Posted: June 23, 2025
The first article in this series was how to choose which POV to use for your book [click here for the full article], and then when and why to use First Person and Third Person, but what about Second? Is Second Person POV a plausible choice for your story? What different kinds of second person exist, and when and how are they used? Let’s dive into What, When, Why, and How:
In second person point of view, the story is being told directly to the reader, often about the reader themselves, using the pronoun “you”. With this method, it allows the reader to feel like they are the main character of the story, that the plot is happening to them. Popular books told in second person point of view include The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney, You by Caroline Kepnes, and Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.
There are three main ways you can use second person perspective.
First, there is Direct Second-Person Perspective, the most common. This is what you would expect: the narrator telling the story in the perspective of the reader. The narrator is speaking directly to you, the reader, telling you how it is and what you’re doing in this story.
Secondly, the one you would find most in first- or third-person perspective stories, is the Hypothetical Second-Person Perspective, in which the narrator is posing a hypothetical or asking a question of the reader. “Suppose you would…” or “Can you blame me?”
The third method is Character Second-Person Perspective, which is used in N.K. Jemisin’s work. In this, though the author uses second person perspective with “you”, the character is removed from the reader. It creates a bit of distance, like the reader is just overhearing as the narrator tells the character their own story. The narrator is not speaking directly to them. For obvious reasons, this is less commonly found in second-person perspective books.
Other methods of second person perspective include Choose-Your-Own-Adventure novels, and the autotelic method, in which the reader is addressed for the purposes of reading itself, or some other end goal, such as “You are about to begin reading this novel…” It also focuses more heavily on the reader’s emotions as a whole, rather than their actions. Like how you are reading this article now in order to learn more about Second Person POV.
Honestly, most editors will agree that you shouldn’t write your novel in Second Person POV if you can help it. It’s not very popular, and it’s very difficult to get right. So why would you consider using it to write your novel?
Connect the Reader to the Story: Your reader can’t get any closer to the story than this. If you really want them to experience the plot, emotions, and achievements, second person is the way to go. It’s far more intimate than third person, and perhaps even more so than first person.
Give the Narrator Someone to Address: You may find, in some first person or third person novels, the narrator may slip into second person. They’ll address the Reader directly. Charlotte Brontë does this in Jane Eyre; Jane Austen does this in several of her books. J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter does this only once at the very beginning of The Philosopher’s Stone when she says, “the dull grey Tuesday our story starts…”. These are brief instances of second person, but in books told fully in second person, the narrator is always addressing the reader. Or, at least, the main character, telling them their own story. N.K. Jemisin makes excellent use of this in Broken Earth, making the POV part of the story itself.
A Very Purposeful Choice: Not to say that choosing first person or second person isn’t purposeful or carefully decided, but when you choose to write in second person, it’s always for a specific reason. How does it drive home the message of the story? How does it aid in the telling of the narrative? The POV often effects how the story is perceived, and this is never truer than when the story is portrayed in second person.
Distancing the Story from the Narrator: Though second person can bring the reader closer to the story, it can also be a method of distancing the narrator from themselves. Like when you talk to yourself, admonish yourself, like “How could you just do that?” Writing in second person may give your story the impression of the narrator admonishing themselves for their actions. “You’ve done wrong. How are you going to fix it?”
Whatever reason you choose for writing your book in Second Person POV or not, ensure that it is a purposeful, strong reason that provides the most context and value for your book.
How to Write in Multiple POVs
How to Choose a POV for Your Book
When to Use First Person POV
When to Use Second Person POV
When to Use Third Person POV
Writing Compelling Villains
Writing Good Characters
D&D Alignments for Writing Characters
Inclusive Writing
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