Edit like an Editor: A Wattpad Featured Guide ✔

Part ii. First-Person POV

In the first-person POV, the story is narrated by a narrator who is also a character in the story, usually the story's protagonist. The narrator reveals the plot by using the first-person viewpoint, which is "I" when singular, or "we" when plural.

A single, first-person narrator is the simplest viewpoint choice for new writers to manage. It's hard enough to get a single POV under control, and you only have to create one compelling narrator's voice.

A first-person narrator can be reliable or unreliable for readers can only know what the character knows and feels. What the narrator recounts in the story may not be the truth. This is always fun to play around with. It's all about perceptions and how others might not receive them in the same manner.

Why Writers Use First-Person POV

There are a number of good reasons for using the first-person POV in fiction; used correctly, it can be an extremely effective tool for storytelling.

Here are just a few situations in which first-person is an ideal choice:

• You are writing a piece of fiction that is, at least to some degree, autobiographical. You want to be sure that the reader sees the world you have created exactly as you experienced it.

• You want the world you've created to be seen from a unique "outsider" POV.

• You want the reader to experience only a carefully edited set of story elements and to experience them only from a particular point-of-view.

• You want to mislead the reader and then—in some cases, at least—surprise him/her with a dramatic revelation. While it is possible to mislead a reader with the third-person voice, it is much more effective to do so through an unreliable narrator.

Pros of First-Person POV

The first-person POV allows a reader to feel close to a specific character's POV; it lets the reader in, so to speak. Writing in the first-person enables you to bring the reader intimately close to your main character. It enables you to load the narrator's voice with attitude and feelings.

It also provides the writer with a tool for crafting the reader's perspective on the fictional world. Using first-person can also be easier for beginning writers since everyone is accustomed to telling stories from their own personal POV.

Cons of First-Person POV

First-person POV limits the reader to that one perspective. The reader can only know what this character knows, which can make telling the story more difficult, depending on the plot and other characters involved.

Suppose that first-person narrator gets trapped in a cave? Your story gets trapped there, too. What if something very exciting happens while your character is trapped in that cave? The reader can't be on hand to experience the excitement.

Next up? Second-person POV.

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