Screenwriting Course
Lessons

Through whose eyes is your story being told?  P.O.V. is of crucial importance and can change the entire approach or attitude of your story, depending on the P.O.V. you have chosen.  Consider: How is the plot best revealed in terms of who knows what, when (including the audience)?

Factors that Determine Your Choice of P.O.V.

• First: the needs of the story… a plot is the essential information necessary to move the story forward, so the primary factor is how to best unfold that information.
• Second: remember, all storytelling is emotional…it succeeds or fails in how well it connects emotionally with your reader, viewer, or listener.

Types of P.O.V.

• Omniscient – in writing, in reference to a P.O.V. that is all-seeing, like God or a God-like or mythical being.
• 3rd person Limited Omniscient – in writing, in reference to a P.O.V. in which only the thoughts and feelings of a main character are revealed.
• Epistolary – a P.O.V. in which the story is told in the first person through letters, notes, and/or diary entries, all written in the first person.

P.O.V. can change the attitude of your story.