How to Master Perspective and Tense

If you’ve taken up the challenge of writing fiction, two essential steps toward achieving your goal are understanding narrative point of view and narrative tense. Too many new authors either don’t understand these powerful authorial tools, or they don’t use them to maximum effect. So today, we’ll explore point of view and tense options that can propel your writing to new heights.

The Omniscient Narrator

Imagine the omniscient narrator as an unwavering observer, perched high above your story’s landscape. This perspective grants the narrator godlike insight, laying bare your characters’ innermost thoughts and emotions. Omniscient narration gives you the power to switch between characters’ perspectives seamlessly, offering readers an all-encompassing view of the story’s unfolding events.

However, proceed with caution when employing this approach. While it affords you unrestricted access to your characters’ minds, it brings added challenge to maintaining a cohesive narrative thread. Beware of overwhelming readers with an excessive number of viewpoints. Because too many POVs may dilute the impact of your storytelling.

Also note that omniscient POV makes it almost impossible to keep secrets from readers without cheating. So thriller and mystery authors are advised to avoid it in favor of …

The First-Person Narrator

Picture the first-person narrator as a trusted confidant, whispering the tale into the reader’s ear. This perspective immerses readers in the protagonist’s experience, allowing them to forge a deep connection with the narrative. By adopting the voice and perspective of a single character, you can infuse your story with a sense of immediacy and emotional intensity.

Nevertheless, be aware of first-person POV’s limitations. It confines direct narrative exposition to the thoughts, feelings, and observations of a single character. While this approach provides unique intimacy, it also restricts the reader’s knowledge to what the protagonist alone perceives, leaving other characters’ motivations and experiences somewhat obscured.

“But what if I want to show the thoughts and feelings of more than one character while still establishing intimacy with readers?” I hear you asking. And what you’re asking for is …

The Third-Person Limited Narrator

Imagine the third-person limited narrator as a skilled cinematographer capturing the essence of your characters and their world with an expert eye. This perspective allows you to focus on a specific character’s point of view while maintaining an objective distance. By employing this lens, you can delve into the depths of your protagonist’s psyche, revealing his thoughts, emotions, and motivations.

Yet, exercise caution when using this narrative approach. While it allows for a more in-depth exploration of a character’s inner workings, avoid abrupt head-hopping between different characters’ perspectives. Stick to one character’s viewpoint per scene or chapter, enhancing reader engagement and preventing confusion.

Whichever POV best fits your story, remember: Maintaining a coherent narrative and preventing information overload are essential. Beware of withholding vital details or revealing too much, which can undermine suspense and reader engagement.

Mastering narrative point of view is an essential skill to breathe life into your stories. Whether you opt for the panopticon of the omniscient narrator, the intimate whisper of first-person perspective, or the panoramic lens of third-person limited view, each offers unique opportunities and challenges.

Yet new authors face an even more fundamental consideration: narrative tense.

When it comes to crafting a compelling narrative, the choice between past and present tense has a significant impact the reader’s experience. Each tense carries its own set of strengths and weaknesses, adding layers of depth and immediacy to your storytelling.

Let’s explore the pros and cons of past and present tense to help inform your decision.

Past Tense

Strengths of Past Tense:

1. Reflective and Authoritative Voice: Writing in the past tense allows the narrator to assume the role of a knowledgeable storyteller. It creates a sense of distance, implying that the events have already taken place, granting the narrator authority to recount the tale with clarity and insight.
2. Timeless Quality: Past tense lends a timeless quality to the narrative, making it suitable for historical fiction or stories set in the distant past. This choice immerses readers in a world rich with history, where the events have already unfolded, offering them the opportunity to reflect on the characters’ deeds.
3. Seamless Integration of Flashbacks: Past tense makes it easier to work flashbacks into your narrative. It allows for a smooth transitions between present events and past memories, enhancing the depth and complexity of your characters’ stories.

One caveat: I advise most new authors to avoid flashbacks and tell the story in the order it happened. But for more advanced storytellers, using past tense helps grease the wheels.

Weaknesses of Past Tense:

• Reduced Sense of Immediacy: Writing in the past tense can create a subtle emotional distance between the reader and the events of the story. The sense of already knowing what has happened can dampen the immediacy and urgency that present tense offers.
• Limitations in Present Action: The past tense may restrict your ability to convey present actions and sensations with the same level of intensity as present tense. Describing events as they unfold becomes a more measured and reflective process.

Present Tense

Strengths of Present Tense:

1. Intense Emotional Connection: Writing in the present tense creates powerful immediacy, plunging readers into the heart of the action. It allows them to experience events in real time, heightening the emotional connection to the story and characters.
2. Enhanced Suspense and Tension: The present tense amplifies suspense. Readers feel as if they are experiencing the events alongside the characters. The unfolding action keeps them on the edge of their seats, enhancing the overall sense of anticipation and tension.
3. Vivid Descriptions: Present tense lends itself to rich descriptions of sensory details that capture the essence of the present moment. This choice immerses readers in the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the story world, creating a multi-dimensional experience.

Weaknesses of Present Tense:

• Limited Reflective Voice: Writing in the present tense may limit the narrator’s ability to provide reflective insights and hindsight. The focus on immediate events can make it challenging to step back and offer broader perspectives or delve into characters’ inner thoughts and motivations.
• Pacing and Narrative Distance: Maintaining a consistent and engaging pace in present tense writing can be demanding. The intense immediacy can be overwhelming if not balanced with moments of reflection and quieter scenes. In addition, constant present tense narration may create a sense of limited narrative distance, which may not be suitable for certain types of storytelling.

Which narrative voice and tense is right for you? It depends on the story and intended audience. So sit down at your desk, grab your keyboard, and experiment to find the voice-tense combination that maximizes your story’s impact.

And for a thrilling example of third person limited, past tense narration, read my epic mech saga’s explosive finale: