There are many points of view you can use when writing a novel. You might choose first person, which is popular in literary fiction, or you might wish to use third person limited as many genre fiction writers do. You might even decide to play with second person, though this point of view rarely works for anyone.
But what if none of these are right for your story? What if you need something more expansive simply because you have dozens of characters in dozens of locations that you need your readers to follow. You probably even need them to sympathize with more than one of your characters. If this is the case, you might need more flexibility than even third person limited can provide.
If you find yourself needing to dip into the lives and even thoughts of multiple characters, you might consider the omniscient point of view. This point of view is, technically speaking, third person, but it is far from limiting. It is different than other forms of narration because it comes from above and is almost godlike in its usage. With this point of view, you can see all and go anywhere. You can dip into the thoughts of any character at any time, describe scenes witnessed by none of your principle characters (or even scenes witnessed by no one at all), or even go backward or forward in time to further expand your story. And why not?
It does sound infinitely attractive, doesn't it? There are no limits on a story written from the omniscient point of view, making it tempting to write all your stories just like this. But hold on a minute. Just because this method of narration is attractive doesn't mean you should automatically use it.
Am I saying you shouldn't use it? Of course not. I've used it many times, as have hundreds of other authors throughout the ages. It's handy and fun and can serve the story well, but that's the point right there. It can serve the story, but it doesn't always serve the story. So before you head off and jump into a novel written from the omniscient point of view, ask yourself single question.
Does this point of view serve the story? Consider this carefully. Just because a point of view is easier, or a little more fun, doesn't necessarily mean it is right for your story. If your story is centred around a single character, the omniscient point of view might be a little too cold, a little too distant. So think before jumping in.
You'll hear some people say that this particular point of view makes it hard to involve the reader in the story, that it can be difficult to keep the readers interest, or that readers will become confused when they don't have a single consistent character to relate to. You might even hear that it's harder to cast and sustain the spell writers try so hard to conjure. This is all the purest nonsense. If the point of view fits the story, then you're all set. Don't believe me? Look no further than the great classic War and Peace. It is written from the omniscient point of view, and I think no one can argue its quality, or dismiss the powerful spell it casts over the reader.
There is, however, one potential pitfall of this type of narrative. You have to be careful of head-hopping. This generally means sweeping from one character to another without warning and without telling the reader whose head they're in now. Thankfully, this is actually quite easy to avoid when you give readers just a little credit. Your readers are not stupid. They're perfectly capable of following along most of the time. If you are clear about whose head you are in each time you dip into a different character's thoughts, your readers will stick with you.
So how do you indicate whose head you're in? Anyway you like, really. Some writers like to use chapters, as in a different chapter for each point of view. Perhaps you'd prefer to divide up a chapter using headings or an asterisk, or something along those lines. Or maybe you just change paragraphs. All of these are fine provided you make sure the reader knows what's what. So get someone (preferably an editor) to read over your story just to make sure there's no unnecessary confusion.
Don't be afraid of the omniscient point of view. If it fits your story, and you can avoid confusing your readers, then the omniscient point of view might be exactly what you need.
