Point of view determines the writer’s relationship to the story. What viewpoint to use can also be dictated by the pervading taste in reading fare. The first-person narration became popular with the advent of young adult supernatural romances. Along with it is the choice to narrate events in the present tense. Other writers decided to stick to their viewpoint of choice. Still, multiple viewpoints remain popular. The advantage of the multiple view or third-person narration is the narrator’s capacity for omniscience and mobility.

In the first person, what the reader needs to know about other characters--their sentiments and thoughts especially--are limited.  What the reader knows is based on the impressions of the narrator. He can describe other characters and what he thinks of them based on his perceptions. The internal exploration of people around him doesn’t go any deeper.

The third-person or multiple viewpoints can shift from one person to another, allowing for versatility. It gives the reader the power to acquire information that the characters in the story are not aware of. Characters are viewed from different angles, and the story can branch into other developments in plot and characterization. Consider:

First-person: I flip burgers for a living. I sincerely hate that pun they say about my job having too many turnovers. I stink of grease at the day’s end. I’m skipping work tomorrow. I will probably do better as a gas station manager. I don’t want to disappoint Melanie.

Third-person: Melanie rose naked from the bed and rushed to put on her underwear and work clothes. She shook Bryan's shoulder. “Bryan, I’m going home. Chris will be home soon.” Bryan said, “Okay, baby. I’ll see you again tomorrow?”

The first-person can only reveal his thoughts and emotions. He assumes situations around him, which serves as the reader’s portal to understanding other characters. In this limited view, the reader has no idea that the character's wife, Melanie, is cheating on him. This infidelity may be revealed in the latter part of the story when the writer conveys actions and suspicions that would come from Chris. The third person, on the other hand, shifts. The reader gets an immediate idea about what Melanie is doing when Chris is not present.

However, the first person is popular in young adult and romance fiction because it is more intimate and personal. Some readers prefer not to know too much and stick to one character's viewpoint because it adds spice and mystery as they read along.

Multiple viewpoints are not always omniscient. The third-person limited comes close to fusing first-person and third-person narration. It can enter into other character’s thoughts. But most of the time, it prefers to spend more time inside the head of one character. In subtle ways, it would shift to the viewpoint of other characters when the writer feels a need for it to create tension or confirm biases. The third-person limited provides the writer with the versatility of a third-person omniscient while creating the intimacy of first-person narration.