Points of View
Let’s talk narrative distance - the distance between the character and the narrator of the story. How far apart do you want those two voices to be? Answering that question can help you determine which POV to use.
1st person = no distance. The world is experienced exclusively through that character. Your character can’t know things they wouldn’t know. You have to write as that character (keeping in mind the character’s age, gender, experience, etc). You can shift the POV to another character by using dual-POV (as Bethany C. Morrow does in A Song Above Water), or even multi-POV (As Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff do with aplomb in the Aurora Cycle books).
The benefit of first person narration is the immediacy of the action and the empathy it can generate for the character. It gives the reader a window into the soul. On the other hand, it also provides a limited lens and limited language. Everything is filtered through the character. If it isn’t done well, it can feel a bit droning and claustrophobic.
3rd person = a sliding scale of distance. Close third person narration can still generate empathy and immersion into the action. A more distant third person narration can adopt a sort of “storyteller” vibe. Readers can still know what the narrating character is thinking and feeling, but there’s more distance. You can also shift the POV in third person to another character (although you will only want to do that after a chapter break or a scene break).
Omniscience = greatest distance. The narrator knows all. It’s less emotional and immediate, much more detached. This type of narration is useful for mysteries, stories with a classic fairy tale voice, and stories where theme is more important than character.
How to decide on the POV? Let the structure of the story serve the story itself. Decide how close you want the narrator to be to the character, and then decide how immersive you want the experience to be for the reader. Is your story an action-packed romp through one close call after another? First person might ramp up that tension. Does your story have many prominent characters who all play an integral part? Maybe third person is the way to go. Are you weaving the lessons of a fable? Omniscience might make it easier for readers to focus on the theme rather than the characters. If all else fails, try writing a few key parts in different POVs. You might find that one enhances the story where another does not.
