The narrator may be the main character of the story, in which case he will be telling his own story from his own perspective, with no outside opinions. For example, the narrator may say, “I was five years old when I first met Sally. We walked to school together every day until high school. . . " The narrator may be a secondary character, in which case he is likely describing something that he witnessed, adding his own interpretations and biases to the story. For example, the narrator might say, “I have been concerned about my brother for some time now. He has been becoming more and more reclusive every day. " The narrator may be retelling a story that he did not witness at all, in which case he is recalling something he heard, and likely adding his own interpretation to the events as he retells them. For example, the narrator might say, “I remember hearing that this house was haunted. They say the woman who lived here 100 years ago still walks the halls. "

When narrators speak in the second person, they are often addressing their younger selves. For example, the narrator might say, “You were so foolish back then, thinking that you would become rich and famous. " A narrator may also be addressing the reader directly, although this is difficult to sustain in longer narratives.

With a third person objective point of view, the narrator tells only the objective and observable facts of the story, without elaborating on the thoughts and feelings of the characters or interjecting with any personal observations. For example, the narrator might say, “Jim had a serious look on his face as he spoke to his wife. She was crying and speaking incoherently. " With a third person limited point of view, the narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings of one specific character, most typically the main character. This point of view allows the writer to describe the main character from a distance, while also giving voice to his inner thoughts. Depending on the intent of the author, the narrator may be very close to the main character, to the point that it almost becomes difficult to distinguish the narrator from the character, or the narrator may maintain more of a distance. For example, the narrator might say, “Jim had a serious look on his face as he talked to his wife. He hated to see her cry because it made him feel like a monster, but he felt that he had no choice but to continue. "

Keep in mind that if you choose to write from a first person point of view, you need to establish how and why the narrator is telling the story, as this will have a big impact on the way in which the reader interprets it. Your character could, for example, be writing his story in a private diary, or he could be telling it to a group of friends.

If you want the narration to have some of the flavor of your character’s dialect, but still be distinct, opt for a third person limited or omniscient point of view. When a third person narrator is very close to a specific character’s thoughts, it is natural for the narration to mirror the speaking habits of the character.

If you want the reader to feel confused with the main character or follow the main character’s process of discovering something, the limitations of a first person point of view will serve your needs. Third person limited and objective points of view offer a nice middle ground between first person and third person omniscient. Keep in mind that just because you choose a third person omniscient point of view does not mean that your narrator has to share all of his knowledge with the reader; it simply means that he can do so if it benefits the story.

Multiple perspective are particularly helpful if you want your story to convey a sense of dramatic irony, if you want the reader to feel torn between loyalties to two characters, or if your story consists of multiple overlapping narratives. While a third person omniscient point of view may be the most useful for conveying multiple perspectives, you can achieve a similar effect by using a third person objective point of view, which leaves it up to the reader to infer how each character is feeling.

In some cases you may want a less than objective narrator, in which case a first person point of view is ideal. If you don’t want there to be any question regarding the truthfulness of your narration, choose a third person objective point of view. If you need slightly more insight into the characters’ thoughts, you can choose a third person limited or omniscient point of view, but be very cautious about how much interpretation of events your narrator offers.

Be cautious about changing points of view abruptly, as this will confuse the reader. If a sudden change of point of view occurs, consider alerting the reading by starting a new chapter or section.