Take a look at the genre you're writing in. Another thing to consider is tense (past or present).

I write in the POV and tense that suits me for the story. I've written in past and present, 1st person and third person. It depends on the story.

1st person has the advantage of being written in a diary format. That's fun because it means the entire book is written in character. 3rd person is more distant, but works better for switching character POVs.

Present tense is more engaging and action packed, but it feels less "professional" and less "classical". It's frowned upon by some readers. And it also makes no logical sense--unless the reader is reading from a magical book or in the character's mind.

A major common error for beginner writers is not being aware of POV or tense. Think about who's telling the story and from what vantage point. It's crucial.

In some instances, I've also written in 2nd person.

I find third person omniscient to the hardest to pull off correctly because you're jumping heads.

 

Take a look at the genre you're writing in. Another thing to consider is tense (past or present).

I write in the POV and tense that suits me for the story. I've written in past and present, 1st person and third person. It depends on the story.

1st person has the advantage of being written in a diary format. That's fun because it means the entire book is written in character. 3rd person is more distant, but works better for switching character POVs.

Present tense is more engaging and action packed, but it feels less "professional" and less "classical". It's frowned upon by some readers. And it also makes no logical sense--unless the reader is reading from a magical book or in the character's mind.

A major common error for beginner writers is not being aware of POV or tense. Think about who's telling the story and from what vantage point. It's crucial.

In some instances, I've also written in 2nd person.

I find third person omniscient to the hardest to pull off correctly because you're jumping heads.

I agree completely except for second person. I avoid third omniscient by using multiple close third person POVs. Lots of thrillers use that.

 

I also write in 1st person or 3rd person limited. When I started all those years ago, I attended a writer's class and the notion of switching pov was really frowned upon. I know it's not an issue for many authors, but even today, if I chose 3rd person I keep the pov strictly limited. Having said that, I most enjoy writing in 1st person.

 

I prefer 3rd person POV because it’s narration and it allows me to paint a bigger picture for the story and allow it to breathe better. I typically don’t like novels strictly in 1st person because it usually ends up with underdeveloped supporting characters. Multiple POVs are okay, but it can lead to a lot of backtracking.

 

If your goal is to make money, it's essential that you are aware of market trends and audience expectations. For example, you need to know that successful YA books are often written in first person and romance books in third person limited, while second person is quite rare and may be seen as experimental. However, you don't have to let the market dictate your POV. After all, bringing a refreshing new spin to a genre can get your book noticed. Rather, it's about knowing the effect of each POV and figuring out what's best for your story and your readers, so that any decision to go against market trends is a deliberate, justified one.

What effect does each POV have? In short:

• First person creates intimacy and subjectivity.
• Second person immerses the reader fully in the story (when done well).
• Third person limited offers a less biased but still intimate experience.
• Third person omniscient shows multiple perspectives / plot lines.

 

Definitely whatever is best for the story, but there are benefits to certain povs for different genres. First-person present feels very immediate and like the future is not yet set, which can enhance the sense of suspense and urgency, making it a good choice for a thriller or mystery. Third-person omniscient really shines in comedic books because the omniscient narrator is its own character, and it can make observations and have opinions about the things the other characters are doing, even in their private moments, making for lots of joke opportunities (example: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.) Third person limited is great for literary fiction because it allows for a lot of opportunity for the pov character to reflect on their choices and put them into context, historical or otherwise.