When an author begins a story, several important decisions are made. What will the characters be named? Where will the story take place? In what year does the tale take place? What will the main point of the story be? How will it end?

One of the most important decisions a writer makes is the literary point of view from which the story is told. It determines who is speaking to the reader. Is it the main character telling you directly what is happening as they see it? Is it a voice placing you into the story? Or is it a third party narrating from somewhere else?

In this You Can Learn course, examine the different literary points of view, and learn to distinguish one from the other. View samples and learn the pros and cons of each point of view.