The Difference Between Point of View and Voice
Point of View Is Where the Camera Sits Writers often confuse point of view and voice because they feel intertwined when you’re in the flow. You’re writing. The character is thinking. The sentences are doing their thing. It all seems like one big magical soup. But point of view and voice are not the same tool. They’re partners, yes, but they do different jobs. When you separate them in your mind, you suddenly gain control. You stop guessing why a chapter feels “off,” and you can diagnose it like a professional. Point of view is the technical choice . It’s the camera angle. It answers the question: Who is perceiving this moment? First person, second person, close third, omniscient, plural “we,” rotating perspectives. It’s basically the lens through which information is delivered. Percival Everett’s novel James is a clean example of point of view doing a big, obvious job. It retells Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim - James - rather than Huck. That isn’t just a st...