365 days of writing prompts

10 writing prompts to help with point of view.

Welcome to Day 12! Every story is shaped by the lens through which it’s told; the point of view. Perspective plays a crucial role. It determines what readers see. It influences what they feel. It also decides what stays hidden.

Choosing the right point of view is like deciding where to place the camera in a movie. If it’s close, it’s intimate. If it’s far, it’s panoramic.

Here is an article to help you choose the point of view.

Today’s prompts will help you explore how perspective transforms your storytelling and gives it emotional power.

1. The Chosen Lens
   Rewrite a short scene from your story in first person. What changes when we’re inside the character’s head?
2. The Distance Shift
   Take the same scene and write it in third person. How does emotional distance affect tone and connection?
3. The Hidden Observer
   Write from the point of view of a minor or background character watching the main event unfold.
4. The Unreliable Narrator
   Tell a story through someone whose perception can’t be fully trusted. Whether from bias, fear, or misunderstanding.
5. The Dual View
   Write a moment from two characters’ perspectives, each convinced they’re right. How do truth and emotion differ from each other?
6. The Omniscient Voice
   Step back and describe the same scene with a godlike awareness of everyone’s thoughts. What new layers emerge?
7. The Close Third
   Write in third person. Stay very near your character’s mind. Filter every detail through their perception and emotion.
8. The Shift in Power
   Write a scene where changing the point of view changes who holds emotional control. How does perspective create tension?
9. The Silent Perspective
   Try writing from the point of view of something that can’t speak. Whether it be a pet, a tree, or a photograph. See what story it tells.
10. The Experiment
    Pick one scene and rewrite it three different ways: first person, third person, and omniscient. Which one feels truest to your story’s soul?

Point of view decides who gets to speak and who gets to listen. Today, play, explore, and experiment with your story’s perspective. The right one won’t just tell your story; it will illuminate it.