Writing Trends and POV Choices: How Storytelling Styles Evolve (and What Readers Want Now)

by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells

Writing, like hair styles and clothing fashions, follows trends. Writers must stay plugged into the industry and attend the occasional conference to stay up to date with what is popular in publishing. The alternative is become a dinosaur whose career drifts out of style.

In earlier years, writers were paid per word for their work. Writers like Victor Hugo who penned Les Miserables spent the first 100 pages describing lesser characters like the Priest who gives the main character, Jean Valjean, a second chance. 

Additionally, prior to television, readers were not as familiar with how places and activities looked. Herman Melville spent the better part of Moby Dick describing life in the American colonies and the practice of whaling. The advent of widespread television made a lot of description unnecessary. Through media, readers were now aware of what other countries and lifestyles looked like. 

In Victor Hugo's day, readers depended on authors to write descriptions that allowed them to visualize the horrors of Jean Valjean seeing his sister's children starving, the cruelty of prison for the man who stole bread to feed his niece and nephew, the kindness of a priest, the tragedy of young men killed for defying the government, and the decision to do good by others even when the didn't deserve it. 

For Victor Hugo, Third Person Omniscient POV proved best when he wrote Les Miserables.

Currently, writers can choose from any of the nine styles of POV when structuring their story. There will always be skilled authors and unique tales that work well in a POV style that is not the most common of the day. 

As seen by today's bestsellers, the majority of popular stories tend to be penned in three points of view.

Top Three POVs Today

• First Person Cinematic — Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

• Third Person Limited — Harry Potter by JK Rowling

• Third Person Omniscient — The Princess Bride by William Goldman 

Do you have a favorite POV for writing? Do you prefer to read stories written in a particular POV?

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Writing Trends and POV Choices: How Storytelling Styles Evolve (and What Readers Want Now) from @PeggySueWells on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

PeggySue Wells is the award-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 45 books including the mystery suspense title of the year, Unnatural Cause. 

Action and adventure, romantic suspense, military romance, and cozy mystery are the page-turning novels by P.S. Wells including Chasing Sunrise, Homeless for the Holidays, and The Patent. How to live better, easier, and simpler is the focus of her nonfiction including The Ten Best Decisions A Single Mom Can Make.

PeggySue is a frequent guest with media including Focus On The Family, Family Life Today, and Christian Product Expo. She regularly teaches at conferences including Write To Publish, Taylor University Writers Conference, Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Collaborator on multiple titles including books with Dr. Benjamin Hardy, Shemane Nugent, Pat Palau, and Pam Farrel, PeggySue is a writing coach. When not writing, she parasails, skydives, snorkels, scuba dives, rides horses, and has taken (but not passed) pilot training. Founder of SingleMomCircle.com, connect with PS Wells at WWW.PEGGYSUEWELLS.COM, on Facebook at PeggySue Wells, and LinkedIn at LINKEDIN.COM/IN/PEGGYSUEWELLS