What is narrative voice?
Narrative voice is the perspective the story is told from. The writer chooses a narrative voice carefully, as it can have an important effect on the story and the reader鈥檚 response.
| Different types of narrative voice | Example | |
| First person | A character within the story is telling the story. Some of the main personal pronouns used are I, my, me, we. | I watched as the boat sank. I felt a mixture of relief and guilt. I turned to take the rudder, pushing away the thoughts that crawled like ants into my mind. |
| Second person | Not commonly used by writers. The personal pronouns you and your are used throughout. | You watch as the boat slowly sinks. You feel relief mixed with guilt. You turn and take the rudder, pushing away the thoughts that crawl like ants into your mind. |
| Third person | The story is being told by the voice of someone who is not a character in the story. The main personal pronouns used are she, he and they. | George watched as the boat slowly sank. He felt relief mixed with guilt. He turned to take the rudder, pushing away the thoughts that crawled like ants into his mind. |
| Third person omniscient | The story is being told by a voice who shows they know more than the characters in the story 鈥 the narrator is all knowing. The main personal pronouns used are she, he and they. | George watched as the boat sank. He felt relief mixed with guilt. Six miles away a group of fishermen watched the horizon, looking for signs of the storm they could feel in the air. |
| First person | |
|---|---|
| Different types of narrative voice | A character within the story is telling the story. Some of the main personal pronouns used are I, my, me, we. |
| Example | I watched as the boat sank. I felt a mixture of relief and guilt. I turned to take the rudder, pushing away the thoughts that crawled like ants into my mind. |
| Second person | |
|---|---|
| Different types of narrative voice | Not commonly used by writers. The personal pronouns you and your are used throughout. |
| Example | You watch as the boat slowly sinks. You feel relief mixed with guilt. You turn and take the rudder, pushing away the thoughts that crawl like ants into your mind. |
| Third person | |
|---|---|
| Different types of narrative voice | The story is being told by the voice of someone who is not a character in the story. The main personal pronouns used are she, he and they. |
| Example | George watched as the boat slowly sank. He felt relief mixed with guilt. He turned to take the rudder, pushing away the thoughts that crawled like ants into his mind. |
| Third person omniscient | |
|---|---|
| Different types of narrative voice | The story is being told by a voice who shows they know more than the characters in the story 鈥 the narrator is all knowing. The main personal pronouns used are she, he and they. |
| Example | George watched as the boat sank. He felt relief mixed with guilt. Six miles away a group of fishermen watched the horizon, looking for signs of the storm they could feel in the air. |
When thinking about narrative voice, think about the following:
- How does the reader feel about the narrator?
- Does the reader trust the narrator? Do they seem reliable?
- Is the voice of the narrator the author or someone else?
- How does the narrator choose to show us this fictional world?