Omniscient point of view…
Talk about a point of view that doesn’t get a lot of love these days. Some people like it; others hate it with a passion. But why such negativity?
Omniscient point of view can be a trouble maker. It takes a good understanding of what it is and how to use it properly or things can go wrong quickly. But there’s no need to fear omniscient POV. It’s just a tool and, like any other writing tool, once you understand its function, you can use it effectively.
So let’s start with what it is…and what it isn’t.
What is omniscient POV?
Omniscient is a form of third-person point of view. But unlike third-person limited POV which follows only one character at a time, the omniscient POV can follow all of the characters and see everything that happens in the story. It’s all-seeing and all-knowing.
- The omniscient narrator can break out of the story and talk to you, the reader, though it doesn’t have to.
- The omniscient narrator can have a different voice and personality separate from the main character or characters.
- The omniscient POV can be from the author’s perspective. That is, the POV does not have its own distinct personality separate from the author’s voice and style and, occasionally, there are personal observations inserted into the novel via the author’s persona while writing the story.
- The omniscient POV can be a neutral observer that refrains from adding opinions or analysis aside from just passing information to the reader.
- Or the omniscient POV can be a separate and distinct character that happens to be able to see and hear everything. For example, a novel could be written from the POV of Death or Time or a supernatural being, like an angel. Or it can be a human character that is seeing events from outside of the main story or timeline. This approach tends to be a bit more of a grey area, since it could arguably be lumped into first-person point of view depending on context and how much of the character’s perspective bleeds through into the narrative.
When is it not omniscient POV?
Omniscient point of view is not (or should not be) head-hopping. Head-hopping is what happens when third-person POV goes rogue. The author may think they are using omniscient POV, but in reality they are using third-person limited but shifting POV mid-stream without clear transition. Head hopping occurs when the POV starts to shift from character to character without giving enough information for the reader to interpret which character is doing the thinking, saying, or feeling in each sentence or paragraph.
In those cases, it is often best to follow one character throughout the scene, and when it’s time to switch to a different character, insert a scene or chapter break to cue the reader that there is about to be a change.
The benefits of omniscient POV
When it works well, omniscient POV is a powerful storytelling device because it allows the reader to see aspects of the story that are relevant to the plot without forcing the main character to do mental or summersaults or physically run all over the fictional world just to see something that could just as easily have been summed up with a sentence of paragraph.
Here are a couple of ideas for where omniscient POV can add something special to the story:
Large-scale battles
In space opera it sometimes works better to show spaceships exploding from afar to show the visual details to your readers. Likewise, in epic fantasy it might be easier to show whole armies moving around the battlefield through the eyes of an omniscient narrator.
Worldbuilding or setting
To use a film analogy, you might sometimes want to move the metaphorical camera angle out to show the entire landscape, the buildings, or some other area that isn’t reachable from more limited points of view.
Creating proper transition
You could theoretically use omniscient POV for an entire novel, and there are authors who do this quite effectively, but let’s say you decide to use it for just select portions of the novel. Say a chapter, scene, or paragraph here and there.
If you do that, you’ll want to make sure the omniscient scenes transition properly to cue the reader when you are switching back to a different POV like third-person limited. If the omni section is a separate, stand alone scene, you can insert a simple scene break or chapter break to cue the reader that there will be a change of some sort. This works especially well if your novel has a set pattern your readers can follow. For example, you start Act I with a scene from the omniscient POV and then start the following chapter in third-person limited. You do the same after ACT II, and so on.
It becomes trickier when you mix omni into the same scene as another POV. This is when you need to use a transition phrase, sentence, or paragraph to help the reader follow the shift.
I’d like to use the filmmaking analogy here again. Let’s say you start your scene with a wide angle so the reader gets to watch the imaginary view pan over the vast landscape of Fantasoria as wild herds of horses frolic below. The camera zooms in closer and closer until we see the main character standing in her corn field shooing crows away from her crops. Now we are able to see her thoughts, because of course this is allowed in omniscient POV. Ahh, but alas, this is also allowed in third person limited, so now that the camera is centered on our main character, it follows her around for the rest of the scene, and we can dip into her thoughts and share her emotions. The camera stays in close for the rest of the scene. Or perhaps you choose to zoom back out at the end of the scene before cutting to a different character’s perspective.
On a smaller scale, let’s imagine you’re writing a scene where a family is enjoying a dinner party and you want the reader to follow multiple character thoughts and emotions as the family members debate, bicker, and joke over their meal. This scene could easily turn into a head hopping mess without careful transitioning. And adding a scene break after each paragraph would be just as unappealing. But with careful organization, you can follow one character at a time and dip gently in and out of each character’s thoughts. This takes a bit more practice and planning, and a smooth hand at adding transition phrases, but you can get there.
Avoid the cliché
Little did he know…
Unless you want to reveal later scenes for humor, plot twists, or other literary reasons, it’s best to watch out for this giveaway. There is foreshadowing and then there are spoilers. Readers tend to dislike spoilers if it will rob them of the joy of seeing events directly through the eyes of the characters in the story and spoilers will distance readers from character emotion, because they already know what’s about to happen before the character does.
Just because the omniscient point of view is all-knowing, doesn’t mean the narrator need to reveal all the surprises. The all-knowing narrator can just as easily keep information from the reader until the perfect moment. Sometimes the “little did he know” cliché sneaks into the story, but it’s easy to spot by looking for phrases that show an uncanny knowledge of the future such as, “In a few days, none of this would matter,” “Eventually, it would all work out,” or “When she finally discovered…” One you spot the first one, these phrases will jump right out at you.
Maintain consistency
Your omniscient narrator voice should be consistent throughout the manuscript. Whether the narrating voice is an all-knowing character or a neural observer, it should have the same tone and feel throughout the story. This will help your characters’ unique voices and personalities stand out as individuals. It’s not uncommon for new writers to let the character personality start to merge with the omniscient narrator voice, which will muddy the point-of-view waters and create confusion for the reader. It might even keep them from immersing themselves in the story, because it’s hard to tell when the character begins or ends.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this will help you learn to appreciate the power and beauty of the omniscient point of view. With careful use, it can add depth and dimension to a story, help with streamlining a timeline, reveal important backstory, or expand the overall worldbuilding of a novel or series. It can add a touch of whimsy and humor to a story or create an atmosphere of darkness or despair. There are a lot of bestselling authors who use this point of view, and now that you know what to look for, you can see why it works so well for their stories.
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Happy writing!
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