the second-person are The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney, and Stolen by Lucy Christofer.
Third-Person
“Hermione launched herself forwards and started punching every inch of him that she could reach." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.
The third-person is the most written point of view. The narrator is not a character like in the first-person but is a nameless and faceless figure watching the story unfold and telling the reader. This naturally creates some distance from the story for the reader; rather than being directly in action, they are getting it from a third party who is watching. This point of view utilizes he/him/himself, she/her/herself, it/its/itself, and their/theirs/themselves. However, the third-person has two types of third-person, limited and omniscient narrators.
Limited
Third-Person Limited brings back some of the intimacy you lose when using the third-person. Although outside of the characters, this narrator follows one character throughout the novel as if they were sitting on their shoulder. Therefore, if the character doesn't see something happen, the reader is not told until that character learns about the conflict or information.
Third-person limited examples include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, and 1984 by George Orwell. All of these novels follow the main character closely, explaining their point of view and thoughts but leaving the opinions of others unknown.
Omniscient
Third-person omniscient, on the other hand, is when the narrator can go into any character's thoughts and perspective at any point in the novel. This is an intimate look for the readers at the characters. The reading, like the narrator, is all-seeing and all-knowing. The narrator might know what will happen, but the characters haven't found out yet, making the story much more thrilling to read.
Dune by Frank Herbert, The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater are all examples of third-person omniscient. These narrators know the ins and outs of the story, so you, as the reader, are not missing a second.
Unreliable Narrator
"I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera. It's terrible." - J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye.
Although I have already addressed the three types of points of view, one aspect that I feel should be discussed more: is the unreliable narrator. This narrator can be used from any point of view, but it is mainly used in the first-person, and they are inherently unreliable. By unreliable, I mean that the narrator shares information that contradicts the story or previous statements. They might tell untrue statements to mislead the reader or recall events in the story incorrectly. This type of narrator usually stems from the personality of the character telling the story. Sometimes the character can be a young child who recalls the instances differently, or maybe it's an unhinged character with a pension to exaggerate. Using this type of narrator can help set the novel's tone for the reader or have the reader question what really happened at the end.
This is a fun way to spice up your first-person; how can you make this book sound like your character? American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, and Life of Pi by Yann Martel are unreliable narrators. These authors use their unreliability to drive home more severe points about their characters and plot. The use of the unreliable narrator is not only intriguing to the reader but makes the reader question everything.
