Question

If a story is told by a character in the story, from which point of view is it written?

Answer 1

First person

Explanation:

We can write stories in first, second, and third person.

• First person is from the point of view of the narrator or a particular character. For instance, a very basic scene could be:

I was enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon, lounging in my apartment, when I heard a loud crash from outside. I ran to the window to see what caused it. Someone had just dropped an expensive mirror! I felt bad for the guy who dropped it; his paycheck is going to be much smaller this week!

• Second person is from the point of view of having someone lead you through the story. It's often used in "make your own adventure" novels. The same scene in second person could be written as:

As you were enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon, lounging in your apartment, you heard a loud crash from outside. You ran to the window to see what caused it. You see pieces of shattered mirror on the street and a mover looking angry at himself. You feel pity for him.

• Third person is from an outside observer's point of view. I sometimes call this the God Perspective because anything can be known by the reader, even though the characters may not. The same scene in third person could be written:

Franklin was enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon, lounging in his apartment, when he heard a loud crash from outside. He ran to the window to see what caused it. A mover had just dropped a rare antique mirror that had been in the family for over 10 generations.