Writing a crime novel - mastering point of view (POV)

Getting the right point of view (POV) in a novel i.e. whose story is it, is one of the hardest things for a writer to grasp. You might think it fairly obvious in that it is the protagonist’s story but is it his (or hers) alone? Is there a single protagonist or more than one? Do you need to switch to telling the story from another character’s point of view, therefore making the novel, or story, a multiple point of view?

Then again there is the question of whether you are telling the story from the male point of view or the female viewpoint, or is it both?

A word of caution here, be wary of having too many points of view because that can not only muddle the story and slow it down but it can also confuse you, and more importantly the reader.

Finding the right point of view in which to tell the story can take time, and writers often experiment with several versions before they hit on the right one for them and for their story. It happened to me.

When I first began to write fiction, I wrote from multiple viewpoints with both male and female protagonists in the same story. This has the benefit of being able to switch to telling the story through other characters’ eyes, showing their thoughts and emotions. However, care must be taken not to have too many characters telling the story and switching too frequently from one character to another because it will result in losing the emotional intensity of the story and irritating the reader. Just when they’ve got inside one character’s head they’re pulled away to another. And the last thing an author wants is to have his reader abandon his books. I also found that this made the story rather sluggish and I like writing fast-paced novels.

As I continued I found myself far more attracted to telling the story from the male character's point of view.

When I created the flawed and rugged detective, DI Andy Horton, in the first of the Horton series, Tide of Death, I knew then that I had found my ‘voice’. Everything began to fall into place.

The same applies to my other two crime series: the 1950s set Inspector Ryga mysteries and the Art Marvik mystery thrillers, I tell the story through their eyes.

Many people have asked me why I have chosen to write from the male point of view and the answer is I don’t really know, maybe it’s because I like male heroes. I don't think it matters, it just happens to be my voice! That being said there are, of course, some very strong females in my novels.

With the single point of view the writer doesn't switch to another characters’ thoughts and emotions instead the reader follows the story through the main character’s eyes. This can help the reader to identify far more strongly with that main character.

First person or third person?

Thrillers are frequently written in the first person to give them a faster-pace.

Where to buy Pauline Rowson's books