creative writing third person story

How to Write in the Third Person

You may have heard someone talking about third person POV in an English class or on a writers’ panel. What does it mean? POV stands for point of view, and any piece of prose writing has one. The point of view helps anchor the reader, and it makes the text easier to understand. Even in a story that doesn’t appear to come from a particular character’s voice, we can still assign the narration a point of view. When the point of view isn’t yours (second person) or mine (first person), then we call it third person narration. In this article, we’ll give you some tips to help you learn to write this way.

Your writing, at its best

Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant

Avoid First Person

First person emphasizes the subjective point of view, and you can easily identify this writing style through the use of the pronouns “I” and “me”. Imagine an autobiography. The narrator explains his or her life by using phrases like this one: “I was born in a small town.” In a biography, written by another person, the text might read: “She was born in a small town.” That’s the difference between first person and third person. In first person, the narrator is the main character or, if not the main character, a character in the action. On the other hand, when a book is written in the third person, the story does not come from the point of view of a character. Instead, the writing describes things that happen to other people, characters besides the writer or the reader. 

First person writing can be identified by the use of the following pronouns:

Avoid Second Person

Second person narration comes from the point of view of the reader. A second person point of view can often be found in the self-help or how-to genres, as well as in choice-based adventure books. “Choose Your Own Adventure® gamebooks began life in 1979 as the first publishing effort of a new division at Bantam Books focused on younger readers,” according to Chooseco LLC . Today, 265 million books have been published in this style. Let’s look at the summary of one of these books for a memorable example of second person narration:

“ You are a mountain climber, headed to the Himalayas to find proof that the mysterious yeti really exists. When your best friend Carlos goes missing from base camp, the fate of the expedition is in your hands.” — The Abominable Snowman 

We added the bold font above to draw attention to some important pronouns. It’s easy to identify second person narration because it features second person pronouns:

What Is Third Person?

When a piece of writing does not assume the perspective of either the reader or the writer, it’s written in the third person point of view. Third person narratives have three distinct styles, known as third person objective, third person omniscient, and third person limited omniscient. You can recognize all three of these points of view through the use of third person pronouns, which include:

Third Person Objective

Imagine a history essay or a science article, written by a distant and neutral third party. The writer does not attempt to explain the perspective of any character; instead, he or she reports on the events with dispassion. If any opinions made their way into the text, they are properly attributed to the source. 

Congressman Smith said, “X, Y, Z.” His constituent disagreed, arguing A. 

The author of a third person objective article would never presume to speak for another person’s inner thoughts. Instead, the writer aims to present the facts and events in an orderly way, attributing the actions and dialogue to the proper characters. 

This writing style is frequently used in academic writing and professional writing, but it can be used by fiction writers as well. As long as the author does not place thoughts inside the heads of characters, third person objective can work for any style of prose writing. If a writer wanted the reader to understand a character’s emotional state, he or she would have to make reference to body language, facial expression, and dialogue; otherwise, the character’s thoughts would remain opaque. The internal monologue of any character remains off limits from the objective point of view. 

Third Person Omniscient

The third person omniscient point of view frequently appears in fiction writing. With this style, an all-knowing narrator has the ability to get inside any character’s head. That’s why an omniscient point of view can be thought of as “head-hopping.” The narrator has knowledge of everything. The characters have nowhere to hide—even their most intimate thoughts may be plumbed. Personal opinions and internal dialogue are all fair game, for any of the characters. In this style of writing, you can expect to see different points of view. As a reader, you can expect to know more about the different characters than the characters know about each other. 

Third Person Limited Omniscient

Sometimes a writer engages a third person perspective, but they elevate one character above the rest. The writer may expound on that character’s thoughts, inner dialogue, and perspective. The focal character for the third person limited point of view is often called the viewpoint character. Typically, the viewpoint character is a main character in the story. The writer provides the reader with comprehensive access to this character’s thoughts, but all the other characters must be understood through actions, gestures, and dialogue. The reader must get by with limited information, since they rely on what the viewpoint character knows. 

Still, the reader does not go “inside the head” of the viewpoint character completely. Rather than writing from the main character’s perspective in the first person point of view, the writer maintains a third person writing style. Without using first person pronouns, the author explores the thoughts of a single character. The narrator describes she and her, not I and me. 

She worried that she would be late, but didn’t bother to tell her sister. 

In the example above, the reader understands what the viewpoint character is thinking. On the other hand, the sister cannot read the viewpoint character’s thoughts. Likewise, the reader is not privy to the sister’s thoughts. 

The omniscient limited and omniscient POV appear most commonly in creative writing. In general terms, third person objective or first person would be a more common choice for essays, articles, and nonfiction books. 

Blending Perspectives

Now that you know the conventions for writing in first person, second person, third person objective, third person limited, and third person limited omniscient, you may want to revisit some of your favorite works of literature. Try to figure out their points of view, and think about why the author picked that perspective. 

In your research, you may come across some books that defy categorization. Moby Dick by Herman Melville and Ulysses by James Joyce come to mind. Both books shift between third person and first person narration. Many fiction writers, especially modernist writers, flout convention by using a number of different narrative styles within the same work. 

In creative writing, you should feel free to break the rules. Just be sure to understand the rules as you break them!

• https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-point-of-view.html
• https://www.britannica.com/art/novel/Narrative-method-and-point-of-view
• https://www.dictionary.com/e/1st-person-vs-2nd-person-vs-3rd-person-pov/
• https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/point-of-view-first-second-third-person-difference
• https://www.cyoa.com/

Kari Lisa Johnson

I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.

Recent Posts

Angel Number 222 Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

Cornerstone Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

Solitude Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

Surrogate Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

• Features for Creative Writers
• Features for Work
• Features for Higher Education
• Features for Teachers
• Features for Non-Native Speakers
• Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Events FAQ
• Grammar Guide

What Is Third-Person Point of View and How Can You Use It in Your Writing?

Walter Akolo

Have you ever read a book in which you felt like a bird sitting on the shoulder of the protagonist?

From the very first page, the author placed you in a position to see beyond what the character is seeing. So you can hear the door opening, or know when someone’s opening it, even if they don’t see it happening. It is books like this that are often so easy to consume—and that consume you, eventually.

And the technique that makes these books tick? Third-person point of view (POV).

If you’re looking to write a story that will grip your readers and put them on the edge of their seats, third-person perspective is your secret weapon. But what exactly is third-person point of view and how can you use it in your writing?

What Is Third-Person Point of View (POV)?

What are the different types of third-person pov, is it okay to mix perspectives, how do you write effectively in the third person, third-person pov examples, advantages of writing in third-person pov.

The third-person point of view is a common form of storytelling—a staple in works of fiction—in which the narrator uses third-person pronouns such as they , he , and she to best relate the action in the story.

Most new writers shun writing in the third-person perspective but, unknown to them, it affords a writer much more freedom in how they tell the story.

It’s the only perspective where the author can change the level of reader immersion in relation to the character.

In the first-person perspective , the reader is focused on the point of view of the character—who they are, what they think and feel, and what they want to tell the reader. The author can add a more significant voice to the novel to flesh out the character and make them come alive.

In the second-person perspective , the reader is so deeply interacting with the story that they more or less become that character. It’s like you’re interacting with a character in a video game.

But the third-person perspective is less personal. Since the reader isn’t sitting in the character’s head or becoming the character, the author has the freedom to immerse the reader in the character however they desire—or even withhold knowledge of people and events to create tension and suspense.

Immersing your readers in different levels of the third-person perspective adds pizazz to your story and grips your reader.

In Elements of Fiction Writing: Characters & Viewpoint , Orson Scott Card lists three types of third-person point of view:

1. Third-Person Point of View Omniscient

Card explains that the omniscient third-person point of view gives the reader a line into the character’s eyes. Think of it as an insider’s view of every character’s thoughts, memories, dreams, longings, and deep-seated desires, as well as any point in time—whether present or future.

As a writer, third-person omniscient makes you the all-knowing narrator that relates and interprets events, thoughts, and feelings of all characters in the story. The novels Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White and Middlemarch by George Eliot use third-person omniscient POV.

2. Third-Person Point of View Limited

In the third-person limited POV, the narrator can access the thoughts and feelings of a single character in the story from the third-person perspective. The reader sees what the character is seeing but can only guess what is in another character’s mind.

But this viewpoint doesn’t prevent you from hopping into another character’s mind. Instead, it provides you with a clear division when switching characters (as in a new chapter break or an extra line space to help readers keep up with the story).

For example, if you’re writing inside John’s head and are switching to Ben’s POV, open the next section with Ben’s name, location, and point in time to keep the reader grounded in the story. It’s used to heighten suspense and build interest. The short story Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield employs a third-person limited point of view.

3. Third-Person Point of View Objective

The third-person objective is a type of third-person POV in which the narrator is essentially a "fly on the wall." The narrator is neutral and is not privy to the inner thoughts and feelings of any characters in the story.

It’s an ambitious feat to write a book in third-person POV objective, but Ernest Hemingway used it to write his short story, Hills like White Elephants .

It can be tricky. But it all depends on how you do it for your story and your perspective.

There are plenty of existing books with sections in first-person POV and others with occasional interludes in third-person POV. The trick is to make sure the reader understands what’s going on and that they aren’t taken by surprise as you jump about in your point of view.

The best way to switch points of view is when you start a new chapter and then make it clear in the first few lines of that chapter what POV is in use. In the famous novel The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald’s opening sentence (of the first chapter) clearly shows that the first-person point of view is in use:

"In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.”

If you make a switch between POV mid-chapter, have a clear scene break. The idea is to avoid swapping into third-person for a few lines then transition back to the protagonist in first-person, then off to another character in another POV. If your novel involves multiple perspectives, you can use ProWritingAid’s Pronoun Check to keep track of all of your clever point of view switches.

But there are no hard and fast rules for narrative perspectives. Some readers will like the point of view switches, some will not. In the end, it’s down to you and what you think of it. But has this ever been done before? The answer is almost always yes. Charles Dickens did it in his novel Bleak House —and so can you.

1) Read a variety of books that display an effective use of the third-person point of view. Then use those you think are the best as an example—after all, those who want to write have to read books regardless of the narrative perspective they want to master.

Good examples of third-person literature from classic fiction include Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, and Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

2) Learn to write with authority. The reader wants a narrator they can fully trust to transition the story to the next chapter or scene with ease. Create an authoritative third-person narrator that sits on the shoulder of the reader—creating a bird’s-eye view of the story.

3) Empower the narrator with a reliable voice and the ability to know the character’s thoughts. This is possible when using third-person omniscient and limited POV.

4) Avoid transitioning into the first-person point of view. The first-person POV uses the pronouns I , me , mine , we , us , our , and more. The third-person POV calls for the author to stay in the narrator character’s voice while staying consistent with the pronouns he , she , it or they .

5) Choose the best type of third-person POV for your story and remain consistent. You have the plot and are ready to write. But before you do, think of the third-person perspective that’ll work best for your story.

Are you writing an epic saga with important characters? Use the third-person omniscient POV (with an all-knowing narrator). Do you want to keep your reader in suspense and only know what the character knows? Then write the story in third-person limited POV.

The third-person perspective transcends time. It’s been in use since time immemorial in a wide range of fiction from E. B. White’s children’s tales to George Orwell’s classics Animal Farm and 1984 —and to now J. K. Rowling’s famous magical series.

In fiction, third-person perspective allows the writer to place the reader in the character’s head—explaining all the important plot points and details for the story whilst staying impartial.

"The goose shouted to the nearest cow that Wilbur was free, and soon all the cows knew. Then one of the cows told one of the sheep, and soon all the sheep knew. The lambs learned about it from their mothers. The horses, in their stalls in the barn, pricked up their ears when they heard the goose hollering; and soon the horses had caught on to what was happening." E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web "They all remembered or thought they remembered, how they had seen Snowball charging ahead of them at the Battle of the Cowshed, how he had rallied and encouraged them at every turn, and how he had not paused for an instant even when the pellets from Jones’s gun had wounded his back." George Orwell, Animal Farm "Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn’t have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself." J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Choosing the right third-person POV can sometimes be challenging, but getting it right can make all the difference. Third-person viewpoint has important advantages in a story:

1) The third-person POV has a wider narrative scope than the first and second. The writer experiences a robust character development because there is a broader range of options for language choice. You can shift a melodramatic moment in an overreacting character’s mind to something that might let the reader sympathize better.

2) The third-person POV allows you to put several characters in the spotlight . You can do this while giving the reader an all-around view of the plot, which creates a rich and complex story by including information the the characters do not know.

3) Third-person POV is more flexible. As a narrator, you can switch between different character stories, helping the reader see everything including thoughts, feelings, and sensations, and you can go everywhere you want. You can go from being omniscient to limited to an objective third-person POV.

Point Your Story in the Right Direction

Point of view is an important consideration when writing fiction. Writers have favorite points of view, which can become our defaults. This isn’t a problem, as the same POV may suit most of our writing. However, to tell better stories with characters that exude power, it’s important to choose the point of view that has the biggest impact on your story. Try using third-person point of view to bring your writing to life.

Are you prepared to write your novel? Download this free book now:

The Novel-Writing Training Plan

So you are ready to write your novel. excellent. but are you prepared the last thing you want when you sit down to write your first draft is to lose momentum., this guide helps you work out your narrative arc, plan out your key plot points, flesh out your characters, and begin to build your world..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Walter Akolo is a freelance writer, internet marketer, trainer, and blogger for hire. He loves helping businesses increase their reach and conversion through excellent and engaging content. He has gotten millions of pageviews on his blog, FreelancerKenya, where he mentors writers. Check out his website walterakolo.com.

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Editing and Style

How to Write in Third Person

Last Updated: May 10, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,138,608 times.

Writing in third person can be a simple task, with a little practice. For academic purposes, third person writing means that the writer must avoid using subjective pronouns like “I” or “you.” For creative writing purposes, there are differences between third person omniscient, limited, objective, and episodically limited points of view. Choose which one fits your writing project.

Writing Third Person Point of View

The third-person point of view discusses the person or people being talked about in academic or creative writing. In this perspective, you’d shift focus from subject to subject. Use pronouns like he/him, she/her, they/them, or it/itself.

Writing in Third Person Academically

• Third person helps the writing stay focused on facts and evidence instead of personal opinion.

• Third person pronouns include: he, she, it; his, her, its; him, her, it; himself, herself, itself; they; them; their; themselves.
• Names of other people are also considered appropriate for third person use.
• Example: “ Smith believes differently. According to his research, earlier claims on the subject are incorrect.”

• First person pronouns include: I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our, ours, ourselves. [3] X Research source
• The problem with first person is that, academically speaking, it sounds too personalized and too subjective. In other words, it may be difficult to convince the reader that the views and ideas being expressed are unbiased and untainted by personal feelings. Many times, when using first person in academic writing, people use phrases like "I think," "I believe," or "in my opinion."
• Incorrect example: “Even though Smith thinks this way, I think his argument is incorrect.”
• Correct example: “Even though Smith thinks this way, others in the field disagree.”

• Second person pronouns include: you, your, yours, yourself. [4] X Research source
• One main problem with second person is that it can sound accusatory. It runs to risk of placing too much responsibility on the shoulders of the reader specifically and presently reading the work.
• Incorrect example: “If you still disagree nowadays, then you must be ignorant of the facts.”
• Correct example: “Someone who still disagrees nowadays must be ignorant of the facts.”

• Indefinite third person nouns common to academic writing include: the writer, the reader, individuals, students, a student, an instructor, people, a person, a woman, a man, a child, researchers, scientists, writers, experts.
• Example: “In spite of the challenges involved, researchers still persist in their claims.”
• Indefinite third person pronouns include: one, anyone, everyone, someone, no one, another, any, each, either, everybody, neither, nobody, other, anybody, somebody, everything, someone.
• Incorrect example: "You might be tempted to agree without all the facts."
• Correct example: “ One might be tempted to agree without all the facts.”
• This is usually done in an attempt to avoid the gender-specific “he” and “she” pronouns. The mistake here would be to use the “they” pronoun with singular conjugation. [5] X Research source
• Incorrect example: “The witness wanted to offer anonymous testimony. They was afraid of getting hurt if their name was spread.”
• Correct example: “The witness wanted to offer anonymous testimony. They were afraid of getting hurt if their name was spread.”

Writing in Third Person Omniscient

• For instance, a story may include four major characters: William, Bob, Erika, and Samantha. At various points throughout the story, the thoughts and actions of each character should be portrayed. These thoughts can occur within the same chapter or block of narration.
• Writers of omniscient narratives should be conscious of “head-hopping” — that is, shifting character perspectives within a scene. While this does not technically break the rules of Third Person Omniscience, it is widely considered a hallmark of narrative laziness.

• In a sense, the writer of a third person omniscient story is somewhat like the “god” of that story. The writer can observe the external actions of any character at any time, but unlike a limited human observer, the writer can also peek into the inner workings of that character at will, as well.
• Know when to hold back. Even though a writer can reveal any information they choose to reveal, it may be more beneficial to reveal some things gradually. For instance, if one character is supposed to have a mysterious aura, it would be wise to limit access to that character's inner feelings for a while before revealing his or her true motives.

• Do not use first person and second person points of view in the narrative or descriptive portions of the text.
• Correct example: Bob said to Erika, “I think this is creepy. What do you think?”
• Incorrect example: I thought this was creepy, and Bob and Erika thought so, too. What do you think?

Writing in Third Person Limited

• The thoughts and feelings of other characters remain an unknown for the writer throughout the duration of the text. There should be no switching back and forth between characters for this specific type of narrative viewpoint.
• Unlike first person, where the narrator and protagonist are the same, third person limited puts a critical sliver of distance between protagonist and narrator. The writer has the choice to describe one main character’s nasty habit — something they wouldn’t readily reveal if the narration were left entirely to them.

• In other words, do not use first person pronouns like “I,” “me,” “my,” “we,” or “our” outside of dialog. The main character's thoughts and feelings are transparent to the writer, but that character should not double as a narrator.
• Correct example: “Tiffany felt awful after the argument with her boyfriend.”
• Correct example: “Tiffany thought, “I feel awful after that argument with my boyfriend.”
• Incorrect example: “I felt awful after the argument with my boyfriend.”

• Note that the writer can offer insight or guesses regarding the thoughts of other characters, but those guesses must be presented through the perspective of the main character.
• Correct example: “Tiffany felt awful, but judging by the expression on Carl's face, she imagined that he felt just as bad if not worse.”
• Incorrect example: “Tiffany felt awful. What she didn't know was that Carl felt even worse.”

• Correct example: “Tiffany watched from the window as Carl walked up to her house and rang the doorbell.”
• Incorrect example: “As soon as Tiffany left the room, Carl let out a sigh of relief.”

Writing in Episodically Limited Third Person

• Limit the amount of pov characters you include. You don't want to have too many characters that confuse your reader or serve no purpose. Each pov character should have a specific purpose for having a unique point of view. Ask yourself what each pov character contributes to the story.
• For instance, in a romance story following two main characters, Kevin and Felicia, the writer may opt to explain the inner workings of both characters at different moments in the story.
• One character may receive more attention than any other, but all main characters being followed should receive attention at some point in the story.

• Multiple perspectives should not appear within the same narrative space. When one character's perspective ends, another character's can begin. The two perspectives should not be intermixed within the same space.
• Incorrect example: “Kevin felt completely enamored of Felicia from the moment he met her. Felicia, on the other hand, had difficulty trusting Kevin.”

• In a novel-length work, a good time to switch perspective is at the start of a new chapter or at a chapter break.
• The writer should also identify the character whose perspective is being followed at the start of the section, preferably in the first sentence. Otherwise, the reader may waste too much energy guessing.
• Correct example: “Felicia hated to admit it, but the roses Kevin left on her doorstep were a pleasant surprise.”
• Incorrect example: “The roses left on the doorstep seemed like a nice touch.”

• For instance, if Kevin had a talk with Felicia's best friend about Felicia's feelings for him, Felicia herself would have no way of knowing what was said unless she witnessed the conversation or heard about it from either Kevin or her friend.

Writing in Third Person Objective

• There does not need to be a single main character to focus on. The writer can switch between characters, following different characters throughout the course of the narrative, as often as needed.
• Stay away from first person terms like “I” and second person terms like “you” in the narrative, though. Only use first and second person within dialog.

• Imagine that you are an invisible bystander observing the actions and dialog of the characters in your story. You are not omniscient, so you do not have access to any character's inner thoughts and feelings. You only have access to each character's actions.
• Correct example: “After class, Graham hurriedly left the room and rushed back to his dorm room.”
• Incorrect example: “After class, Graham raced from the room and rushed back to his dorm room. The lecture had made him so angry that he felt as though he might snap at the next person he met.”

• Correct example: “When no one else was watching her, Isabelle began to cry.”
• Incorrect example: “Isabelle was too prideful to cry in front of other people, but she felt completely broken-hearted and began crying once she was alone.”

• Let the reader draw his or her own conclusions. Present the actions of the character without analyzing them or explaining how those actions should be viewed.
• Correct example: “Yolanda looked over her shoulder three times before sitting down.”
• Incorrect example: “It might seem like a strange action, but Yolanda looked over her shoulder three times before sitting down. This compulsive habit is an indication of her paranoid state of mind.”

Examples of Third Person POV

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://stlcc.edu/student-support/academic-success-and-tutoring/writing-center/writing-resources/point-of-view-in-academic-writing.aspx
• ↑ http://studysupportresources.port.ac.uk/Writing%20in%20the%20third%20peson.pdf
• ↑ http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/third_person.htm
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/use-the-singular-they/
• ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
• ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/point-of-view-first-second-third-person-difference
• ↑ https://ojs.library.dal.ca/YAHS/article/viewFile/7236/6278

About This Article

To write in third person, refer to people or characters by name or use third person pronouns like he, she, it; his, her, its; him, her, it; himself, herself, itself; they; them; their; and themselves. Avoid first and second person pronouns completely. For academic writing, focus on a general viewpoint rather than a specific person's to keep things in third person. In other types of writing, you can write in third person by shifting your focus from character to character or by focusing on a single character. To learn more from our Literary Studies Ph.D., like the differences between third person omniscient and third person limited writing, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Jul 31, 2016

Did this article help you?

Jean Scicluna

Jan 31, 2021

Nov 4, 2016

Karen Evans

Aug 5, 2016

Oct 20, 2016

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Get all the best how-tos!

Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter

What is Third Person Point of View in Writing? + Examples

What is Third Person Point of View?

Third person point of view tells events from the perspective of the person being discussed. Pronouns such as he, she, it, and they are used to convey this, as well as the name of the subject if applicable.

For example, in a screenplay , the narrator would refer to “John sped down the corridor, his hair bouncing as he ran.” Notice how the character’s name John and the pronouns his and he were used.

In contrast, if we were referring to John in the first person, i.e., John was the one narrating, the sentence would change: “I sped down the corridor, my hair bounding as I ran.” Pronouns I and my are used to define the point of view used here.

Third person point of view often distances the reader from the subject, the narrative not including the reader or acknowledging their existence. Whereas first and second point of view may do just that: “I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected…” (Brontë in Jane Eyre ).

The Importance of Third Person Point of View in Writing

Third person point of view is an extremely relevant and useful tool in all forms of creative writing. It allows us to explore and describe points of view that aren’t our own, even the complete opposite.

We can develop and delve into different types of characters, perspectives and worlds, and switch between them. Writers have been using these techniques for centuries to capture the imaginations of their audiences and offer them a view of the world they may not have previously considered.

Types of Third Person Point of View

Third person limited.

• Third Person Omniscient
• Third Person Objective

Third person limited follows one character from beginning to end. We stay consistently with that person, the insight into the world all theirs. They are the ones moving the story forward. The narrator in this case is omniscient: they know the full story already and what is going to transpire. Your protagonist does not.

Article You Might Like: How to Write a Good Story (11 Tips from an Actual Writer)

Examples of third person limited works include:

• Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
• A Game of Thrones – George RR Martin (one character per chapter)
• Thanks for the Memories – Cecelia Ahern

This particular perspective allows you to really develop this character’s psyche, giving your audience an in-depth insight into their personal world, emotions, and reactions to what is happening around them. Your descriptions can also be specific, homing in on what the characters themselves focus on, rather than giving a more general description. You can be specific!

The audience learns about plot events, twists, and turns simultaneously with the protagonist, so they truly go on the journey with them.

Third person limited also allows you to build effective suspense and interest. If you write third person well, you can draw an audience in, meaning they buy into your protagonist and care deeply about what happens to them.

Of course, the caveat to writing in third person limited is that your audience only sees one point of view. The emotions and journeys of other characters are merely surface level, or there is less opportunity to develop them. Additionally, it can be easier than you think to slip into describing another character’s feelings or divert off into their story. Make sure to stick with your protagonist.

Consider role playing video games, where you take on the role of one character embarking on a quest or journey. As the player, you follow the protagonist’s path, but don’t have the opportunity to see things from other characters you may meet on the way. Games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Dark Souls and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are such examples.

Third Person Omniscient     

We have already discussed that to have an omniscient narrator, they need to know everything that’s happened in the plot. The difference with third person omniscient as a sub-category is that the narrator doesn’t just focus on a single protagonist, but instead switches between multiple characters.

This means they can explore the thoughts, feelings, and actions of any character, each to a greater or lesser degree. The narrator can also have any bias and voice their own opinion throughout the plot.

Examples of third person omniscient works include:

• Lord of the Flies – William Golding
• Good Omens – Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
• A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K Le Guin

The freedom of third person omniscient is clear; the narrator can freely bounce between characters, their perspectives, and different motivations. Writers can create attention-grabbing conflict, building it over a series of chapters.

The narrator can also lean towards any bias, favoring one or more characters over others, most often the protagonist. This also means they can directly address the reader, unlike in third person limited.

Third person omniscient narrators can also explore context within the characters’ world. Instead of just being stuck to one character, they can build on details invisible to that character, by taking into account the emotions and actions of other characters.

However, with the wealth of views, feelings, and voices, it is easy for writers to fall into the ‘head hopping’ trap, where they easily confuse readers. Don’t fall into the trap of writing every single detail – not everything is absolutely necessary.

Third Person Objective       

This third person narrator is the most neutral and impersonal of them all. Along with the reader, they discover the plot along with the characters, not privy to thoughts and feelings. No perspective is focused upon, with the narrator playing an observational role, meaning the audience is almost eavesdropping on the unfolding events.

Usually implemented within short fiction, the third person objective doesn’t reveal judgments or opinions on behalf of the narrator. It forces the reader to interpret and conclude events in their own way. When done well, you can spark insightful and interesting conversation between readers.

Examples of third person objective include:

• Hills Like White Elephants – Ernest Hemingway

Of course, an advantage of using this point of view is one which we’ve discussed; the ability to keep your audience guessing and drawing their own conclusions from your writing . However, it is a tricky art to master. You must be one hundred percent sure it’s a good fit for the story you’re trying to tell.

How to Write in Third Person Point of View

First, consider which basic point of view is most appropriate for your story. First person, second person, or third person?

Once you have ultimately chosen third person, it is time to look at which of the three sub-categories we’ve discussed are most fitting.

Are you looking to have a single protagonist or an ensemble piece? For an ensemble, you have a range of perspectives and arcs to reflect upon. This means a web of narratives to weave together. In this case, third person omniscient or limited would be a good fit.

Alternatively, if you have a single protagonist, third person limited would work, or if you’re up for a challenge, third person objective.

Next, you’ll need to work out how distanced your narrator is going to be from the action. Do you wish for them to be reliable and authoritative, open with their knowledge? Or are you looking for them to keep things to themselves, twist the plot, their bias obvious?

If your narrator has an agenda of their own, the third person limited could be a good bet; one viewpoint, close to the action. Or if they’re giving an overview of events, giving all sides of the story, third person omniscient or third person objective are both good fits.

Remember, you don’t need to follow all characters; for not all perspectives will be required at any one time. Follow those characters who are high stakes, those who lead a particular chapter or scene. Who has the most to lose? Whose emotions and actions matter the most?

When you’ve decided who the focal characters are at each point in the story, ensure you only reveal what the audience needs to know in that moment. It’s no use showing your whole hand early on; spread character detail throughout the narrative.

Similarly, remember that every character is different and will act/react in different ways. So, ensure that everything a character says and does is within the personality remit you’ve created for them; it must make sense to the reader!

Advantages of Third Person Point of View

• Limitations of First and Second Person POV: Both first and second person points of view can be fairly limiting, allowing only the authentic description of the actions and emotions of a single character.
• Unique Advantage of Third Person POV: Third person point of view can eliminate the limitations of first and second person points of view, especially with an ensemble cast of characters.
• More Narrative Opportunity: The third person point of view provides more narrative opportunities. It offers readers a more comprehensive view of the plot, the key characters within the plot, and their interrelationships.
• Authoritative and Reliable: Having a narrator who sees from all angles in third person point of view can come across as more authoritative and reliable to the reader.
• Depiction of Multiple Recollections: A third person narrator can portray the memories of multiple characters, as well as different perspectives on a single character.
• Creation of Dynamic Characters : By shifting to different characters in the same situation, a third person point of view allows for a variety of perspectives. This diversity can make it easier to create dynamic and well-rounded characters.

Disadvantages of Third Person Point of View

• Difficulty in establishing intimacy: With too many perspectives in third person narration, it can be challenging to establish a deep connection or intimacy with specific characters. The ease of ‘head-hopping’ between characters can cause the loss of the central thread of a scene or chapter, leading to potential reader disinterest.
• Risk of confusing the plot line: Having too many perspectives can cloud and complicate the plot line. The narrative might become confused and directionless.
• Challenge of managing multiple characters: With multiple perspectives, it may become difficult to effectively manage character development and progression. This could lead to inconsistent characterization and conflict, causing further confusion for the reader.
• Importance of careful character selection: It is advisable to stick to a small selection of characters that the narrator gets close to. These characters should ideally serve as the main guides for the reader, providing consistent characterization and conflict throughout the narrative.

Let’s conclude with a recap on each of the three third person POVs:

• Third person limited – focuses on one character’s perspective only, where the reader journeys with them.
• Third person omniscient – focuses on multiple character perspectives and is usually an ensemble piece.
• Third person objective – can focus on either one or multiple character perspectives, but is usually distanced from the action, merely observing and providing no specific bias.

Ultimately, third person point of view gives you an objectivity as a writer. It allows you to tell a story with multiple points of view. Yes, the protagonist’s may be the most important and prominent, but other characters and events will inform that perspective.

Real life always has multiple points of view, and so reflecting this in literature is important. Yes, the first-person experience is sacred, but the objectivity we have looking from the outside in with multiple sets of emotions and thoughts is also valuable.

Remember, if you do decide to tackle the third-person point of view, ensure to continuously check your writing. Are you maintaining third-person objective, omniscient or limited throughout? Take care not to slip out of your intended point of view. The less confused your reader, the better!

Overall, consistency is key!

Natasha is a UK-based freelance screenwriter and script editor with a love for sci-fi. In 2022 she recently placed in the Screenwriters' Network Short Film Screenplay Competition and the Golden Short Film Festivals. When not at her desk, you'll find her at the theater, or walking around the English countryside (even in the notorious British weather)

View all posts

You may also like

What is a slugline definition & examples, character arc essentials: transforming characters from good to..., how to format dialogue in screenplays: rules you..., how to write a tv show (a true..., spec scripts uncovered: what they are and why..., plot outline techniques: how to structure your story....

How to start a novel in third person: 7 tips

There is no basic formula for how to start a novel in third person. Yet working with third person POV presents specific choices, challenges and advantages. Here are 7 tips for beginning a book in third person:

• Post author By Jordan
• 8 Comments on How to start a novel in third person: 7 tips

There is no basic formula for how to start a novel in third person. Yet working with third person POV presents specific choices, challenges and advantages. Here are 7 tips for beginning a book in third person:

1: Choose between third person limited, objective and omniscient

In a previous post, we defined and discussed different points of view . Once you have the basic premise of your story and you know where the first scene takes place and which characters it will involve, you need to choose how you our narrative style and create a distinctive voice for the narrator’s omniscient perspective.

In third person narration, the predominant pronouns describing the action of the story are ‘he’, ‘she’, and ‘they’. Third person narration may be ‘person limited’, ‘objective/uninvolved’ or an ‘omniscient narrator’ (or third person objective).

‘Limited’ third person narration isn’t told directly by the viewpoint character (there is no ‘I’ telling the story). Yet in third-person limited point of view limited we still see the story from the character’s perspective, even though the narrator stands outside the character, describing their actions.

e narrative voice belongs to the focal character. Third-person pronouns include ‘he’, ‘she’,  ‘they’ and them. This can work particularly well in mystery novels where holding back facts can heighten the suspense. For example, an omniscient narrator could be used for dramatic irony. For example: ‘She didn’t know, going into work that day, that her life was about to change completely.’  Or, ‘As he inserted the key in the lock of his apartment, he didn’t know that the killer was waiting for him in the kitchen.’

JK Rowling uses third-person limited narration in the Harry Potter novels, primarily following Harry’s perspective.

Ursula Le Guin describes how this type of third person narration is ‘limited’ concisely:

‘Only what the viewpoint character knows, feels, perceives, thinks, guesses, hopes, remembers, etc., can be told. The reader can infer what other people feel and are only from what the viewpoint character observes of their behaviour.’ ( Steering the Craft , pg. 85)

Le Guin notes how third person limited is similar to first person narration:

‘Tactically, limited third is identical to first person. It has exactly the same essential limitation: that nothing can be seen, known, or told except what the narrator sees, knows, and tells. That limitation concentrates the voice and gives apparent authenticity.’ (p. 85)

Objective third person narration, by contrast, does not give the narrator access to characters’ private thoughts and subjective feelings. The narrator is like the lens of a camera or a fly on a wall, merely recording what characters say and do without explicitly telling the reader about characters’ private emotional worlds.

Besides limited or objective third person narration, you can start a story in third-person omniscient point of view. Omniscient is similar to limited third person in that the narrator stands outside each viewpoint character, describing their words, deeds and inner monologues. Unlike limited third, however, in omniscient narration you can switch between characters’ viewpoints, even within a scene.  Using this type of narration, you can describe a room of a home or a landscape even when there is no character present to observe it, too. In this the narrator acts as an all-seeing eye.

Choosing a type of third person narration for your novel beginning will depend on the structure and ensemble in your first scene. Omniscient narration is effective when there are multiple, equally important characters present at the start of the story (such as a band of adventurers in a fantasy novel). Here, omniscient narration enables you to show how different characters feel. This multi-voiced narration is useful because you can develop multiple strong characters who each have their own individual arcs that unfold simultaneously. ou could write it in scenes, with each point of view (PoV character) ‘telling’ the story.

An interesting point to consider is that an omniscient narrator could even include ‘dear reader’ comments, as found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

Alternatively, if you have a central protagonist who is the star of the story, limited third works well. Telling the story via a single, strong consciousness helps create connection between the reader and your main character.

2: Begin with character action and description that raises questions

Beginning authors often start third person stories with extensive backstory and character sketching. There’s no unbreakable rule that you can’t  ever do this. The danger, however, is that the beginning of the book will feel very obviously introductory. It shouts ‘I will now introduce you to my characters.’

You could  show the reader a character and tell them ‘here is what makes this character unique.’ Yet you could also show a character doing or saying something that creates interesting questions. The latter option helps to avoid the sense of an info dump. Ideally, your third person opening will introduce the reader to a specific scenario that helps readers see how your character’s situation promises further revelation, excitement or high drama.

In a third person scene opening, it helps to think about your character’s immediate goal(s) for the scene as well as long-range goals as well as to show character development. For example, you could describe a character racing to get to a crucial exam venue. This is the ‘scene goal’. The ‘arc goal’ (contributed to by the ‘scene goal’) could be your character’s ultimate career objective.

In addition to creating interest in characters’ actions, approach introductory description in third person with a light touch:

Get feedback on POV and beginnings

Swap critique with other community members for free and get weekly professional feedback when you upgrade.

3: Avoid introductory character descriptions that read as lists

When introducing characters in third person, it’s easy to go overboard on itemized character descriptions. ‘Jules was five feet tall and wore her hair in a ponytail. She had a loud laugh that frightened away birds and only hated two things: gym class and small, yappy dogs.’

This isn’t necessarily ‘wrong’ yet you could show many of these details in the course of the story rather than tell them all upfront. It’s easier to get lost in a story when we’re allowed to see character detail emerge alongside story events.Where possible, reveal character description in relation to the immediate action in a scene.

4: Remember not to use dialogue attribution in third person unless necessary

In learning how to start a novel in third person, dialogue is often an excellent choice. Characters’ voices lend some of the immediacy of first person narration. What’s more, you can avoid a build-up of repetitive ‘he’ or ‘she’ pronouns.

In opening scenes in third person, it can be tempting to overuse dialogue attribution to show who is speaking. Compare these two examples:

They were sitting quietly when Jules burst out laughing. Two birds that had been pecking in rings closer to the bench took off for the nearest tree. Gary, who had jumped a little himself, eyed her sidelong. ‘What’s so funny?’ he asked. ‘I was just thinking,’ she replied, ‘about what you said during assembly this morning.’

Compare the dialogue above to the following:

… Gary, who had jumped a little himself, eyed her sidelong. ‘What’s so funny?’ ‘I was just thinking about what you said in assembly this morning.’

The latter dialogue example is preferable. The words ‘he asked’ and ‘she replied’ are unnecessary. It’s clear from the question mark and the context that Gary is asking a question related to Jules’ outburst and it’s similarly clear it is Jules speaking in the reply.

When you begin a story in third person, remember that you don’t have to constantly remind the reader that there is a ‘he’ or a ‘she’ uttering each line. Instead, attribute statements by making characters address each other and by using context – surrounding actions and gestures.

5: Balance introducing character and setting

At the start of a third person narrative, it can be tempting to describe a character’s internal monologue exhaustively. Sometimes this results in thin scene setting. So much of the narrative focuses on characters’ feelings and plans that a sense of place is scant.

Alternatively, the freeing element of writing in third person can have the opposite effect. Since sticking to a single character’s perspective isn’t a constraint, you might give pages of introductory scene description.

Developing scene setting through character actions is an effective way to introduce characters and balance setting with character description. For example, compare the following:

‘The room was rubble, the scene of a colourful wrecking. Building blocks covered the floor. She would have to tidy it all up.’

‘She picked her way through the colourful rubble, surveying the aftermath. A bright yellow block jabbed her in the arch of her foot. She would have to tidy it all up.’

In the latter, we get the sense of a child’s play room as setting and a sense of the character’s weariness and physical presence at the same time. This balancing of setting and character is especially important at the start of a story where you are establishing your fictional world and its inhabitants.

6: Don’t make the narrator’s voice too intrusive

Starting a novel in first person is all about intrusive narration. The narrating ‘I’ is giving us access to their innermost thoughts and impressions. In third person narration, though, the narrator should be only lightly felt.

There are exceptions to every rule, however. You might choose to use a third person narrator who addresses the reader directly deliberately as a device. Still, if you want to create a sense of realism, it’s important to not make your narrator self-aware.

7: Learn from great examples of third person story openings

To learn how to start a novel in third person, the best thing to do is to read the openings of published novels that use third person POV effectively . There is no single ‘right’ way to start a story in first person. Reading examples by respected authors will help you gain a clearer sense of available approaches, though.

George Eliot, for example, in the classic novel Middlemarch , flouts tip number 3. Her introductory third person character description is fairly list-like:

‘Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress. Her hand and wrist were so finely formed that she could wear sleeves not less bare of style than those in which the Blessed Virgin appeared to Italian painters; and her profile as well as her stature and bearing seemed to gain the more dignity from her plain garments.’

Eliot’s story beginning is still effective as she moves from the general to the particular, which has the descriptive effect of zooming in on Dorothea Brooke with a telescope. At first Eliot describes Dorothea as having natural beauty plain clothes amplify. Eliot progresses to describe details, comparing Dorothea’s hands and wrists to details from paintings by Italian masters. Through all this, the reader forms a vivid impression of Dorothea, even before the character speaks.

Modern readers might be more impatient with lengthy descriptions. Here is an example of a story beginning in third person that cuts straight to the action, from Hilary Mantel’s acclaimed historical novel Wolf Hall :

‘So now get up. Felled, dazed, silent, he has fallen; knocked full length on the cobbles of the yard. His head turns sideways; his eyes are turned towards the gate, as if someone might arrive to help him out. One blow, properly placed, could kill him now.’

Mantel’s opening fits the advice under heading number 5 above. It balances character description and setting. A sense of the character being in a dire predicament unfolds together with a keen sense of place – the cobbled yard. The overall effect is to make the scene vivid. Mantel also does not over-rely on the pronoun ‘he’. Instead, she creates strong sentences using active adjectives (‘felled, dazed, silent’) and varied sentence subjects.

Read through third person story openings and write down your own observations about what they do effectively. Ask what questions they raise, what story developments they promise, and how the writer uses third person.

Share your favourite third person story opening in the comments, then get feedback on your own story beginning from Now Novel’s helpful writing community.

Related Posts:

• How to start a story in first person: 8 pointers
• Writing third person limited POV: Tips and examples
• First person narrative: 7 tips for writing great narrators
• Tags how to start a story , POV , third person narration

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

8 replies on “How to start a novel in third person: 7 tips”

this is amazing. I need help editing my third person novel right now

Hi Marissa, if you mean a narrator who addresses the reader directly, there’s the famous ‘Reader, I married him’ in Jane Eyre. Generally intrusive narrators who break the fourth wall and talk to the reader directly are quite uncommon these days (they were used often in realist novels in the 19th Century). Holden Caulfield is another more modern example in Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye (in fact the book opens with Holden cautioning the reader on their expectations of his story). Good luck with it!

I meant in a third person novel. I’m confused on what is considered a POV error when it comes to writing 3rd person limited.

I’m attempting to write my autobiography, do these same rules apply in this form of writing? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I think these rules apply more to fiction writing than autobiographies

It’s far more common to use first-person POV in autobiography, however Roland Barthes wrote his autobiography ‘Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes’ in the third person, commenting on the fact that one can feel like a character when writing about oneself (in the front-pages, he writes ‘All of this should be read as if spoken by someone in a novel’). I hope your autobiography has come a long way!

This was quite helpful. I’m writing a fantasy novel and I just know where to begin. I am a very amature writer and I wanted to get a book right for once. So thanks a lot. I took your tip in reading a couple 3rd person novels and it’s given me some ideas. Thanks!

Hi Lilly, we’re so glad to hear that! Good luck with your fantasy novel 🙂

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Pin It on Pinterest

Writing in Third Person – Examples & Worksheet

| Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

The third-person narrative is often employed in narrative writing because it zooms in and out of character perspectives to describe actions, feelings, emotions, and thoughts. If you’re unsure how to use the 3rd person perspective in writing, here are some tips and examples.

What is Third Person Narrative?

The third person is one of three perspectives employed in speaking and writing. It’s used to describe the point of view of a third party and uses a variety of pronouns derived from he, her, and it. Books written in third person are often more popular, as well, for their ease of reading.

I often write in first-person narrative, but when I’m writing a complex story from the point of view of multiple characters, I use third person to make things more rounded and streamlined for the reader.

Using Third Person

Third person is a perspective used based on whoever the story or writing in question is about. The subject pronoun is outside of the narrator themself. Third-person texts do not include the perspective of the narrator/writer, nor does it address the reader directly. It also uses certain personal pronouns and possessive pronouns.

Example of a third person sentence:

Jeremy knew it was destined to be. He placed the dog in the backseat of his car and drove away. All he wanted at that time was to ensure the animal got the loving home he deserved.

Third Person Possessive Adjectives in Third Person

So, instead of using me, mine, ours, etc., you would use hers, his, theirs when writing in third person.

Does “You” Belong in 3rd Person Writing?

Third-person writing requires using third-person pronouns, including he, she, it, him, her, them, themselves, himself, herself, or a name. Using “you” means you’re switching to the second person.

How to Introduce Yourself in the Third Person

People typically use the first-person point of view when talking about themselves and their experiences. It would be odd to talk about oneself in the third person all the time, but you might use it occasionally for the sake of humorous effect or attract the attention of another person.

The third person introduces a third party to the person you’re speaking with. If you are a narrator, it’s best to introduce yourself in the first person and start narrating the events in the third person.

How to Start a Story in Third Person

In a story, narrators use the third person if they are not part of the story themselves. Third-person narratives show us a person’s actions, feelings, and thoughts.

Example of how to write in third person:

Nadia dreamt about being a gymnast her entire life. Ever since she can remember, she’s worked hard, sacrificed a lot, and hoped someone would notice all her efforts. She was never the smartest kid in school, but she believed in herself enough to never give up on that spot on the podium.

What Are the 3 Types of 3rd Person?

In writing, there are three ways to approach third-person writing.

Third-Person Omniscient

The story’s narrator is all-knowing and can see into the past, present, and future. This narrator can assume other people’s perspectives, jumping around in time and providing the reader with their thoughts and observations.

Third-Person Limited Omniscient

In this point of view, the author focuses on one persona and never switches to another. In a novel, the narrator may use this technique throughout the work or employ it in alternating chapters or sections.

The author can regulate the reader’s knowledge and experience by writing from a limited point of view. Used effectively, it can create a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement.

Third-Person Objective

The narrator of a story told from the third-person objective perspective is unbiased and does not share the viewpoint of the character’s emotional reactions. The story is told in an objective, third-person style.

How to Write In Third Person About Yourself

The easiest way to approach this problem is to create a character. You can also use your actual name to write from the third-person perspective.

Why Write in Third-Person?

Fiction writing uses third-person POV quite often. Here are some advantages of employing it as part of your narrative style.

Strong Character Growth Is Emphasized

More characters can be highlighted in a story told from the third-person perspective than in the first- or second-person. These varying perspectives give the reader a complete understanding of the story since they shed light on the plot in ways the other characters cannot.

It Employs Flexible Narrative Possibilities

The advantages of writing in the third person include greater freedom to move around, giving the reader a comprehensive view, and shifting perspectives among multiple characters. You can switch between being completely all-knowing and having only partial or first-person knowledge.

This latter technique allows the reader to experience the world through the eyes of a character, allowing for a more profound understanding of that person and their surroundings.

Makes the Author More Reliable

Third-person narration places the reader in a vantage point far above the action. With the author/narrator not part of the story, they can rise above it, having nothing to lose or gain from certain narrative developments. This makes the story more reliable and lends the story more authority and credibility.

First, Second, and Third Person Pronouns

If you’re confused about the types of pronouns used in each of the three main perspectives, here is a comprehensive list:

• First person pronouns: I, me, mine, myself, we, us, ourselves, ours.
• Second person pronouns: you, your, yours.
• Third person singular pronouns: he, him, his, she, her, it,
• Third person plural pronouns: its, itself, they, them, their, theirs, themselves.

Bottom Line on Third Person

Writing in 3rd person grants the author more credibility and offers a more objective perspective of the characters in the text. Often employed in fictional and academic writing, the third-person point of view makes the text seem more authentic and factually correct.

Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.

2024 © Grammarist, a Found First Marketing company. All rights reserved.

Types of Point of View: The Ultimate Guide to First Person and Third Person POV

by Joe Bunting | 74 comments

Want to Become a Published Author? In 100 Day Book, you’ll finish your book guaranteed. Learn more and sign up here.

In my experience as an editor, point of view problems are among the top mistakes I see new writers make, and they instantly erode credibility and reader trust. Point of view isn't easy though, since there are so many to choose from: first person point of view, third person limited, third person omniscient, and second person.

What do those even mean? And how do you choose the right one for your story?

All stories are written from a point of view. However, when point of view goes wrong—and believe me, it goes wrong often—you threaten whatever trust you have with your reader. You also fracture their suspension of disbelief.

However, point of view is simple to master if you use common sense.

This post will define point of view, go over each of the major POVs, explain a few of the POV rules, and then point out the major pitfalls writers make when dealing with that point of view.

Table of Contents

Point of View Definition The 4 Types of Point of View The #1 POV Mistake First Person Point of View Second Person Point of View Third Person Limited Point of View Third Person Omniscient Point of View FAQ: Can you change POV in a Series? Practice Exercise

Point of View Definition

The point of view, or POV, in a story is the narrator's position in the description of events, and comes from the Latin word, punctum visus , which literally means point sight. The point of view is where a writer points the sight of the reader.

Note that point of view also has a second definition.

In a discussion, an argument, or nonfiction writing, a point of view is an opinion about a subject. This is not the type of point of view we're going to focus on in this article (although it is helpful for nonfiction writers, and for more information, I recommend checking out Wikipedia's neutral point of view policy ).

I especially like the German word for POV, which is Gesichtspunkt , translated “face point,” or where your face is pointed. Isn't that a good visual for what's involved in point of view? It's the limited perspective of what you show your reader.

Note too that point of view is sometimes called narrative mode or narrative perspective.

Why Point of View Is So Important

Why does point of view matter so much?

For a fiction writer, point of view filters everything in your story. Everything in your story must come from a point of view.

Which means if you get it wrong, your entire story is damaged.

For example, I've personally read and judged thousands of stories for literary contests, and I've found point of view mistakes in about twenty percent of them. Many of these stories would have placed much higher if only the writers hadn't made the mistakes we're going to talk about soon.

The worst part is these mistakes are easily avoidable if you're aware of them. But before we get into the common point of view mistakes, let's go over each of the four types of narrative perspective.

The Four Types of Point of View

Here are the four primary types of narration in fiction:

• First person point of view.  First person perspective is when “I” am telling the story. The character is in  the story, relating his or her experiences directly.
• Second person point of view. The story is told to “you.” This POV is not common in fiction, but it's still good to know (it is  common in nonfiction).
• Third person point of view, limited. The story is about “he” or “she.” This is the most common point of view in commercial fiction. The narrator is outside of the story and relating the experiences of a character.
• Third person point of view, omniscient. The story is still about “he” or “she,” but the narrator has full access to the thoughts and experiences of all  characters in the story. This is a much broader perspective.

I know you've seen and probably even used most of these point of views.

While these are the only types of POV, there are additional narrative techniques you can use to tell an interesting story. To learn how to use devices like epistolary and framing stories, check out our full narrative devices guide here .

Let's discuss each of the four types, using examples to see how they affect your story. We'll also go over the rules for each type, but first let me explain the big mistake you don't want to make with point of view.

The #1 POV Mistake

Do not begin your story with a first person narrator and then switch to a third person narrator. Do not start with third person limited and then abruptly give your narrator full omniscience. This is the most common type of error I see writers make with POV.

The guideline I learned in my first creative writing class in college is a good one:

Establish the point of view within the first two paragraphs of your story.

And above all, don't change your point of view . If you do, it creates a jarring experience for the reader and you'll threaten your reader's trust. You could even fracture the architecture of your story.

That being said, as long as you're consistent, you can sometimes get away with using multiple POV types. This isn't easy and isn't recommended, but for example, one of my favorite stories, a 7,000 page web serial called Worm ,  uses two point of views—first person with interludes of third-person limited—very effectively. (By the way, if you're looking for a novel to read over the next two to six months, I highly recommend it—here's the link to read for free online .) The first time the author switched point of views, he nearly lost my trust. However, he kept this dual-POV consistent over 7,000 pages and made it work.

Whatever point of view choices you make, be consistent. Your readers will thank you!

Now, let's go into detail on each of the four narrative perspective types, their best practices, and mistakes to avoid.

First Person Point of View

In first person point of view, the narrator is in the story and telling the events he or she is personally experiencing.

The simplest way to understand first person is that the narrative will use first-person pronouns like I, me, and my.

Here's a first person point of view example from Herman Melville's  Moby Dick :

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world

First person narrative perspective is one of the most common POVs in fiction. If you haven't read a book in first person point of view, you haven't been reading.

What makes this point of view interesting, and challenging, is that all of the events in the story are filtered through the narrator and explained in his or her own unique narrative voice.

This means first person narrative is both biased and incomplete, but it can also deliver a level of intimacy other POVs can't.

Other first person point of view examples can be found in these popular novels :

• The Sun Also Rises  by Ernest Hemingway
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• The Hunger Games  by Suzanne Collins
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte

First Person Narrative is Unique to Writing

There's no such thing as first person in film or theater—although voiceovers and mockumentary interviews like the ones in The Office and Modern Family provide a level of first person narrative in third person perspective film and television.

In fact, the very first novels were written in first person, modeled after popular journals and autobiographies which were first-person stories of nonfiction..

First Person Point of View is Limited

First person narrators are narrated from a single character's perspective at a time. They cannot be everywhere at once and thus cannot get all sides of the story.

They are telling their  story, not necessarily the  story.

First Person Point of View is Biased

In first person novels, the reader almost always sympathizes with a first person narrator, even if the narrator is an anti-hero with major flaws.

Of course, this is why we love first person narrative, because it's imbued with the character's personality, their unique perspective on the world.

The most extreme use of this bias is called an unreliable narrator. Unreliable narration is a technique used by novelists to surprise the reader by capitalize on the limitations of first person narration to make the narrator's version of events extremely prejudicial to their side and/or highly separated from reality.

You'll notice this form of narration being used when you, as the reader or audience, discover that you can't trust the narrator.

For example, Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl  pits two unreliable narrators against one another. Each relates their conflicting version of events, one through typical narration and the other through journal entries. Another example is  Fight  Club , in which *SPOILER* the narrator has a split personality and imagines another character who drives the plot.

Other Interesting Uses of First Person Narrative:

• The classic novel Heart of Darkness is actually a first person narrative within a first person narrative. The narrator recounts verbatim the story Charles Marlow tells about his trip up the Congo river while they sit at port in England.
• William Faulkner's Absalom,  Absalom  is told from the first person point of view of Quentin Compson; however, most of the story is a third person account of Thomas Sutpen, his grandfather, as told to Quentin by Rosa Coldfield. Yes, it's just as complicated as it sounds!
• Salman Rushdie's award-winning  Midnight's Children  is told in first person, but spends most of the first several hundred pages giving a precise third person account of the narrator's ancestors. It's still first person, just a first person narrator telling a story about someone else.

Two Big Mistakes Writers Make with First Person Point of View

When writing in first person, there are two major mistakes writers make :

1. The narrator isn't  likable. Your protagonist doesn't have to be a cliché hero. She doesn't even need to be good. However, she must  be interesting .

The audience will not stick around for 300 pages  listening to a character they don't enjoy. This is one reason why anti-heroes make great first person narrators.

They may not be morally perfect, but they're almost always interesting. (Remember Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye ?)

2. The narrator tells but doesn't show. The danger with first person is that you could spend too much time in your character's head, explaining what he's thinking and how he feels about the situation.

You're allowed to mention the character's mood, but don't forget that your reader's trust and attention relies on what your character does , not what he thinks about doing.

Second Person Point of View

While not used often in fiction—it is used regularly in nonfiction, song lyrics, and even video games—second person POV is still helpful to understand.

In this point of view, the narrator relates the experiences using second person pronouns like you and your. Thus, you  become the protagonist, you  carry the plot, and your  fate determines the story.

We've written elsewhere about why you should try writing in second person , but in short we like second person because it:

• Pulls the reader into the action of the story
• Makes the story   personal
• Surprises the reader
• Stretches your skills as a writer

Here's an example from the breakout bestseller  Bright Lights, Big City by Jay Mclnerney (probably the most popular example that uses second person point of view):

You have friends who actually care about you and speak the language of the inner self. You have avoided them of late. Your soul is as disheveled as your apartment, and until you can clean it up a little you don't want to invite anyone inside.

Second person narration isn't used frequently, however there are some notable examples of it.

Some other novels that use second person point of view are:

• Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure series? If you've ever read one of these novels where you get to decide the fate of the character (I always killed my character, unfortunately), you've read second person narrative.
• The Fifth Season  by N.K. Jemison
• The opening of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

There are also many experimental novels and short stories that use second person, and writers such as William Faulkner, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Albert Camus played with the style.

Breaking the fourth wall:

In the plays of William Shakespeare, a character will sometimes turn toward the audience and speak directly to them. In  A Midsummer Night's Dream , Puck says:

If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear.

This narrative device of speaking directly to the audience or the reader is called breaking the fourth wall (the other three walls being the setting of the story).

To think of it another way, it's a way the writer can briefly use second person in a first or third person narrative.

It's a lot of fun! You should try it.

Third Person Point of View

In third person narration, the narrator is outside of the story and relating the experiences of a character.

The central character is not the narrator. In fact, the narrator is not present in the story at all.

The simplest way to understand third person narration is that it uses third-person pronouns, like he/she, his/hers, they/theirs.

There are two types of this point of view:

Third Person Omniscient

The all-knowing narrator has full access to all  the thoughts and experiences of all  the characters in the story.

Examples of Third Person Omniscient:

While much less common today, third person omniscient narration was once the predominant type, used by most classic authors. Here are some of the novels using omniscient perspective today.

• War and Peace  by Leo Tolstoy
• Middlemarch  by George Eliot
• Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
• Still Life by Louise Penny (and all the Inspector Gamache series, which is amazing, by the way)
• Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (one of my favorites!)
• A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• More third person omniscient examples can be found here

Third Person Limited

The narrator has only some, if any, access to the thoughts and experiences of the characters in the story, often just to one  character .

Examples of Third Person Limited

Here's an example of a third person limited narrator from  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone  by J.K. Rowling:

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous…. He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: “To Harry Potter—the boy who lived!”

Some other examples of third person limited narration include:

• Game of Thrones s eries by George R.R. Martin (this has an ensemble cast, but Martin stays in one character's point of view at a time, making it a clear example of limited POV with multiple viewpoint characters, which we'll talk about in just a moment)
• For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
• ​The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
• The Da Vinci Code  by Dan Brown
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• Ulysses by James Joyce
• Love in the Time of Cholera  by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• 1984  by   George Orwell
• Orphan Train by   Christina Baker Kline
• Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Should You Use Multiple Viewpoint Characters vs. a Single Perspective?

One feature of third person limited and first person narrative is that you have the option of having multiple viewpoint characters.

A viewpoint character is simply the character whose thoughts the reader has access to. This character become the focus of the perspective during the section of story or the story as a whole.

While it increases the difficulty, you can have multiple viewpoint characters for each narrative. For example,  Game of Thrones  has more than a dozen viewpoint characters throughout the series.  Fifth Season has three viewpoint characters. Most romance novels have at least two viewpoint characters.

The rule is to only focus on one viewpoint character at a time (or else it changes to third person omniscient).

Usually authors with multiple viewpoint characters will change viewpoints every chapter. Some will change after section breaks. However, make sure there is  some  kind of break before changing so as to prepare the reader for the shift.

Should You Use Third Person Omniscient or Third Person Limited

The distinction between third persons limited and omniscient is messy and somewhat artificial.

Full omniscience in novels is rare—it's almost always limited in some way—if only because the human mind isn't comfortable handling all the thoughts and emotions of multiple people at once.

The most important consideration in third person point of view is this:

How omniscient are you going to be? How deep are you going to go into your character's mind? Will you read their thoughts frequently and deeply at any chance? Or will you rarely, if ever, delve into their emotions?

To see this question in action, imagine a couple having an argument.

Tina wants Fred to go to the store to pickup the cilantro she forgot she needed for the meal she's cooking. Fred is frustrated that she didn't ask him to pick up the cilantro on the way home from the office, before he had changed into his “homey” clothes (AKA boxer shorts).

If the narrator is fully omniscient, do you parse both Fred and Tina's emotions during each back and forth?

“Do you want to eat ? If you do, then you need to get cilantro instead of acting like a lazy pig,” Tina said, thinking, I can't believe I married this jerk. At least back then he had a six pack, not this hairy potbelly . “Figure it out, Tina. I'm sick of rushing to the store every time you forget something,” said Fred. He felt the anger pulsing through his large belly.

Going back and forth between multiple characters' emotions like this can give a reader whiplash, especially if this pattern continued over several pages and with more than two characters. This is an example of an omniscient narrator who perhaps is a little too comfortable explaining the characters' inner workings.

“ Show, don't tell ,” we're told. Sharing all  the emotions of all  your characters can become distraction. It can even destroy any tension you've built.

Drama requires mystery. If the reader knows each character's emotions all the time, there will be no space for drama.

How do You Handle Third Person Omniscient Well?

The way many editors and many famous authors handle this is to show the thoughts and emotions of only one character per scene (or per chapter).

George R.R. Martin, for example, uses “ point of view characters ,” characters whom he always has full access to understanding. He will write a full chapter from their perspective before switching to the next point of view character.

For the rest of the cast, he stays out of their heads.

This is an effective guideline, if not a strict rule, and it's one I would suggest to any first-time author experimenting with third person narrative. Overall, though, the principle to show, don't tell should be your guide.

The Biggest Third Person Omniscient Point of View Mistake

The biggest mistake I see writers make constantly in third person is  head hopping .

When you switch point of view characters too quickly, or dive into the heads of too many characters at once, you could be in danger of what editors call “head hopping.”

When the narrator switches from one character’s thoughts to another’s  too quickly, it can jar the reader and break the intimacy with the scene’s main character.

We've written about how you can get away with head hopping elsewhere , but it's a good idea to try to avoid going into more than one character's thoughts per scene or per chapter.

Can You Change POV Between Books In a Series?

What if you're writing a novel series? Can you change point of view or even POV characters between books?

The answer is yes, you can, but whether you should or not is the big question.

In general, it's best to keep your POV consistent within the same series. However, there are many examples of series that have altered perspectives or POV characters between series, either because the character in the previous books has died, for other plot reasons, or simply because of author choice.

For more on this, watch this coaching video where we get into how and why to change POV characters between books in a series:

Which Point of View Will You Use?

Here's a helpful point of view infographic to help you decide which POV to use in your writing:

Note that these distances should be thought of as ranges, not precise calculations. A third person narrator could conceivably draw closer to the reader than a first person narrator.

Most importantly, there is no best point of view. All of these points of view are effective in various types of stories.

If you're just getting started, I would encourage you to use either first person or third person limited point of view because they're easy to understand.

However, that shouldn't stop you from experimenting. After all, you'll only get comfortable with other points of view by trying them!

Whatever you choose, be consistent. Avoid the mistakes I mentioned under each point of view.

And above all, have fun!

How about you? Which of the four points of view have you used in your writing? Why did you use it, and what did you like about it? Share in the comments .

Using a point of view you've never used before, write a brief story about a teenager who has just discovered he or she has superpowers.

Make sure to avoid the POV mistakes listed in the article above.

Write for fifteen minutes . When your time is up, post your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop (if you’re not a member yet, you can join here ). And if you post, please be sure to give feedback to your fellow writers.

We can gain just as much value giving feedback as we can writing our own books!

Happy writing!

Join 100 Day Book

Enrollment closes May 14 at midnight!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

74 Comments

My book is a memoir so first person is what I chose.

That was my choice for memoir, but am exploring other avenues for better character development.

I hate to be such a nag but isn’t the plural “points of view” and not “point of views”? As in brothers in law and not brother in laws

Joe, excellent post on POV. Probably the best I’ve read. Thanks!

I go for third person deep. In the PoV character’s head, using her unique voice, no author intrusion, no filter words. Am I doing it right? Far from it, but I’ve attended deep writing classes, an it’s easier to pinpoint slips.

Greetings from Greece!

Thanks for sharing this tit bit. I will be looking out for a deep writing class!

When deciding your POV, I strongly believe genre and tense should be considered as well.

Here is my first time ever uploading a “practice.” I chose to try second person, please be kind!

I couldn’t believe it when you called me, waking me from an intense fantasy dream, to tell me that you had been somehow magically transformed overnight into some type of superhero. You cannot blame me if my reaction appeared to be less than awe and more of disbelief and worry for your current state of mind. You will not want me to ask this, but have you started doing drugs? Remember, Freshman Health class, one of the signs to look for was if your friend suddenly changes or acts crazy. Well dude, you are acting more than just a little bit crazy.

Can you really fly? I have been waiting for 15 minutes for you to appear at my bedroom window, and so far nothing. I can envision you, at this very moment, running down the alley and between the houses. You will get to my back gate, jump over, and scurry behind the bushes; all bent over and believing that I can’t see you. When you are sure of your timing and that I have no idea at your mastery, you will jump out and try to convince me that you flew to your location. Please try to remember that I have known you since Kindergarten. Very little about you surprises me anymore, yet you are entertaining.

Although, you did sound different on the phone this morning, you voice had a quality I had never heard before. I would call it confidence. You weren’t trying to convince me that you had a special new talent. You were telling me, informing me.

You need new boots, I know this because I noticed the hole in the bottom of the left one as you slowly descended from the top of my window. Your smile was radiant, your arms crossed confidently across your puffed out chest. You are transformed.

Barbara! Thank you so much for your creativity. Keep sharing it with the world! The parts about the boots… wow!

Keep making lemonade from lemons, Barb. Be in touch.

You don’t look peaceful, but you look at peace. Morphine will do that to you. Your flaky, red eyes flutter in your sleep—do you dream, there? “The eyes are the windows to the soul,” so they say; with the curtains drawn, does your gaze turn inward? Do you dream of me amidst the pain, or are you cradled in the gentle embrace of the abyss?

This was your fault, you know; waving that gun in my face, pushing me around; what did you expect?

Certainly not this; no one could have expected this. Dazzling cords of fire springing from the fingertips of your would-be, should-be victim—perhaps it would’ve been wiser to hand over the money—but then, who next? Woudl you have let me go in the first place?

It wasn’t for anything venial, was it? Not for clothes or jewelry—not from what I can tell; you don’t seem the type. But it’s hard to tell. There’s not much left of your clothes, you know.

There’s not much left of you.

They’ll pour maggots over your chest and into your eyes, and flake off the blackness with gentle sponges, and alcohol over everything. That will hurt.

Your hair was so pretty. The doctor says most of it will grow back.

The cops are taking your side, you know. Figures. At least guns don’t burn. I wouldn’t be sticking around if they hadn’t cuffed me to the bed, and set it beside yours—someone in blue has a sick sense of irony.

There are birds fluttering by the windowpane, and whispers of white amidst pastels of blue. Your burns will heal. Mine have only just begun.

Yeah, having superpowers would actually be terrifying. Especially fire. Fire is bad.

I’ve used second-person before, but very rarely, so I went with it, since I’ve used all the points of view you mentioned.

Changing point of view is not only acceptable, it’s quite common. You just italicize it. I don’t know how to do that in a comment, but the general form would be something akin to: He felt around for the plot device. *Damn; I can’t find this thing. Woe is me, I am woe, woe unto me, woe betides me, etc.* He found it. *Huzzah!*

Further, your example for third-person POV includes a sputter of second-person: “the very last place *you* would expect astonishing things to happen.” This is the rhetorical “you,” not an actual pronoun—that is, “you” isn’t referring to anyone—but it still counts.

I think the argument shouldn’t be “never switch POV,” but, rather, “use the turn signal;” that is to say, give the reader an indication that the POV is changing, and why. Italics for brief periods, chapters for changing the individual narrator (you can have lots in one book), etc. Much like turning in traffic, problems generally arise not from the turn, but from the surprise. “Head hopping” is easy to avoid with, for instance, section separators—a vertical space, or a line of three little stars if the space breaks across a page, so that the reader knows a shift is happening. After familiarizing the reader with the mechanism, you can abuse it as much as you want.

Hemingway’s way works too, although I was never a big fan of Hemingway.

P.S. Give away an antique typewriter; brilliant—plenty of nostalgia; tangled ribbons, torn sheets, jammed keys; I can see why you want to inflict it on somebody else!

Wow, that was amazing descriptions. I loved your opening and closing lines as well. You did a great job of setting the dark mood of the story. Very well done.

Great post! It is quite thorough and engaging, and you offered plenty of terrific examples and practical tips.

I tend to write my stories more in the third person POV, I tend to focus on one main character but sometimes try to give some insight on another character’s perspective. The only reason I shy away from first person is because it can be emotionally exhausting to write. The funny thing is my most dramatic story was written in first person (though I did switch between two people) but I felt it would come off stonger in first person rather than third.

I’m not sure I qualify for this practice, because I’ve written in pretty much every POV: My novel is 3rd person deep, my short stories are first person, my articles are second, and my songs cover all of the above plus the others. 🙂 In my book I have several POVs, but I make sure to change the scene completely before changing the person. (Like Jerry Jenkins’/Tim Lahaye’s Left Behind.) I’m not breaking any rules like that, am I? This is a great and informative article that I’ll definitely reference in the future. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

“Whatsoever ye do, do unto the Glory of God” Reagan

Nice post! Very helpful of keeping them strait. I tend to lean toward first person or third person limited, so I decided to try out second person for the prompt. I also used a dialogue prompt, which is the first line of the story. Here goes nothing!

“The last time I said yes to you, a lot of people died.” You say it low, under your breath, perhaps because you don’t really want him to hear you or perhaps because you don’t want to hear yourself, don’t want to remember that it happened.

“You know,” He reaches out to you, and you pull away, not wanting to touch his hands, hands that could have prevented the deaths of so many, but that have always been so gentle with you. He turns his face to the ground and, you realize, he is just as pained by the memory as you. “You know that I couldn’t have done it.”

“No.” The word comes out all wrong, because of your still upper lip, “You couldn’t have. I knew that then and I know that now.” You lock eyes with him, “Don’t you understand that’s what I’m saying? Don’t you understand that the answer is no?”

“But I can’t…” He grimaces, as though someone has twisted a knife in his gut, “I can’t just let you kill yourself.”

And now it’s your turn to grimace, to feel the pain twisting your stomach into knots. You don’t really know why you do it though. Are you afraid to die? No. That’s not it. You’re afraid for him. For the pain your death will cause him.

“You have to be strong.” You say, “For me.” This time it’s you that reaches out, to lay a hand gently on his shoulder, “You know if I don’t do this, a lot of people will die. Because I know, if I go berserk again, you won’t be able to pull the trigger. And it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to do that anyway. So the answer is no, I won’t let you be my safety net anymore.” His only response is a nod. You slide the hand gently off of his shoulder. That will be your only goodbye. It will be easier that way.

The cup that holds the poison looks normal. Just a regular coffee cup, containing your favorite blend of Colombian roast, and, of course, the substance that will kill you, quickly and painlessly, which is more then you deserve. You are not afraid. You are ready. You pick the cup up off the table and bring it close to your lips but then hesitate, because you see that shining in his eyes, the shining that means he’ll start crying. There is that twisting feeling in your stomach again. Seeing him in pain has always hurt the worst. But you can’t risk it anymore. You can’t let yourself live at the cost of more deaths.

Before you can hesitate, you take a gulp, the coffee burning your throat as it goes down. The room wobbles and you fall, but he catches you, like you knew he would, so that your head doesn’t crack open on the concrete floor.

You are paralyzed, but still conscious, and you know you only have a few seconds before the world grows dark.

He sinks to his knees, cradling you in his arms, like a child. He is no longer holding back his tears. Perhaps because he already thinks you dead.

“I wish,” He says, through sobs and tears and unbecoming bubbles of snot, “I wish you would have said yes.”

He puts his forehead to yours and you feel warm drops of moisture fall on your cheeks. In that moment you, too, wish you had said yes. That things could have been different. That you could have been alive and happy.

But you do not doubt your decision, not in the last seconds that you have breath. Because the last time you said yes to him, a lot of people died and this time, the death tole would be a single, solitary, one.

That was amazing and beautiful and very very emotional. You’ve used second person very effectively! I love it. Did this just come from the top of your head or is there a longer story behind it?

Thanks! It was a sort of top of my head thing. I used this writing prompt and also a dialogue prompt. Also, I’ve been thinking of werwolfs a lot lately for some odd reason (which is what the main character is). The rest of it kinda flowed from there. I’m glad you liked it!

Wonderful story

Not knowing much about POV, I believe I’ve been hedge hopping between them, but appear to prefer Third Person Omniscient, but will have to first discover what that last big word means? Then a re-write may well be called for!

The post is excellent, extending a warm hug of inspiration to the budding writers. I prefer ‘third person omniscient’ POV, with no room for any boredom in my narration.

Peter had his normal “I’m paying attention” look plastered on his face, but his mind was chasing super villains, decimating evil minions with mighty punches that laid ten low at one swipe.

One ear caught, “Good morning, we have a guest speaker this morning, the Rev. Charles Birch, from the 2nd Baptist Church. Rev. Birch will present the creationist side to what we have been studying in the physical sciences. Rev. Birch.”

“Blah … blah … blah,” Peter heard in his public ear but his private ear heard Dr. Daemon spewing his maleficent threats, “Capt. Magnificent, you have no hope of defeating my eco-destroying minions!” On and on it went, Birch preaching “let there be light … the dominion of man over all things … everything in it’s proper order … on the first day God created the second day … and on the third day blah blah blah,” and of course during all of this Dr. Daemon and Capt. Magnificent continued their mighty struggle on the farside of the moon, until Peters public ear heard, “of course the universe can only be 10,000 years old …”

What? What was that his public ear just heard? The Universe is a maximum of 10,000 years old? Peter was now attentive to what the pompous windbag in front of the class was saying.

A single hand raised itself amongst the sea of blank faces.

“Yes, young man?”

“Uh, Rev. Birch, how can the universe be 10,000 years old?”

“Easy uh huh,” Ms. Murphy whispered into the Reverends ear, “yes, Peter, we know the age of the universe from the generations that are recorded in the Bible.”

“But … I was at a dig in Colorado last summer and the rock strata around the fossils …”

“Humph, all conjecture. I believe God made the fossil and the rocks surrounding it ten thousand years ago.”

“All fossils are like that then?”

“Well of course. Given He made the fossils He made the surrounding rock. We only think that it took millions of years.”

Peter’s hand shot up again.

Rev. Birch tried to avoid him, but Peter was a persistent little son of… “Yes?”

“So God’s just a practical joker, creating false evidence to fool the sciences?”

The class was coming out it’s “guest speaker” lethargy, as Peter again had his hand up and spoke before acknowledged, “Does the Bible say what the speed of light is?”

“Well, now I think that has no bearing …”

Susan piped up, adding onto Peter’s question “How can Andromeda be millions of light-years away if the universe is only 10,000 years old?”

“Uh well … Andromeda?”

“No wonder He didn’t have time to save my baby sister if He wasted all that time making fossils look millions of years old,” came a loud, whispered, comment from the back of the room.

Ms. Murphy quickly ushered Rev. Birch from the classroom, and shook his hand in the hall, “Thank you so much for coming. We do appreciate all view points.”

“Who are those kids?” the Reverend asked.

“Oh, the Anderson District Scholars Program. Basically our high school geniuses in sciences and math. It’s required we allow all view points to be presented.”

Interesting. Uh, Gary, how could you have written the story in 15 minutes? Or did you dig up a fossil story you wrote millions of years ago…?

Does it matter?

It took a day and a half to percolate through my gray matter. I then took approximately 15 to 20 minutes to rough it out and get it into Draftin. Then another while, hours, lots of minutes, to get it to where I wanted to post it. Once posted, I’ve gone back and edited it, probably dozens of times, making changes as it has continued to peroclate.

I loved the flashing between reality and a story he is telling himself in his head. That’s me about 90% of the time. lol

I would also just like to add, that all creationists aren’t young earth creationists. There are a lot of different theories. Take the gap theory and theistic evolution for example. Then you have people who take it as a literal six days and others who don’t because of the bible verse that says “a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day”. Then, there are two different meanings to the word “day” if you look at the translation of the bible from Hebrew to English. So there is argument over which version of the word “day” is being used sense one can be taken literally and the other figuratively. There are literally of books written on these subjects, with Christians arguing amongst themselves over which is right. I have actually meet very few people who think the way the reverend in this story does, especially sense when you go to seminary they teach you how to not look like an idiot in these situations.

I think It’s important to remember when you’re writing Christians (or any group that often gets stereotyped) that they are not stereotypes. I’ve written atheists and it’s really easy just to make them injured people who are angry at God and dissatisfied with life, but that’s just not the reality. A lot of atheists know their stuff and have good reason for their beliefs. The same applies to Christians. If you still want to debunk the Christian in the end, I’m totally cool with it. I would just say, have the Christian have a better argument then “God put the fossils their like that”. Make it harder for your main character to debunk him, create more conflict, and make us cheer him on all the more when he wins.

Just thought that was worth mentioning. All in all, the piece is very well written.

Assumption: Pastors and or reverends have been to seminary. Not true. In the Southern Baptist Convention, at least when I was in the SBC, pastors were not assigned by the convention, nor was any kind of, pre or post graduate, pastoral education required. Pastors were called by the local church, without guidance from the convention, and could easily not even have finished high school. There are many churches that have no affiliation with any established denomination, and therefore call whomever they want as their pastor.

Oh, yes, you handled POV nicely. I’m just the kind of person that will comment on every part of the story. And I’m sorry if the comment was too much, or you didn’t find it helpful. I just tend to say what I think. But for the exercise you did a good job on the POV.

Oh the comment wasn’t too much. After 68 years my hide is pretty tough and criticism I tend to take in a constructive manner and/or with a grain of salt.

But you assumed something in your comment that, in my experience is simply not true. In my experience, the pastors that had graduated college, let alone ever attended seminary were zero. My denomination, at the time, was lucky to have pastors that finished high school.

68 years, wow that’s a lot of time and experience! You have the respect of a young Padawan.

You’re right. I was looking at it from a United Methodist view point (sense that’s the denomination I belong to). Our denomination is pretty strict with schooling and is very organized when it comes to chain of command. I discounted the fact that not all denominations and churches are like mine. My current pastor actually has a PhD and really knows what he’s talking about, so were lucky in that. I’ve also grown up in a home where ignorance isn’t tolerated. We learn about our religion (and everything else we can learn about) and are not victims of blind acceptance.

I’m sorry you had experiences with uneducated pastors. I hope they weren’t all as bad as the one in the story. If they were, then that stinks. And I do realize that there are, sadly, some pastors like the one from your story who don’t have very good arguments when it comes to the science of their faith. But I also hope that people know that all Christians aren’t, to put it frankly, stupid.

Again, assumptions. Christianity was never equated to stupidity, and above all else no attempt to equate uneducated to stupid was ever made. In all those 68 years I have seen incredibly educated people, read that doctorates, that were, above all else, stupid. I have also encountered uneducated people that could best be described as genius.

Birch was, at best, unprepared. His fault, Murphy’s fault, irrelevant, not what I was striving for. It was simply the vehicle used to convey POV switching from character to character. Birch could have been Islamic and quoting the Torah.

I wrote for 20 minutes before I realized it, so here’s what I got.

“Okay, calm down, calm down. You must get a hold of yourself” I murmured frantically to myself, I had to calm down before I blew another hole through the wall, or worse. I sat still on the hard floor, and I still couldn’t believe what had happened, it didn’t make sense at all, but there was evidence of it right before my eyes: a brick wall that now had a wide circle in its middle, still glowing hot from what I had done. Yet it was nothing compared to the silver glow that came from my hands, it felt strange, alien yet oddly comfortable, like I was wearing a glove while sparks coursed throug my arms.

I kept staring at my hands for a long time, trying to find some explanation for what had happened, it couldn’t have been me who did that, I wasn’t that special, I didn’t have some special blood, nor had I gone through any experiment, I didn’t even fit in any origin story of any Super. I was sure of that, I had even taken the tests at the Dome.

“This can’t be happening!” I screamed, letting loose all the emotions I had tried to hold back. “ARGGGHhhh!”

Then, it happened again, the room was bathed again in a silver hue as another silver beam left my hands and destroyed the wall a bit more, leaving behind only one third of what had been an sturdy wall once. That flash had confirmed my fears, this was the reality I had been the one to destroy the wall. I was angry, scared and happy at the same time, these emotions clashing one against the other as I witnessed the destruction I had wrecked in less than 10 minutes.

A grave sound pierced the old room I was in, it sounded like a lament, a sorrowful lament from a strange lonely monster. It only lasted a few seconds, and then, a piece of the roof fell about 5 meters from me. It was followed by another one, and another one bigger than the first two. Soon the whole roof was falling in, and fear once again took a hold of me. I was going to die, I knew I was going to die, buried beneath the rubis of the room.

“I, I don’t want to die” I screamed with all the force of my lungs while I tried to protect my head with my hands, I knew it wasn’t going to be enough, it wasn’t going to be enough if I wanted to live. I want to live. That thought was the last one I had before a surge of power coursed through my body, engulfing my vision in a white blanket before I passed out.

When I woke up, I felt groggy, moving my body was hard, and the air was packed with dust. But I didn’t hurt anywhere, not did I feel like I was buried under something. I slowly made my way to my knees, looking at myself for any sign of injuries, but there was none, in fact except for the dust my clothes were exactly the same as they had been before the fall in.

“This is impossible” I said out loud to no on, but how did this happen? I thought I was done for sure. It was only then that I looked around me and I was shocked for the fifth time that day.

There wasn’t any rubis near me, no for a meter around me. Was that possible? How?

Well done. There are a couple of times where the protagonist is thinking, not speaking. It would help to clarify that like using italics, or at least quoting.

Thanks for the advice- I usually use italics when it comes to thoughts, but I wasn’t sure if they were going to copy that way from writer. So I’ll try to use them next time.

I wrote one short story in the first person POV twenty five years ago. I never tried it again. Since I decided to face my fears, here I go again.

I had just opened my eyes and before I could see clearly, I was standing next to the bed jumping up and down. All of a sudden, i was standing next to the dresser drawer. did I run? I had so much energy. It seemed as if I had four cups of coffee and six energy pills. I looked across the room at the hamper. The hamper was empty and the clothes that were stuffed there were clean and folded. Last night the hamper was full of dirty clothes.. I head a soft voice that sounded like mine. “Esther, you now have super human power. The clothes were washed and folded last night. If you go to the kitchen, there is no longer a pile of dirty dishes. They have all be washed and put away. That’s all I have to say.” “What are you talking about? Who are you?” Suddenly, I was jumping up and down next to my dresser drawer.. I paused and looked into my mirror. I still looked the same. A long braid with a hair pin fastened to the left close to may ear. I did feel energized. At once I felt like I needed or wanted to run. I walked down the stairs toward the front door. The moment that i stepped out. I had dashed down the block, turned to the right and dashed down that block and Paused, standing in right in from of me was me. she looked exactly like me. She had a long braid that was pinned to the side like i did. She was wearing a light tan tee-shirt and black short shorts, blue gym shoes. Just like I am wearing. We both stood there, sweating, jumping up and down as though there were springs.under our shoes. ” Who are you?” ” I just you told you when we were in the house.” Then, she said “I’ll just tell you this much. Let’s race back to the house and up the stairs and stand next to the bed. Whoever get there first wins. “Win what,” “You’ll find out.” she dashed past me to the right. I spun back around so fast that I became dizzy. I dashed down the block and turned left. Before I knew it, I was in the kitchen. Mama was there. I was downstairs sitting at the table with her. “I am impressed. you have fixed breakfast and washed the dishes and I see you have been running.” Thanks mama, I said. Then in my mind and my ear I heard my own voice. There are two Esther. The one who procrastinate and don”t get things done and the one that get things done immediately without being told.. Then mama looked at me and smiled. She never smiles in the morning. but today, she did. She said, well today you cooked the breakfast and washed the dishes without waiting until you got home from school. I like this part of you, Esther. Then, I knew what had happened, KEN Well, there it is. Now, this means that I have used the first person again. I feel okay because, even if it’s terrible. I tried.

My go to POV is 3rd Person, limited.

Oops!! Just realized I completely blew the prompt.

Oh well … back to he drawing board (or computer).

This app helps me understand a lot about the 3d person

The first time it happened took me by surprise. It would anyone wouldn’t it? I was standing in line at the grocery store with my mom. I was tapping my foot to the beat of my own boredom, impatiently waiting for the guy ahead of us to move his cart; which if you ask me he didn’t even need. I added in some finger snaps. 1…2…and…3. The third snap brought with it an echo. When I looked around, I wasn’t in the grocery store anymore. I was in a cave.

I had waited for my eyes to adjust to the dark. The only light that was coming through was a small crack far ahead of me to my left side. I looked down at my feet for a path. Right in front of me the rock I was standing on dropped off into an abyss of black. Behind me stood the edge of the cave. I remember hyperventilating. I was so scared I couldn’t move. I started snapping my fingers again and said out loud, “think, think, think,” matching my snaps to the words in my head. On the third snap, I was back in the grocery store. Police were there talking with my mother. I had been gone a long time.

After that day I tried experimenting with my new formed ability. I started thinking of specific places that I wanted to visit; I wanted to see if I could control it. After a few failed attempts ending up in grungy basements, restaurant cooler storages, and an actor’s cottage, I got a hold of the pattern.

The success of my teleportation was contingent on my ability to breathe evenly. I needed to remain completely calm. When I realized that my ability was never going away, my excitement is what kept me from perfection. Failure after failure brought an increased frustration with myself.

It’s good. You haven’t overdone anything. You’ve shown what happened through your character really well. I particularly like the line “dropped off into an abyss of black.”

This was my attempt at using 2nd person. I rarely use it. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you 🙂

“Now what can you tell me about God? Anybody? Yes, yes, um Alice?” “Alicia, Miss. God is often described with the three Os. He is omnipotent, all powerful, omnipresent, everywhere and omniscient, all knowing.” You suppress a groan. “Which textbook did she swallow to spew that out?” you whisper to your friend. She giggles quietly. “Shhhh,” she replies. You sigh and put your head on the table. You’ve been stuck in this stuffy classroom for half an hour and you really won’t last for another half. You can practically eat religion in this school.

“Hey you, you, sleepy child,” the teacher says. For a moment you’re confused but then your friend nudges you and you realise the woman is talking to you. ‘Can’t she learn our names?’ you think. “Yes, Miss?” you dare to risk saying. “What can you tell me about God?” she asks. ‘Oh for God’s sake,’ you think before realising the irony. “Um,” you reply. You could almost swear that time was slowing down. Everyone’s eyes turn towards you almost in slow motion before they stop as if frozen. You wish the ground would hurry up and swallow you. It takes you a moment to realise that no one is blinking. “Hello?” you say, hoping you don’t sound like an idiot. Nobody responds. ‘Okay, this is really creepy.’ You poke your friend but she doesn’t move. A bead of sweat trickles down your forehead that has nothing to do with the heat. What is going on? A cold feeling washes over you and you sit back in your seat feeling dizzy. You try to control your breathing but it is rapid and coming in gasps. You glance at the clock only to see that the second hand has stopped moving. Hands clammy, you glare at it willing it to move. Millimetre by millimetre it does. You sigh with relief when everybody’s movement resumes only to find yourself under the scrutiny of 30 pairs of eyes.

“Well?” asks the teacher. Suddenly desperate, you look at the clock and wonder if you can make time go faster.

Who’s point of view;

So there’s this guy, this one guy I never liked, he’s constantly stealing my ideas, getting credit for the success, or if the idea fails, that’s when he throws me under the bus. Oh it’s so aggravating when he takes the words right outta my mouth, when I try to participate in the discussion, he cuts me off, I swear he thinks he knows everything he’s talking about. Oh, yeah and he’s always making an ass out of me, no matter what it is, especially at every work party. This guy thinks he’s so slick, two steps ahead of everyone, but he’s not quick, I know every move he’s gonna make before he makes them. It’s also extremely embarrassing he always seems to wear what I have on, then to hear people say how good he looks, I swear his heads swelling from the compliments. Have you seen him? That car he’s driving, that watch he’s wearing, his house, and kids, and his wife, most people only dream of marrying. He has everything I ever wanted, yet he takes it all for granted, he won’t let anyone else enjoy the spot light, like it’s impossible for him to share it. He never talks to me, which makes it that much more awkward, because I always see him in the bathroom, and every time I wash my hands, there he is, just starring, blocking my reflection. When I try to move, he moves too, it’s so obvious he’s doing it on purpose, but I don’t like drama, quite frankly his demeanor makes me a little nervous. So I just ignore it, I’m starting to wonder if I should report him, but what if the boss thinks I’m jealous? I much rather prefer waiting until the day he quits, or who knows maybe he’ll get fired, I just hope he’s not still here up until the day that I retire.

Until the age of five almost six, I thought everyone could figure out how to walk through walls. The morning my mom was walking me to my first day of school she broke the news to me. Once we reached the first intersection, and we were standing at the corner waiting for the light to change, she first asked me, “Maddy, remember that I mentioned to you every person in the world is unique?” I nodded while I kept my eye on the street light. “and what did I say was so unique about you?” “That I have three freckles on my nose.” “Maddy! Not that but the one thing nobody can tell by looking at you.” I looked up at her and said, “That I am a smart kid and I figured out that walls don’t divide or separate?”

Chapbook 25

Last night I was scared, I had another bad dream I just wanted my mommy there but she was in another room asleep. It was a nightmare, the one I often have, about a monster, who’s over 6ft. He chases me down, grabs me by my hair, thrown me into walls, I don’t know why he’s so angry, he’s even kicked me down the stairs.

I woke up sweating, my eyes filled with tears, and what scared me the most was bruises had appeared. They covered me from head to toe, I couldn’t hide them underneath my clothes. Today I was supposed start my first day of school, but mommy said I couldn’t go.

Back to sleep, I don’t even remember getting ready for bed, I just blacked out, when I woke up a pain filled my head. My dream had some how become real, there was the monster, standing over my body, breathing, and grunting, where is my mommy. Why doesn’t she come and help, why isn’t she protecting me, can’t she hear me if I yell.

Can anyone hear me, why can’t anyone figure it out, I wish my daddy was here, but mommy won’t let him around. When will this nightmare finally end, what will it take for him to leave, one of us dead, or broken and bleeding?

Years have gone by, I’m learning to deal, he’s still in our lives, drinking his meal. He is always mad always drunk, never caring, incapable of feeling love. Beating satisfies a need inside him, one that reminds him he’s alive, he’s in control, that everyone’s beneath him, we do as were told.

My other siblings have dealt with it their own way, my oldest sibling has different personality traits. One minute he’s him, by the next someone else, he swears one day he’ll be free of this hell, and when he does he never wants to see any of us again, he disowns our family, he can’t be my friend. The pain is so much more than anyone should take, it won’t be long from now till one of us breaks.

It finally happened, as I began to prepare my food, cutting up vegetables, trying not to listen to them argue, but low and behold i couldnt ignore the thump, at that very moment I snapped into somebody else.

Someone stronger than who I thought I’d become, with a knife in one hand, and a plan in the other, I made my way to the second floor, and found the that thud was my mother. As the plaster in the wall shaped like her head, I looked for the monster, and seen him covered in red.

Like a bull I charged toward him, digging the knife in his gut, 1,2,3 times ain’t enough. Like the monster he’s always been, courage from his bottle, the pierces in his side didn’t stop him, he was numb from the booze, and like a mad man, he retaliated, nothing could keep him from trying to kill me.

I just woke up from a terrible dream, just to find myself in a worse reality. Laying at the bottom if the stair case, in a puddle of my own blood, flashing lights reassured me help had finally come, but I couldn’t move, my body paralyzed, what had I done? I see my mother screaming she is covered in blood, Then I seen the monster sitting up with tape across his abdomen arms crossed in cuffs, finally he will get what he deserves, but what does this mean or us?

The only girl out of eight kids, the second eldest of the bunch, I thought we stuck together this long, and through such hell, we’d most likely stay together, but only time could tell. If only the words for what’s felt could every truly be spoken, perhaps only then could anyone listening would know just what was dealt, but sometimes you can’t mutter out the words that would allow others to understand what kind of welt gets lashed across a tiny body when beaten with a belt.

Even after hundreds of beatings, thousands of black and blue marks, fractured bones like ribs and wrists, almost on a daily basis. I bet your thinking how the hell does this go on for so long, when a parent allows another adult to enter their home, use them for everything they own, get drunk and stands by as that person takes their angers and frustration out on the innocent lives they should be protecting. When a mother or father chooses a stranger over their own little ducklings. That is how monsters get away with it so long, because an active parent allows it to go on.

The truth is of all the afflictions none bare as much pain as the very thought that a mother could prefer a stranger, a monster, putting her babies in danger, actually acts like she doesn’t see what she did wrong. She won’t acknowledge her errors, and the ultimate worst, the day she would choose another guy over us, again, this guy just another monster, and yet he is her life, treats her like crap, calls her an asset, not as his wife. Let her keep him, and the life she’s made, I have my own daughter now, I will never allow her to grow up this way, I will be nothing like my momster, this is the ultimate promise I make, and would die before I’d ever let it break.

Great piece about a super villain, and how this kind of thing does not happen in a vacuum. Your POV was consistent, first person, but there are places where you need to highlight that these are the thoughts of the protagonist. Italics would work, or even quotes.

I only just came across this site today an I was immediately intrigued. I’ve always been self conscious about my writing but I like the idea of being about to just practice like this and get genuine feedback. Anyway I wrote mine in third person limited, I trying to practice how to use better descriptions without overdoing it and getting to fluffy. Here goes..

I remember the day Melissandra first told me she had superpowers. I would have laughed right then and there if I hadn’t learned to recognize the tension burrowed between her brows. Her pale youthful skin now sagged to that of a woman three times her age. The bags beneath her eyebrows had become so swollen and dark you would have thought she hadn’t slept in weeks. The dark shadows behind her eyes gave way to little life. She hunched over me, her body twitching like little jolts of electricity pulsed through her. In health classes we had often seen videos of the effects of hard drugs on addicts, the way they scratched and clawed, itching to escape their bodies. Could she had gotten herself into hard drugs? No, I definitely would have noticed. This was something worse, as a tenth grader living in the suburbs true terror had never struck me very hard, but the fear that gripped her eyes sent a chill through my spine.

“Mel, is everything okay?” I ask as we push our way through the crowded cafeteria.

Mel leans in close looking over her shoulder with unease checking to see that no one else is listening. She whispers, almost inaudibly.

“I think I have superpowers Suz.”

Laughter roars through my belly, which is quickly stifled by the lifeless expression on her face. I’ve never seen her so afraid.

“I’m sorry, did you say superpowers Mel?” I ask in disbelief.

Her eyes fix on me with a cold hard expression, there’s no laughter in her eyes, no punch line at the end of this story.

She lowers her voice as she begins to explain.

“Last night I went for a climb on Bears Peak. I must of got 150 feet when I lost my footing on the rocks. I was so sure I had all my ropes secured, but as I started to fall nothing caught. In that moment I thought I was going to die. Than, just before my body hit the ground I stopped. My body just suspended, hovering in mid air. It wasn’t long, only a moment, a few seconds at best, but enough time for my body to correct itself and find its footing on the ground.”

I stare at her in bewilderment, she’s not saying what I think she is, is she.

“Suzan!” she exclaims as her eyes show a flicker of light. “Last night I flew.”

I just discovered this site tonight, I like it already. I wrote mine in third person limited.

I remember the day Melissandra first told me she had superpowers. I would have laughed right then and there if I hadn’t learned to recognize the tension burrowed between her brows. Her pale youthful skin now sagged to that of a woman three times her age. The bags beneath her eyes had become so swollen and dark you would have thought she hadn’t slept in weeks. The dark shadows behind her eyes gave way to little life. She hunched over me, her body twitching like little jolts of electricity pulsed through her. In health classes we had often seen videos of the effects of hard drugs on addicts, the way they scratched and clawed, itching to escape their bodies. Could she had gotten herself into hard drugs? No, I definitely would have noticed. This was something worse, as a tenth grader living in the suburbs true terror had never struck me very hard, but the fear that gripped her eyes sent a chill through my spine.

Great article, Joe! I really appreciate the detail you went into. You made the different points of view so clear. The breadth of your knowledge of literature is awesome, and your two graphics were helpful and concise.

Katherine Rebekah, great story! You did the second-person POV seamlessly.

All the best, Deena

Well thanks, Deena. 🙂

My genre is romantic suspense, or romantic thrillers, if you will. I always write third person point of view, omniscient, and steer clear of first person for exactly the reasons you’ve stated above. I find first person too limited and stifling. When I read a novel written in first person I find myself distracted, wondering what the other main character(s) are thinking or feeling. Particuarly in a romance – I don’t want to spend my entire reading experience wondering: Is he feeling the same way way or she on her own here?

Granted, the authors that I habitually read do not typically write in first person, but when they do, I will admit, they’re pretty good at showing me the thoughts and feelings of the other party without actually going into their POV. But, I would say it is a tough thing to accomplish, and only the best writers do.

Any feedback would be nice, thanks!

There are no more villains to fight you. No more evil-doers who wish to challenge your right—the right the people gave you to defend their lives. The monument that watched over the city like an old father is the tribute they built for you. The responsibility that you now stand in. Watching over them. An extraterrestrial guardian.

You look up to see grey clouds swirling, forming some odd shape. You take flight, and burst through the glass pane, as people below begin to chant your name. The clouds merge with one another, swirling in and out of each other. With your vision you can see the faces of the ones you swore to protect, even at the cost of your life. Some are smiles, the faces of those that believe in you—the ones if they could would join you without a second thought. Others had grief-stricken eyes; doubt lined their faces. How could you protect them forever? Surely someone greater than you, stronger than you would destroy everything that you deemed worth saving. Maybe there was someone that could take your place, someone that made all this easier. Hopefully.

No. Your chest bursts out and the veins in your arms feel ready to explode. Your fists clench tighter with each breath. Your eyes narrow. Never will you doubt yourself ever again. A crash of lightning hit a nearby building, signifying your resolve. You charge into the vortex still swallowing the sky. The mass of clouds block your path and out the whirlwind a humanoid shape takes form. You. You face off against yourself. “Of course. A hero’s greatest challenge is his or herself,” you say.

How I hate head-hopping! This is a common mistake my students make – and an easy one that can slip into our drafts. Hence, the importance of revision and beta readers.

Thank you for this thorough discussion of such an important element of story!

The worst limitation I find writing in first person is exactly what Joe pointed out, that you cannot be everywhere at once. I find myself getting frustrated at having to switch POV’s between characters in order to be able to tell the story better and show how different characters are feeling because of certain situations; or in my story’s case: one very sinister character.

But since I’m using my past experiences as a means to write the way I do, I kind of need to stay in first person. It’s both a blessing and a curse.

How interesting that a man who has written a 7000-page story is the author of a bestselling book about writing a short story. 😉

“Tina, what the heck. Put me down.”

“Sorry Charlie, I just ate a spinach salad.”

“Clever, but not humorous. Popeye wouldn’t be so frivolous. What if mom and dad had seen you showing off, or worse, if one of the Dancings is spying on us.”

“You’re no fun, you’re boring and paranoid. Brother or not, I may look for another partner”

“Be my guest. I’ll find someone who takes our mission seriously. Who won’t jeopardize our friends and family out of boredom, and the childish need for attention. Grow up a little. You’re sixteen years old.”

“And, you’re eighteen going on eighty. It’s true what they say about friends and family.”

“Whose they?

“Idiot. They’re the consensus.”

“What does the consensus have to say on the subject?”

“Family is the luck of the draw. Friends are deliberate choices.”

“I’d mention a few of your choices but that won’t get this conversation on track. I, we, need to find out what the Dancings are up to. You need to get close enough to read their daughter’s mind. I’ve got a plan. It could work if you can augment your powers with a dash of maturity.”

My sister Tina and I were abducted a month ago while hiking in the Grand Canyon. If I had the words to describe the aliens or their vessel, I’d share them, but I don’t. They were spirits as much as anything and I may have been sedated somehow. They separated us. Apparently Tina was more qualified for mental and physical superpowers than I was. She can read minds and has the strength of The Hulk. My power is cooler though. My eyes shoot lasers when I squint and concentrate. If it was just a matter of squinting, the neighborhood would be ablaze. My vision is less than perfect. I’ve been squinting for years. Maybe that’s why I got this power? Whatever. If the Dancings are building a dirty bomb in their basement, I may need to set fire to them and their house. Soon maybe. First, I need to know that my suspicions are warranted.

Tina needed to befriend the Dancing’s daughter Tanya, an introvert who spoke to no one at school. If she couldn’t befriend her, Tina at least needed to sit by her at lunch, hopefully to learn something from her thoughts. My sister gets bored easily, so sitting near a person who won’t acknowledge her was going to be a challenge. That’s why I was so irritated with Tina and her circus tricks just now. I’m convinced our neighbors are terrorists. But I can’t just burn their house down. What if somebody died and I was wrong? It was time for my sister to step up and put her powers to good use.

Appreciate the write up Joe. Laura

I am having a lot of difficulty with point of view. For instance, Let’s say you have a Memoir or “Diary” type fiction. You want to it to be from the point of view of the person writing the diary; however, you need your reader to know facts about the characters the speaker interacts with that he couldn’t possible know. (perhaps he just met them, etc.) How can you give the reader information about a person that the speaker deosn’t know yet?

hey, I am in the same boat as you, and I uncovered something called First Person Omniscient, which is– if you are still not away after a year of writing the comment I am replying back to– the character is in first person, still uses “I” and “we” and such, but also knows information about other characters that he/she does not yet know, precisely as what you described in your comment. However, this type of first person is rare, as very few novels and authors decide to use this method. But whatever floats your boat! Hope I helped, even though I am clearly late!

Try second person

One question I have in regards to POV and which to choose, is suppose you’re writing a story about something that’s already happened. The story is being told by the main character in the story, years later after the story is “over” (kind of like in a journal of what happened, how it ended- to a certain point- leaving out what has happened to the main character due to his choices made). But, one of the unique situations is that the main character is not just one person, but a person literally divided into 3 separate selves. He himself is the Present self, the other two are what has already happened (past- alternate choice of reality) and the last one is “what could be if” situation” (future). The main (present) is part of the three, but only knows the whole story after it’s happened and how the other two responded to events as they occurred. How would the story be told in what point of view? Both first and third? I know it probably sounds confusing; so if you’re willing to give me advice and need some clarification I can do that. Thanks.

Amanda stared at herself in the mirror. She lifted her hands and gazed at all of the blood on them. “Why am I not dead?” she asked herself puzzled. “It was a head on collision…with a truck!” she exclaimed to herself in amazement. She turned on her heel and marched to her kitchen and grabbed a large knife. She waved the knife around in the air before placing it on her wrist. “If I can’t make it look like an accident, I guess my parents would have to deal with the fact I wanted to die.” Amanda spat. She winced as the blade dug deep into her delicate flesh and watched her blood flow. But the seconds later it stopped. Blinking, she brought her arm closer to her face and stared at her smooth skin -without a single scratch on it. In disbelief she dropped the knife and ran back into the bathroom and wiped her arm of its blood and confirmed there wasn’t a wound. Desperate, Amanda ran down into the basement and grabbed her father’s rifle. “Heal from this if you can.” Amanda put the point under her chin and pulled the trigger. Everything went black and she felt herself crash to the floor. Moments later, Amanda woke up with a huge headache. “What happened?” she groaned but then gasped when she remembered what she had tried to do. “What is happening to me?!” she cried. “I don’t want to be in this world anymore, let me die!” she screamed. Amanda got up from the floor and shuffled up stairs to take a warm shower. “Maybe drowning would work…”

You forgot deep pov; close third. >:(

Deep POV is still third person limited.

Great write-up! Worth sharing and bookmarking.

As for me, I prefer to write (and read) in either first person or third person limited.

Good article except that the plural of point of view is points of view and NOT point of views! C’mon!

Though I’ve only started writing in earnest this year, POV is a topic that has been pointed out to me again and again concerning my WIP. TODAY, as I go through the comments I received overnight POV is the stumbling block I inadvertently put in my story. I’m consciously employing the third person omniscient POV, but it’s not coming through to my readers. I’ve read this article before and anew and I still don’t get it… I’m doomed.

talented writer, Noddy, mentioned this article . is good read . reread since wanted to make the third person omniscient viewpoint cleaner without head hopping . soon peruse Italo Calvino book written in second person pov to see how a master wrote .

Write two pieces of 750 words. One will be from the point of view of a traveller travelling to a foreign country. The other will be from the point of view of a native of that country who receives that traveller which person do I write form the first person, second person or the third person please help

You know, i had a dream once… I wanted to redo my entire life, I’m getting a divorce from my wife, Scarlett. We have two children, Alex and Maggie, and they’e both seniors in the high school I used to attend. I was driving to Ned’s house one rainy night and saw a man on a bridge. I got out and ran after him. When I got there he jumped, i looked over the edge and then I fell off. I woke up in Ned’s house and looked in the mirror. I was my young self again… I was 17 again.

What about this post is actual, and what part’s a dream? It’s hard to distinguish what dialogue this follows, and what efforts are trying to be accomplished.

Everything about this was my dream… I woke up after i fell and thought, I need some pancakes.

Hi- I’m writing a novel in 3rd omniscient. I struggle with the point of view on a micro level, never dipping into 1st or second person. Here is an example of what I mean is this… ‘While Eunice and Barbara were in the nursery spending a few minutes with the baby boy, Margaret walked away from a group and then grabbed a quick nibble of cheese from the buffet. She continued on to the bar where she picked up a full glass of vodka with a twist of lemon. On her way out the door to the patio, she looked back over her shoulder directly to where Jules stood, as if she had known his position to the inch.’ Does ‘she looked back over her shoulder’ now put the reader in Margaret’s POV???

I could use some advice.

I have a novel focusing on the relationship of two people. This is entirely written in 3rd person limited with occasional internal dialogue.

Initially, this story was focused on one character (A); however, I realised the protagonist was the other character (B). I re-wrote the novel to be inside B’s head, and generally this works *much* better.

Here’s the problem. Although the entire novel is written in 3rd person limited for B, there are several action points within the novel that follows A, not B because there is not much going on with B during this time.

There’s no head hopping or reading of A’s mind in these few scenes, but nothing is happening to B at this point, so narrative-wise, it seems okay to follow A through action (not thought).

So, question 1) because there’s no head hopping, is following A occasionally too distracting for this story? And if so, 2) I’m open to suggestions on how to handle this, because it’s what happens to A in these scenes that changes things.

Very good article. Great examples.

Nice article

Understanding the difference between first person and third person point of view (POV) is crucial for any writer looking to master narrative technique. This “Ultimate Guide” promises to provide comprehensive insights into both POVs, which can significantly enhance storytelling skills. By delving into the nuances of each POV, writers can learn how to effectively convey characters’ perspectives, emotions, and experiences, ultimately enriching the reader’s engagement with the narrative. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned writer, mastering these narrative techniques is essential for crafting compelling and immersive stories. Looking forward to exploring this guide and honing my storytelling skills further!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

• Are You Writing From the Right Point of View? - […] Want to know more about POV? See our definitive point of view guide here. […]
• Links To Blog Posts on Writing – September 2015 | Anna Butler - […] Point of View in Writing – Joe Bunting at The Write Practice, with an article that manages to cover…
• Why You Can’t Finish Writing Your Book - […] the Genre? 2. What are the conventions and obligatory scenes for that Genre? 3. What’s the point of view? 4.What are…
• Who’s on First? Exploring Point of View | Dawne Webber - […] I Write in First Person Point of View? @ Editor’s Quill Point of View in Writing @ The Write Practice What…
• Write From The Perspective of a Shoe - […] Seriously, if you want to know everything there is to know about Point Of View, or POV, read Joe’s…
• Last Weeks Writing Links 12/21-12/26 | B. Shaun Smith - […] Point of View in Writing […]
• How to Choose the RIGHT Tense for Your Novel - […] Lights, Big City is notable both for being written in present tense and second-person. While it’s not necessarily something you should use…
• A Matter of Perspective (#0039) | Dominika Lein - […] involving a narrator’s position, then feel free to read these decent articles on the issue; The Write Practice’s Point of…
• Blog – Writer's Thumbprint - […] All of this comes down to POV. The person who did make the movie is telling it from his/her…
• 10 Tips: How to Edit and Improve Your Writing – livewritelovelearn - […] https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ […]
• The Power of Perspective: Understanding Point of View in Creative Writing – The Waterhole - […] to The Write Practice, “Point of View” refers to two things in […]
• Why You Should Consider Writing With an Omniscient Narrator | Creative Writing - […] But before you “stick it to the man” and start drafting your magnum opus in third person omniscient, let’s…
• Point of view guide – LOVE INDIE ROMANCE - […] Point of view guide […]
• POV Rules! - […] https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ […]
• Resources from WW | Elijah - […] Blog Posts: I didn’t read this entire article, but the first third of it seemed very good: https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ These…
• POV | Elijah - […] The Ultimate Point of View Guide: Third Person Omniscient vs. Third Person Limited vs. First Person […]
• Fixing POV Violations - Sun's Golden Ray Publishing - […] Violations (point of view violation). Basically, you have established a point of view for the book (First, Third Close,…
• Bibliography | 網站標題 - […] https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ […]
• Beyond NaNoWriMo: What Do You Do Next? - Story Grid - […] detailed descriptions of the four major types of point of view, read Joe Bunting’s article at The Write Practice.…
• Summer Solstice, New York City by Sharon – Nicholas Hacker's Moorpark College Spring '18 Website - […] [I’m looking at this point-of-view guide from thewritepractice.com to figure out what POV the spea… […]
• Writing Chapter 2: Developing your Opening Hook | Now Novel - […] change of POV: Describe what another character is going through, in an arc linked to the scenario in your…
• How to Publish a Short Story: Write Your First and Second Drafts - […] hopping: Stay in one point of view. There’s not enough time or space in a short to skip […]
• Guest Post - Como Criar Uma Proposta Irresistível - MBFA - […] Tom e perspectiva também usualmente são especificamente analisados. Muitas publicações preferem que você fale em primeira, segunda ou terceira pessoa.…
• Lesson 2: Point Of View – What's right Is Write - […] https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ […]
• How to Write a Book from Multiple Perspectives - […] So if you’re ready for the challenge, here’s how to write a book from multiple perspectives. […]
• How do you develop your plot? – thefictionwritersfriendblog - […] a really good article on Point of View on the Write Practice site. It goes into in more detail…
• Getting to Step 8: Setting the Scenes (Gesichtpunkt) – Short Ramblings - […] your adventure’ books. The other POVs are best suited for my kind of project. (*[2] https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ […]
• P.O.V | The Psychiatrist's Couch - […] https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ […]
• How to Keep Your Point Of View Consistent – by Hannah Green | The Writers College Times - […] Bestselling author Joe Bunting put it best when he said: […]
• How to Leverage Point of View to Power Your Story - […] the purposes of this article, toss out second person and choose between first and third. Each has its strengths…
• How to Leverage Point of View to Power Your Story | rogerpseudonym - […] the purposes of this article, toss out second person and choose between first and third. Each has its strengths…
• Point of View Magic: How to Cast a Spell on Your Readers - […] crucial to understand that EVERY WORD of a story is told through a character’s point of view. If your…
• Henrik Widell – Lektör - […] https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ […]
• Which POV Is Best for Your Story? – Renea Guenther - […] Between Three Different Points of View Writing 101: Choosing the Best Point of View for Your Story The Ultimate…
• Bethany's Best: Writing Point of View & More - Bethany Henry - […] The Ultimate Point of View Guide – The Write Practice […]
• Wie man einen unwiderstehlichen Vorschlag für einen Gastbeitrag macht - […] Perspektive sind dabei auch sehr wichtig. Viele Blogs und Webseiten bevorzugen Artikel, die in der ersten, zweiten oder dritten…
• The Independent – Evila Penonymous - […] Literature reference: [1] […]
• What Is Self-Editing – Writing without Drama - […] https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ […]
• Character Development: Create Characters that Readers Love - […] multiple is a Point of View character. These characters carry the narrative, and in a story told in third…
• What Is an Epilogue? And Is It Okay to Use One in YOUR Book? - […] epilogues that tend to be shorter than other chapters. They are also usually different in tone, point of view,…
• What Is an Epilogue? And Is It Okay to Use One in YOUR Book? – Lederto.com Blog - […] epilogues that tend to be shorter than other chapters. They are also usually different in tone, point of view,…
• 5 Ways to Ruin Your Creative Writing – Books, Literature & Writing - […] Learn more: The Ultimate Point of View Guide: Third Person Omniscient vs. Third Person Limited vs. First Person […]
• What’s the most intriguing writing tip you’ve uncovered from this post? - […] ones is a Point of View character. These characters carry the narrative, and in a story told in third…
• Character Development – Christina's blog - […] ones is a Point of View character. These characters carry the narrative, and in a story told in third…
• Drop a link below if you’ve found anything cool for authors! - […] ones is a Point of View character. These characters carry the narrative, and in a story told in third…
• How to Craft Irresistible Guest Blogging Proposal - […] Tone and perspective are also specifically targeted often. Many publications prefer you speak in the first, second, or third…
• How to Write a Good First Chapter: A Checklist - […] is your story’s point of view? Are you going to choose third person limited, third person omniscient, first person,…
• How to Write a Good First Chapter: A Checklist – Lederto.com Blog - […] is your story’s point of view? Are you going to choose third person limited, third person omniscient, first person,…
• Hit the love button if you like this info! - […] is your story’s point of view? Are you going to choose third person limited, third person omniscient, first person,…
• How will you implement the tips from this post? - […] is your story’s point of view? Are you going to choose third person limited, third person omniscient, first person,…
• Preferred POV and Tense – My Ity Opinion | ItyReadsBooks - […] *Found on The Write Practice […]
• Point of View, or Who’s Telling the Story? – Amanda Down the Rabbit Hole - […] Joe Bunting, “The Ultimate Point of View Guide: Third Person Omniscient vs. Third Person Limited vs. First Person,” https://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/…
• Mastering Point of View: An In-depth Guide To Better Writing - […] The Ultimate Point of View Guide: Third Person Omniscient vs. Third Person Limited vs. First Person […]
• Welcome to YeahWrite’s Weekly Writing Challenge #484 - YeahWrite - […] sure what that means? Click here. Scroll past the introduction to the First Person banner heading, or read the entire…
• Welcome to YeahWrite’s Weekly Writing Challenge #485 - YeahWrite - […] sure what that means? Click here. Scroll past the introduction to the First Person banner heading, or read the entire…
• Rules and Fiction Writing - LaBine Editorial - […] to dig deeper into POV issues and rules in a later post, but if you’d like to learn more…

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

Popular Resources

Book Writing Tips & Guides Creativity & Inspiration Tips Writing Prompts Grammar & Vocab Resources Best Book Writing Software ProWritingAid Review Writing Teacher Resources Publisher Rocket Review Scrivener Review Gifts for Writers

Books By Our Writers

Now, Take Your Idea and Write a Book!

Enter your email to get a free 3-step worksheet and start writing your book in just a few minutes.

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

Enter your email to get our free 10-step guide to becoming a writer.

Get the POV Cheatsheet for Writers

Enter your email for a free cheatsheet for the top two point of views!

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Enter your first name and email to get our free book, 14 Prompts.

Summaries, Analysis & Lists

Third Person Short Stories: Examples Written in 3rd Person POV

These examples of third person short stories have narrators who are telling a story about someone else, using third person pronouns like “she”, “he” and “they”. 3rd person point of view is the most common type of narration, so you’ll find lots of stories that use it. Here are some well known selections. See also:

Third Person Short Stories

“the story of an hour” by  kate chopin.

A woman receives the news that her husband has been killed in a train accident. She processes the news over the next hour, experiencing a range of emotions.

Read “The Story of an Hour”  (Includes Summary & Analysis)

“Cookie Cutter Superhero” by Tansy Rayner Roberts

Joey has a newfound celebrity status at school. She’s reminded of her first day when everyone was interested in her left arm. It’s her last day for at least six months. She’ll be going to live at Sky Tower with the team. Her friends speculate about who she’ll become and who she’ll be replacing. There’s a lot of uncertainty and excitement about Joey’s new path.

This story can be read in the preview of  Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories .  (10% in)

“Shiloh” by Bobbie Ann Mason

Leroy has been off work for four months since getting hurt. His wife, Norma Jean, supports them both by working at a drugstore. Leroy is glad to be home with his wife, but he’s worried that she’s drawing away from him—maybe his presence reminds her of their son who died as a baby.

This story can be read in the preview of  Shiloh & Other Stories .

“Button, Button” by  Richard Matheson

A hand addressed package is left at the door of Arthur and Norma Lewis. Inside is a contraption with a button on it, and a note saying that Mr. Steward will call on them at 8 PM. He arrives at the appointed time and makes them a startling proposition.

This is the first story in the preview of  The Box: Uncanny Stories .  (20% in)

“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

In a small town, an old man with wings washes up on shore. There are many ideas about what he is and where he’s from. A couple takes him and locks him up on their property.

This is the eleventh story in the preview of  The Big Book of Modern Fantasy .  (78% into preview)

“Miss Brill” by  Katherine Mansfield

A middle-aged woman takes a weekly Sunday walk. She likes to observe and listen to people, but she overhears something that upsets her.

Read “Miss Brill”

“The Lottery” by  Shirley Jackson

On a summer morning, citizens of a small village are anticipating the annual “lottery”, a local tradition that is believed to bring a good harvest. The children gather first, making their usual preparations. The women and men arrive and make sure their whole family is present. Mr. Summers arrives with the black wooden box.

This story can be read in the preview of  Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories .  (10% in)

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by  Flannery O’Connor

An extended family is headed to Florida for a vacation. The grandmother wants to go to Tennessee instead, so she talks about an escaped murderer—The Misfit—who is suspected to be on his way to Florida. Despite her efforts, her son Bailey is set on going to Florida.

This story can be read in the preview of  A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories . (Kindle preview)

“There Will Come Soft Rains” by  Ray Bradbury

At 7 AM an automated house rings the alarm clock and prepares breakfast. It gives some practical reminders and says it’s time to go to school and work. Otherwise, the house is strangely silent. ( Summary & Themes )

This story can be read in the preview of  The Stories of Ray Bradbury.  (93% in)

“Harrison Bergeron” by  Kurt Vonnegut

All Americans are equal—no one is allowed to be better than anyone else in any way. An exceptional fourteen-year-old, Harrison, is taken away from his parents by the government.

This is the first story in the preview of  Welcome to the Monkey House: Stories .

“Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes

Mrs. Luella Jones, a large woman with a large purse, is walking home late at night in Harlem. A boy rushes up behind her and tries to grab her purse, but the strap breaks and he falls down. Mrs. Jones grabs the boy and brings him to her apartment. ( Summary & Analysis )

Read  “Thank You, Ma’am”

“The Necklace” by  Guy De Maupassant

Mathilde is married to a minor government official. They’re of modest means, but Mathilde has expensive tastes. When they get invited to a party, she borrows a necklace from a rich friend.

Read “The Necklace”

Third Person Point of View Short Stories, Cont’d

“The Chaser” by  John Collier

Alan Austen enters an out-of-the-way shop. It’s tiny with little furniture. The merchant, an old man, only has about a dozen jars and bottles for sale. He talks about one of his offerings which is very expensive. Alan is looking for a love potion. He’s concerned about the price of such a valuable mixture. ( Summary & Analysis )

Read “The Chaser”

“A Continuity of Parks” by Julio Cortázar

A man returns to a novel he has been reading for a few days. At his estate, in his study, he sits in his favorite chair and starts the last few chapters. The story comes back to him easily, and he becomes immersed in the narrative again. ( Summary & Analysis )

Read  “A Continuity of Parks”

“The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty

At night a sniper waits on a rooftop. He risks lighting a cigarette which alerts a nearby sniper of his presence. They exchange some fire. The sniper feels trapped, but he knows he has to get off the roof before enemy forces converge on him. ( Summary & Analysis )

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by  Ambrose Bierce

A man is on a bridge in Alabama, his hands bound and a rope around his neck. He’s a civilian, a confederate sympathizer, and is being held by Federal soldiers. He’s been sentenced to hang from Owl Creek Bridge during the American civil war.

Read  “An Occurrence . . .”  (Includes Analysis)

“To Build a Fire” by  Jack London

A man is traveling on foot in the Yukon with a husky. He’s headed for a camp where there’ll be companions, fire and hot food. It’s –75 degrees and even though he’s careful, he breaks through some ice and soaks his boots. There’s a limited amount of time for him to get a fire going.

Read “To Build a Fire”  (Includes Summary & Analysis)

“Paul’s Case” by  Willa Cather

Paul gets suspended from his Pittsburgh High School. His father wants him to be a responsible wage-earning family man when he grows up, but Paul is drawn to a life of wealth and glamour, so he decides to go to New York.

Read “Paul’s Case”  (PDF)

“Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe

The new headmaster of an African school wants to modernize it and rid the locals of their superstitious beliefs. He blocks off part of the school grounds, even though that means blocking a path with great religious significance for the locals. ( Summary & Analysis )

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates

A rebellious fifteen-year-old girl encounters an older man in a parking lot. He later shows up at her place when she’s home alone to ask her to go for a ride with him.

Read “Where Are You Going . . .” (PDF)

“The Open Window” by  Saki

A man is visiting the country for some relaxation. While waiting to be introduced to all the members of the household, a young girl tells him the story of their tragic family history. ( Summary & Analysis )

Read “The Open Window”

“Cemetery Path” by Leonard Q. Ross

Ivan is known in his village as a timid, fearful man. When he walks home at night he goes the long way around the cemetery, even though it’s cold. One night he is challenged to cross the cemetery. ( Summary & Analysis )

Read “Cemetery Path”

“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers

Greg Ridley is a fourteen-year-old student in danger of failing math. His father tells him he can’t play basketball anymore. While out walking one night, Greg takes refuge in an abandoned tenement building. He finds a local homeless man there, Lemon Brown. ( Summary & Analysis )

Read  “The Treasure of Lemon Brown”

“One of These Days” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

A corrupt mayor needs treatment for an abscessed tooth. He goes to an unlicensed dentist. The dentist doesn’t want to help, and they exchange some words. ( Summary & Analysis )

“The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Ernest Hemingway

On the African savannah, a man’s leg is rotting with gangrene. His wife tries to comfort and encourage him. As he waits for death, he thinks about his life.

This is the third story in the preview of  The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway .  (62% into the preview)

“Yours” by Mary Robison

Allison and her husband, Clark, who is much older than she, spend an evening carving pumpkins until early the next morning.

“The Escape” by J. B. Stamper

Boris is being led down a long hallway to the solitary confinement cell. He was caught in an escape attempt. He’s terrified of his punishment and begs to be spared. He promises he’ll never do anything wrong again.

Read “The Escape”

“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

A family lives in a futuristic house that automatically meets all their needs, including a nursery for the children that can create any scene they want. The parents are thinking about reducing their reliance on technology by taking a break from the nursery and all the automation, but the children are against the idea.

Read “The Veldt”

“Clean Sweep Ignatius” by  Jeffrey Archer

When Ignatius Agarbi is appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Finance no one notices. No previous minister had lasted long or accomplished much. Ignatius vows to root out corruption, even among the highest levels of authority. After catching several offenders, General Otobi gives Ignatius a special assignment. ( Summary )

Read “Clean Sweep Ignatius”  (Page 9)

“The Masque of the Red Death” by  Edgar Allan Poe

Prince Prospero and his nobles have retreated to an abbey. The doors are sealed. Outside, a plague is killing everyone. Death is painful and swift. The Prince decides to throw a party.

Read  “The Masque of the Red Death”

I hope you found some great third person short stories.

Understanding Third Person Objective Point of View: Tips and Examples

Defining third person objective, characteristics of third person objective, common misconceptions, examples of third person objective, classic literature, modern fiction, tips for writing in third person objective, developing a narrative voice, maintaining objectivity, using dialogue effectively, benefits of third person objective, increased tension and suspense, enhanced storytelling, resources for improving your third person objective writing, writing workshops, online courses, books on writing.

Are you curious about third person objective point of view in writing? Look no further! This blog will guide you through the ins and outs of this unique narrative style, offering tips and examples to help you master it. So, let's dive right in and explore the fascinating world of third person objective storytelling.

In this section, we'll define third person objective point of view and examine its characteristics and common misconceptions. You'll learn what sets this narrative style apart from others and how to recognize it in a piece of writing.

Third person objective is a narrative style that uses a neutral, unbiased narrator who doesn't reveal the thoughts or feelings of the characters. The narrator presents the story through an observational lens, focusing on what characters say and do, rather than their inner thoughts. Here are some key features of third person objective storytelling:

• Neutral: The narrator doesn't take sides or express opinions, maintaining a detached, impartial stance.
• Observational: The story is told through the actions and dialogue of the characters, rather than their thoughts or emotions.
• Limited information: Readers don't have access to the characters' thoughts, which can create suspense and intrigue.

Third person objective is often confused with other narrative styles. Let's clear up some common misconceptions:

• Third person objective vs. third person limited: While both styles use a third person narrator, third person limited allows the reader access to the thoughts and feelings of one character, while third person objective does not.
• Third person objective vs. third person omniscient: Third person omniscient reveals the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters. In contrast, third person objective keeps the reader in the dark about what characters are thinking or feeling.

Now that we've defined third person objective and explored its characteristics and misconceptions, let's take a look at some examples of this narrative style in literature.

Third person objective is a versatile narrative style used by authors across genres and time periods. In this section, we'll explore examples from classic literature and modern fiction, showcasing the wide range of stories that can be told through this unique point of view.

Many classic works of literature employ third person objective to create a sense of distance and intrigue. Here are a couple of notable examples:

• Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants": This short story is a prime example of third person objective, as the narrator only reports the dialogue between the two characters and their actions, leaving their thoughts and feelings up to the reader's interpretation.
• Anton Chekhov's "The Lady with the Dog": This captivating tale of a chance encounter and subsequent romance also uses third person objective, with the narrator focusing on the characters' actions and conversations without delving into their inner thoughts.

Contemporary authors also use third person objective to bring their stories to life. Here are a couple of examples from modern fiction:

• Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men": McCarthy employs third person objective throughout much of this novel, providing readers with a suspenseful, action-driven narrative that leaves them guessing about the characters' thoughts and motivations.
• Raymond Carver's "Cathedral": In this short story, Carver uses third person objective to depict the interactions between the narrator, his wife, and a blind visitor, creating a sense of detachment and leaving the reader to infer the characters' emotions from their actions and dialogue.

Now that you've seen third person objective in action, let's explore some tips for writing in this narrative style.

Writing in third person objective can be a unique challenge, as it requires you to maintain distance from your characters' thoughts and feelings. Here are some tips to help you develop this narrative skill and create engaging stories.

• Focus on actions and dialogue: Since you're not delving into characters' thoughts, their actions and dialogue are crucial for revealing their personalities and motivations. Ensure that each action and line of dialogue is meaningful and contributes to the story's development.
• Establish a consistent tone: A strong narrative voice helps immerse the reader in your story. Choose a tone that complements your story's themes and atmosphere, and maintain it throughout your writing.
• Show, don't tell: Third person objective is all about showing the reader what's happening, rather than telling them. Use descriptive language and sensory details to paint a vivid picture of each scene, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions about characters' thoughts and feelings.
• Avoid subjective language: To maintain objectivity, steer clear of words that express judgment or opinion. Stick to facts and observable details, presenting events as they are without coloring them with your own perspective.
• Be mindful of your word choice: Even seemingly neutral words can carry connotations that unintentionally reveal a character's thoughts or feelings. Choose your words carefully to maintain the third person objective point of view.
• Limit your focus: Concentrate on one or a few characters at a time, rather than attempting to cover every character's perspective. This helps maintain the objective viewpoint and prevents the narrative from becoming overwhelming.
• Reveal character through dialogue: Since you can't share the characters' thoughts, use dialogue to reveal their personalities, emotions, and motivations. Make each line of dialogue purposeful and reflective of the character who speaks it.
• Balance dialogue with action: While dialogue is important for conveying information and character development, don't let it dominate your narrative. Balance dialogue with action and description to create a well-rounded story.
• Use subtext: Subtext—meaning that lies beneath the surface of dialogue—can add depth and nuance to your characters' interactions. Allow your characters to say one thing while implying another, creating intrigue and inviting readers to interpret the underlying meaning.

With these tips in mind, you're well on your way to crafting engaging stories using the third person objective point of view. Let's now examine the benefits of this unique narrative style.

While third person objective may initially seem restrictive, it offers several advantages that can enhance your storytelling and engage readers. Here are some key benefits of adopting this narrative style.

• Limited information: By withholding characters' thoughts and feelings, third person objective creates an air of mystery and intrigue, encouraging readers to pay close attention to actions and dialogue for clues about characters' motivations.
• Unpredictability: Readers can't predict a character's next move based on their inner thoughts, which adds an element of surprise and keeps them on their toes throughout the story.
• Ambiguity: The objective viewpoint allows for multiple interpretations of events and characters, fostering discussion and debate among readers and encouraging them to think critically about the story.
• Varied perspectives: Third person objective allows you to shift focus between different characters, providing a broader view of the story's events and enabling you to explore different facets of your narrative.
• Immersive experience: By focusing on actions and dialogue, third person objective encourages readers to experience the story through their own interpretations, rather than being guided by the author's perspective. This can create a more immersive and engaging reading experience.
• Heightened emotional impact: Since readers must infer characters' emotions from their actions and dialogue, they become more invested in the story and may experience a stronger emotional connection to the characters and events.

Embracing the third person objective viewpoint can provide new storytelling opportunities and enhance reader engagement. To further develop your skills in this narrative style, consider exploring various resources that can help improve your writing.

As with any writing style, mastering third person objective takes practice and dedication. To strengthen your skills, consider the following resources tailored to help you excel in this unique narrative approach.

• Local workshops: Many cities and towns offer writing workshops or classes where you can receive feedback from fellow writers and experienced instructors. These workshops can provide valuable guidance and support as you develop your third person objective writing skills.
• Online communities: There are numerous online forums and writing communities where you can share your work, receive feedback, and learn from others who are also working to improve their third person objective writing.
• Free resources: Websites like Coursera, edX, and FutureLearn offer free courses in creative writing that can help you refine your third person objective writing skills.
• Paid courses: Some platforms, such as MasterClass and Udemy, offer paid courses specifically focused on narrative techniques, including third person objective. These courses, often taught by experts in the field, can provide in-depth instruction and personalized feedback.
• General guides: Books such as "On Writing" by Stephen King or "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott offer valuable insights and advice on the craft of writing, including tips for mastering narrative techniques like third person objective.
• Genre-specific guides: Depending on your preferred genre, consider seeking out books that focus on the unique challenges and techniques associated with that genre. For example, a book like "Writing the Breakout Novel" by Donald Maass can provide guidance on writing compelling third person objective narratives in the realm of fiction.

By taking advantage of these resources and consistently practicing your third person objective writing, you'll be well on your way to crafting captivating stories that keep readers engaged and intrigued.

If you're eager to master three-point perspective in your illustrations and designs, don't miss the workshop ' Three-point Perspective Made Easy ' by Roberto Bernal. This workshop offers a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying three-point perspective in your creative projects, making it an invaluable resource for artists of all skill levels.

Live classes every day

Learn from industry-leading creators

Get useful feedback from experts and peers

Best deal of the year

* billed annually after the trial ends.

*Billed monthly after the trial ends.

Writing in third person: Examples & tips

In contrast to the writing in first person , the third person narrator is one of the most commonly used narrative modes. Here the narrator describes what is happening to the characters in the story. The characters are referred by their names or as “he” or “she” or even “they.”

Third Person Narration: Truths

• The third person narrator is normally not a character in the story.
• The third person narrator provides an-outside-looking-in view of the story.
• Depending on the type of third person narrator (See table below), the narrator can narrate anything that happens to any or all of the characters. Most of the time there is no restriction on what the narrator knows and that includes occurrences that will take place in the future.

Third person narrators are used widely and across all story forms. Biographies have to employ the third person narrator.

Some Famous 3 rd Person Accounts

• The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
• Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
• When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro
• A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
• Swami and Friends by R.K. Narayan

Advantages of Using Third Person Point of View

1. Flexibility As a writer you have complete flexibility to get into the minds of your characters. You can show thought and intentions and motivations of the entire cast of characters. John Gardner author of the acclaimed book of writing craft The Art of Fiction advocates the use of 3 rd person narrators, especially the omniscient narrator. He writes, “In the authorial omniscient, the writer speaks as, in effect, God. He sees into all his characters’ hearts and minds, presents all positions with justice and detachment, and occasionally dips into the third person subjective to give the reader an immediate sense of why the character feels as he does, but reserves to himself the right to judge.” 2. Larger the Story… When you need different characters to convey the story When you have a rather large story cooking in your head which requires multiple voices for you to do justice to, it is advantageous to use the 3 rd person point of view. Else you could end up restricting its natural flow constantly having to battle questions about how a first person voice is privy to key dramatic events happening to other characters. For instance you can switch to the antagonist, and show the reader what he is doing to create obstacles for the protagonist, and this is something the protagonist doesn’t know but you, the reader, knows. 3. Objectivity (See Box Below) A third person narrator can say things as they are without bias and without getting emotional. This works wonders in action scenes. Imagine you have to write about a car blowing up. A third person narrator can describe the scene right down to the decibel level of the explosion but if you are writing in first person you have to tackle the issue of the character’s horror or panic for having been witness to such a scene. This might hamper the action scene.

Disadvantages/ Challenges of Using the Third Person Point of View

1. It needs meticulous planning else it can go horribly wrong: Remember you are dealing with a lot of characters. You have to plan their entry and exit and what is going on in each scene, especially what they are thinking and why they are there. Unlike first person accounts where you get to switch back to the “I” character here you have so much choice as to which character’s trajectory you are going to use to convey the story that there is bound to be some confusion, especially for first-time writers. 2. Planning the Unknown Plotting has a lot to do with time of revelation of suspense. It becomes difficult and cumbersome when all character motivations are available for the reader to see. First time writers especially have a tendency to write everything about all characters and then realize that there is no mystery left; readers will know why each character did something. This leads to the common “sagging middle syndrome.” Plotting is harder here when there are so many characters to deal with.

Examples of Third Person Narrative

Note: Degrees of Omniscience and Objectivity are decisions the writer has to make and it can be a combination of both. For instance, 3 rd person omniscient narrators can be either subjective (knowing character’s feelings etc) or objective (restricting their narration to dialogue and action) Either in this post or in our earlier post on first person narrators, if you noticed, we did not recommend which narrator you need to use. That’s because it is a choice you have to make as the author. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Salman Rushdie’s memoir about his fatwa years titled Joseph Anton is written in third person; he is narrating his story referring to himself as “he” rather than “I.” I found this particularly fascinating so yes, there really are no rules! Are there any more advantages or disadvantages? Do let us know as a comment!

1 thought on “Writing in third person: Examples & tips”

Caution: No such thing as “third person”; the correct term is “omniscient.” No such thing as “third person subjective”; the omniscient narrator is always objective or else the story should have been in First-Person. Bad example: “She walked down a lonely road. There was not a soul in sight. The shops were closed for the day and the streetlights were not working. “God,” she thought, “Please let me make it home safely.” She was terrified. She thought about what she read in the papers about this street and how it was notorious being thronged by armed men after dark.” Should be something like “She walked down a lonely road (Principle: show, don’t tell. See next sentence which renders rather than reports). There was (This reports with empty words; “there” is not a part of speech and “was” is a verb of being, not of action, which fiction is.) Not a soul in sight. The shops were closed for the day, and the streetlights were not working (Better: “streetlights as dark as her fear”). “God,” she thought, “Please let me make it home safely” (unnecessary to put in quotes: better if we’re tight in her mind).” She was terrified. (Render, don’t report.) Put it in an action, maybe something like “a coldness descended on her skin and chilled her bones”). She thought about what she had read in the (Be specific) Messenger this street thronged by armed men after dark. The “better” example is crap. It reports. Get in her mind as tight as possible. Total misunderstanding: “This form [omniscience] allows complete subjectivity.” God is not subjective, as we understand Him; he is all-knowing. Total misunderstanding and a contradiction in terms: “Third-Person Limited Narrator.” The narrator, being God-like, simply knows that the story can be told by getting into only one mind, the mind that is central to the story; called “Central Intelligence Omniscient Narrator.” Partial misunderstanding: “I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Salman Rushdie’s memoir about his fatwa years titled Joseph Anton is written in third person [read, omniscience]; he is narrating his story referring to himself as ‘he’ rather than ‘I.’ I found this particularly fascinating so yes, there really are no rules!” Rushdie understands First-Person Narrators are by nature unreliable; thus, his memoir strives to be objective and not call into question what the narrator tells us. The great Sigrid Undset, among other memoirists/autobiographers, wrote using an omniscient narrator. As for advantage, the Central Intelligence Narrator can do everything the First-Person can–and more.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Writing in Third Person: How to, When to, and Why

When it comes to writing, the third person is one of the most commonly used points of view. This point of view allows readers to get inside the heads of multiple characters and can make stories more immersive and engaging.

But, how do you write third person? When should you use the third person instead of the first or second? We will answer all of those questions in this blog post and more!

What Is Writing In Third Person?

How to write in third person about yourself, when should you write in third person, how to write in third person omniscient, why do authors write in third person, are biographies written in third person.

Writing in the third person point of view is when the writer tells the story using third-person pronouns like "he" or "she".

It gives the story a more objective perspective and can be less confusing for the reader.

When done well, it can make the story more engaging by giving the reader a different perspective on the events.

However, some people struggle to write in the third person, as they have to keep track of the thoughts and actions of all the different characters in the story.

This may not sound like a difficult task; however, you need to once you decide to write in third person, you need to remain consistent throughout the entire story.

When writing about yourself in the third person, it's important to maintain a consistent point of view. You don't want to switch back and forth between the first and third person within the same sentence or paragraph.

To stay in the third person, use pronouns like "he," "she," and "it," and avoid using words like "I" and "me." For example, you might write, "She went for a run this morning" instead of "I went for a run this morning."

It can be helpful to think of yourself as if you're someone else observing yourself from the outside. This will help you stay in the third person when describing your own actions and thoughts.

Now that you know how to write in third person point of view, when should you use third person?

The third person point of view is most commonly used in fiction writing, but it can also be used when writing non-fiction or even when writing about yourself.

If you're not sure whether or not to write in third person, consider these three factors:

- Who is your audience?

- What tone do you want to set?

- What point of view will best suit your story?

If you're writing for a professional or academic audience, third person is often the best choice. It can help you sound more objective and less biased.

If you're writing a more personal piece, such as a memoir, you might want to consider writing in a first-person point of view. This will allow you to share your personal thoughts and experiences more directly with the reader.

When it comes to setting a tone, third person can be either formal or informal. It all depends on how you use pronouns and other third-person words.

For example, using third-person pronouns like "they," "them," and "their" can make your writing sound more objective.

On the other hand, using third-person pronouns like "he," "she," and "him" can make your writing sound more personal.

Ultimately, the best point of view for your story will be the one that allows you to tell your story most effectively.

There are a few things to keep in mind when writing in third person omniscient point of view. First, you need to know everything about your story and all of its characters.

This can be difficult to do if you haven’t planned everything out ahead of time. It’s important to have a clear understanding of the plot and all of the motivations for each character before beginning to write. 

Second, while it is called “third-person omniscient,” this doesn’t mean that the narrator knows everything about every character.

The narrator can only know what each individual character knows. This is important to remember when writing dialogue and internal thoughts for each character. What one character knows will be different from what another character knows. 

Many authors choose to write in third person point of view because it gives them a greater sense of objectivity. When an author writes in first person, they can only relate events that they personally experienced or witnessed.

However, when an author writes in third person, they can include events that took place outside of their own experience.

This can be particularly useful for historical fiction or other genres that rely heavily on research. In addition, third person point of view can help to create a more omniscient narrator, which can be beneficial for certain types of stories.

Finally, some authors simply find it easier to write in third person point of view because it allows them to distance themselves from their characters.

Whatever the reason, it is clear that there are many advantages to writing in a third person point of view.

Yes. A biography is written in third person to provide a more objective and detached perspective of the subject. It allows readers to get a more holistic understanding of the person's life without being filtered through the subjective lens of the author.

Third person point of view can be helpful for biographers because it allows them to explore different aspects of their subject's life without becoming emotionally attached or invested in one particular perspective.

It also provides a broader scope for storytelling, as opposed to first or second person which tend to be more limited in focus.

An autobiography, on the other hand, is usually written from a first-person point of view. This is because an autobiography is typically more personal and intimate than a biography.

The author wants readers to feel as though they are getting to know them on a personal level, and third-person would not allow for that same level of connection.

However, there are exceptions to every rule. If an author feels more comfortable or believes that their story will be better served by writing in third person, then they are certainly free to do so.

There is no hard and fast rule that says biographies must be written in the third person and autobiographies must be written in the first person. It ultimately comes down to the author's preference.

About The Author

Arielle Phoenix

Related posts.

What Is The Average Time It Takes To Write A Book?

should i write a book or a screenplay?

How to Write a Zombie Book: 8 Easy Steps

PDF Template For Writing A Book

• ADVERTISE WITH US

• SciFi/Fantasy
• Young Adult
• Writing Retreat

Select Page

Close to You: Writing in Third Person Close

Posted by Our Special Guest | Nov 22, 2023 | Craft

by Brenda Copeland

When we talk about point of view (POV), we’re referring to first-, second-, and third person—the method of narration that brings the reader into the book. First person tends to be more intimate than any other point of view, providing the singular voice that is the I of the story.

With second person POV, I becomes you, transforming the reader into a de facto character. There’s an energy and immediacy in this approach, as if the narrator has a direct relationship with the reader. (There’s also an opportunity to annoy your reader, so use it sparingly.)

A third person narrative, identified by the pronouns he , she , and they , can provide a birds-eye view of the story and its characters. Third person POV brings with it notions of objectivity, a seemingly neutral stance that is impossible in first- and second-person narratives.

The third-person omniscient narrator comes with an air of authority. She does, after all, know all, see all, tell all. But contemporary readers may not respond naturally to authority, nor to the distance that can come with it. So how to bridge that gap? How to offer the sweeping POV that third person provides while bringing the reader to your characters?

A Close Third POV—that’s how.

A close third narrator retains the natural omniscience of a third person POV but shifts the angle from which the story is told. No longer impartial or static, the close third voice leans towards a particular character so that the reader can see a situation through that character’s eyes.

Because the close third tilts the narrative to the character’s perspective, the voice is less of a fence sitter and more of an invested observer, someone who is privy to the character’s innermost thoughts and desires.

In Alice Munro’s short story Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, the close third gives us a glimpse into the lives of six characters, with a special focus on Johanna, a dour young woman who is leaving town for what she hopes will be a new life of marriage and friendship. We first meet Johanna through the eyes of the station agent, who, the narrator tells us, “often tried a little teasing with women, especially the plain ones who seem to appreciate it.” That brief mention is provided in the narrative (not dialogue), so it’s the narrator who is speaking. But it’s a narrator who is so close to the character that it’s hard to tell them apart. And that’s the point of a close third POV. Filtered through the eyes of the male character, this comment tells us something about the station agent’s attitude, Johanna’s appearance, and the narrow world in which they both live. It’s a lot for one little sentence to live up to. But does it ever.

Still on the first page, Munro gives us this glorious sentence: “Her teeth were crowded to the front of her mouth, as if ready for an argument.” This ingenious line is intensely satisfying for the way in which it provides a physical description of Johanna and reveals not just the station agent’s disdain, but the contentious relationship developing between the two. Only a close third can do that.

As in all of Alice Munro’s stories, this one builds slowly. It will be a great many pages before the reader learns how Johanna came to arrive at her present circumstances, and why she wants to change them. But in Munro’s world, a slow build of story rests on a strong foundation of character. As the first few pages unfold, the reader doesn’t know anything of Johanna’s plans, only that she wants to ship some furniture across country. And yet, while we may not know what she wants, there are things we do know, mainly that she is practical and plain. These qualities are central to the plot of this short story. And because they are central, they are built on and magnified in the next scene when Johanna looks in the window of “Milady’s,” a fashionable dress shop in town. The narrator does not draw attention to the act of looking, as that would be contrary to a close third POV. Instead, she simply puts Johanna in front of the shop with the “gaudy paper maple leaves … scattered round the mannequins’ feet.” The reader is meant to understand that “gaudy” is Johanna’s word, one that contains judgment, and not just a little.

In general, to get more of a close third, and thereby strengthen the connection between your characters and the reader, consider taking out a great many of the words that form a barrier between not just the reader and the action, but between the reader and the character.

Barrier words:

• he realized
• she thought
• she remembered
• she recalled
• she decided

The good news is, once you remove these barrier words, you don’t have to replace them with anything. Just let the sentence stand on its own. Here, for example, the sentence, “She noticed her mother was angry,” can be replaced with the more direct, “Her mother was angry.” Remove the obstacle of “she noticed,” and you get a stronger, more energetic sentence that brings the reader closer to the characters.   

This sample paragraph shows the accumulated effects of a close third:

  Original: She examined the kitchen with a keen eye. It was clean, but those tea towels hanging on the stove—she couldn’t remember how long they had been there. Betty thought they should be replaced immediately. She made a trip to Sears to pick up new tea towels. She decided on a plain blue with white piping. Revised: She examined the kitchen with a keen eye. It was clean, but those tea towels hanging on the stove—how long had they been there? They would need to be replaced immediately.  She made a trip to Sears to pick up new ones. Plain blue with white piping.

Next time you’re writing in third person, see what happens when you edge your narrative towards a close third. This powerful point of view will have a bearing on all aspects of your novel. Not just the voice in which your story is told, but the angle from which the story unfolds.

The choices the narrator makes—what he decides to tell us, what he decides to omit, the language he uses to describe each character and convey each action—these choices don’t just affect the story, they are the angle from which the story is told. In many ways, they are the story itself.

Note: LitHub has links to twenty-five Alice Munro stories you can read online right now . Alas, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage is not among them. But I feel safe in saying that any Alice Munro story is worth reading.

About The Author

Our Special Guest

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS from across the industry bring actionable advice and expert insights to the CareerAuthors community.

Updates in Your Inbox

Available Now!

Get Updates in Your Inbox Once a Month!

Ensure you don't miss a single post, tip, or discussion by signing up for our monthly email digest. We'll also send out the occasional notice about book sales, releases, or events we're excited about.

No spam and no selling your personal information. We promise!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Improve your writing in one of the largest and most successful writing groups online

Join our writing group!

Third Person Omniscient Point of View: The All-Knowing Narrator

by Alex Cabal

Learning how to write in third person omniscient PoV lets you do many things with your story that you wouldn’t normally be able to do were you to use a limited, multiple or other points of view . Third person omniscient PoV lets you move freely through time and space, gives more information in a smaller amount of time, and yes, even shows what multiple people are thinking within a scene.

This guide will explore what third person point of view omniscient is and how to write in third person omniscient PoV. This article will provide a definition, explore the nuance of third person omniscient PoV vs. other points of view, and discuss writing tips and common errors that can help a writer successfully use omniscient PoV to craft and tell their story.

What is third person omniscient point of view?

Third-person omniscient point of view is a narrative point of view in which the narrator is all-knowing: they can see into the thoughts, feelings, and memories of every character on the page. This allows the reader to see a broader picture of the story and know details about each character that the other characters don’t.

Writing from an omniscient third person perspective allows a writer to switch between one character’s point of view to another using the narrator’s persona and voice as a vehicle to deliver essential information to the reader. This allows the writer to show an interpretation of events that occur within the story for each unique character. The omniscient pov will require the writer to create a distinct voice for the narrator’s omniscient perspective that differs and is distinguishable from the character’s voices to assist the reader and avoid any confusion.

Crafting language and story

Writing in third person omniscient should include the use of characters’ name and pronouns. Third person omniscient words may include pronouns such as he, she, they, it, as well as character names to indicate which character’s actions, thoughts, and feelings are being described. If the writer so chooses, they can also address the reader directly within a 3rd person omniscient point of view by using the narrator’s crafted voice.

An example of addressing the reader and audience may include “breaking the fourth wall”. This may be crafted either by addressing the audience with a direct approach:

Dear reader, this sad tale tells the outcome of poor choices made between star-crossed lovers, Dave and his faithful companion Betty.

Or a less direct approach where the narrator doesn’t necessarily “inform” the reader that they are being addressed, but provides information as an aside:

Dave’s choices caused the calamity but fear not, he will make it in the end, though unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his faithful companion Betty.

A distinct advantage of learning how to write in third person omniscient PoV is the opportunity to share knowledge and details of the plot and story that the characters may not be aware of, through the use of the omniscient third-person narrator’s voice. This lets the writer give the reader insights that may foster tension or foreshadowing in the story without the characters’ direct knowledge.

A deeper understanding of the nuances of third person omniscient PoV

Learning how to write in third person omniscient PoV includes making a few choices for how you want to position the narrator, craft the omniscient narrator voice, and move the story by sharing scope and details with the reader. Consider the following details to learn more about omniscient objective pov, omniscient subjective PoV, as well the difference between third-person limited and third-person omniscient.

Objective vs. Subjective Omniscient

The omniscient PoV is typically divided into two categories: objective (also known as the “dramatic” PoV or “fly on the wall” PoV), and subjective.

An objective omniscient PoV is when the narrator doesn’t have a “voice”. The narrator is present, but they’re “invisible”; they don’t have a personality. The narrator relates the events as they happen, but doesn’t offer any opinions on the events.

The objective omniscient PoV is like a camera following the characters around, showing actions and dialogue, and not entering into the internal thoughts of the characters.

Since objective PoV can only show actions and dialogue, but never internal thoughts, it’s almost entirely “show” (as opposed to “tell”), except for some occasional exposition. Instead of describing how any of the characters felt, characters would have to “show” it by their actions.

When writing in the objective PoV, you should avoid all verbs that convey emotional behavior internally, such as “felt”, “assumed”, and any adjectives and adverbs that relate to emotions (sad, happy, angry, etc.). The reason for this is that it tells people in the narrative what the characters are feeling or thinking. Remember, think of the objective PoV like a camera. It can only show what the characters are doing , and can’t enter directly into their minds.

That said, it’s perfectly okay to say something along the lines of:

“Hurray!” Little Annie said, smiling happily as she skipped down the road.

The use of the word “happily” in the sentence above is perfectly acceptable in objective PoV, as the narrator is commenting on her body language instead of how she feels internally.

An incorrect way of writing about emotions in the objective omniscient PoV would be something like this:

“Hurray!” Little Annie said, feeling a warm happiness overtake her at the thought of having dinner at the neighbor’s house.

In this second example, the narrator is commenting on what Annie feels internally rather than what she expresses externally . Note the use of the “don’t use” word: “feeling”.

It wouldn’t be completely incorrect to use the word “thought” in the context of the above example. However, it should be inferred by her body language or tone or voice that Annie is thinking it, as opposed to actually stating to the reader what she’s feeling at that moment in time.

Consider this other example of writing objective PoV:

Jerry stood at the edge of the bridge and stared down at the icy waters below. He took out his wallet and glanced at his business card. He tore it in two and whispered, “Twenty years of my life wasted.” Tears streamed down his face as he stepped into the air and plunged a hundred feet to his doom. The skyscraper where his company used to be situated loomed in the distance. Inside, there was only silence. In this objective PoV example, we don’t enter into Jerry’s thoughts, and we don’t directly know his emotions, although we can tell what they are by his actions—ripping his business card and saying “Twenty years of my life waste” out loud and describing the tears streaming down his face. Now let’s compare that with an incorrect version of objective PoV: Jerry stood at the edge of the bridge, staring down at the icy waters below. It had been a week since the market crash, since his company went bust. Twenty years of my life are gone, Jerry thought. He looked up at the skyscraper in the distance, where his company used to be situated. He felt a rumbling in his chest and tears streamed down his face. In the water, he saw his salvation. His only escape.

This is an incorrect way to write an omniscient objective PoV because the narrator tells us what Jerry is feeling and delves into Jerry’s thoughts, rather than showing his thoughts and feelings with character dialogue and actions. This example would be considered a subjective omniscient PoV.

A subjective omniscient PoV is one where there’s a narrator with a strong voice who can show the internal thoughts of the characters within the scene.

Some say that subjective omniscient PoV can only follow a single character the entire time. This is not the case. It can certainly focus on a single character at a time—such as in Frank Herbert’s Dune —but that doesn’t always have to happen.

When the subjective omniscient narrator is telling the story of a particular character, the narrator can still get the insights and internalizations of characters other than the main character. Whether or not the omniscient narrator follows a single character makes no difference; it’ll work more or less the same.

The most important thing when it comes to subjective omniscient PoV is that the narrator has a strong “voice” and that all emotions in the story are filtered through the narrator’s words, not the characters’. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself head-hopping.

Third Person Limited vs. Omniscient PoV

The omniscient PoV can seem indistinguishable from third person limited, or even third person multiple at times, particularly when it comes to describing actions undertaken by the characters and scenes where there’s heavy dialogue. Take a look at this example, where omniscient and third-person limited/multiple are indistinguishable from each other:

The house was ablaze, so Jack and Jill hurried up the hill to fetch a few pails of water. Jack filled one up and handed it to Jill. “Hurry up and put out the fire,” Jack said. Jill nodded and dashed down the hill, the water sloshing in the bucket. Jack filled another bucket with well water before he dashed after her.

This scene walks through the actions of the characters and their dialogue, and as such, could be from either an omniscient narrator’s PoV or by Jack’s third-person PoV.

To firmly decide what PoV this story is written in, we’d need more of the story to provide context. In extreme cases, it can take multiple chapters to finally know whether or not the story is written in third person omniscient or a third person limited/multiple.

For example, there are stories where the PoV character changes with each scene, but each scene only shows a single PoV character. This would mean the story is in the third person multiple. But every so often a scene would pop up where there are two PoV characters or the narrator telling the reader what the characters in the scene are thinking—and that’s when we’d call it the omniscient point of view.

Omniscient vs. Limited Omniscient PoV

The omniscient PoV has many advantages over third-person limited. Perhaps the greatest advantage between third-person limited and omniscient, is that omniscient PoV allows the author to give more information to the reader in a shorter length of time. In third-person limited, we’d need to be “shown” what the characters are like, as opposed to third-person omniscient PoV, where the narrator can simply “tell” us. Omniscient PoV benefits from a larger scope than limited and allows the author to say more things about the characters’ situations than the limited PoV can.

Consider this example, where the reader can grasp the entire situation in just three paragraphs:

Jonathan—a weak but honest man—entered the restaurant, and found Margie waiting at a back table. He notified the waiter and sat down next to Margie, playing with his tie to keep down his nerves. Margie was a harsh woman, and it was impossible for Jonathan to predict how she would react to his news. The company Margie was heavily invested in had been struggling for a while. If it collapsed, she would lose nearly a hundred million dollars. She noticed Jonathan’s nervousness and frowned. Unfortunately for her, the worst-case scenario had come true. Jonathan was merely the messenger.

If this same information were to be conveyed in a third-person limited PoV, it’d take many more words to relay the information from a single character’s PoV. For example, instead of saying “Jonathan was a weak but honest man”, either Margie would have to describe him as such and allude to things that had happened with him in the past, or Jonathan would have to “show” his personality with his internalizations and/or dialogue as he sits down for the meeting.

Another advantage omniscient PoV has is that it allows the author to take the reader anywhere—or any time—with the snap of the finger, and to explain everything that’s going on without using a character as an intermediary.

The limited PoV restricts the point of view to a single character at a time within a single scene, greatly narrowing the tools the author can use to tell the story. Considering that omniscient PoV is much more flexible than limited, one might expect that omniscient would be the predominant PoV in fiction. Who wouldn’t want to use godlike powers to tell a story?

But it turns out that most fiction written in the past century—novels, in particular— is written in third person limited PoV. Though omniscient PoV can do more with less, limited is more common because omniscient sacrifices one of the most important things in fiction: it doesn’t allow the reader to get close to and sympathize with the characters and the situations they find themselves in. This is because of the distance created by seeing the story from the omniscient narrator’s point of view instead of the character’s direct perspective.

In the example above, Margie is described as “a harsh woman”. This is worded from the narrator’s point of view, as it’s unlikely Margie would portray herself that way (should the passage have been rewritten from her point of view). If we were writing in third person limited it’d take a few paragraphs of showing her character (with her actions and/or internalizations) to get the point across, instead of having the narrator tell the reader outright. In the process of forming their own conclusions about characters, readers will form strong attachments.

Common third person omniscient PoV mistakes to avoid

There are a lot of advantages to Third Person Omniscient PoV, but if you look at fiction novels written in the 20th century, most are written in Third Person Limited. Why is that?

Part of the reason is that third-person omniscient PoV is considered one of the hardest PoVs to master because there are a lot of ways you can easily go wrong and make the text confusing.

First, many new writers trying to use third-person omniscient PoV make the mistake of “head-hopping”. This often happens because a writer wants to show what many or all of the characters within a scene are thinking, and then simply writes it down as if it were third-person multiple instead of omniscient PoV. This will come out as a jumbled and confusing pile of perspectives mixed together and all presented at once.

Second, many don’t quite grasp the differences between an objective perspective and a subjective perspective, and how to use them to their advantage.

Third, third-person limited (or multiple) can be indistinguishable at times from third-person omniscient PoV, which can make things very confusing.

Then comes the big drawbacks of using third person omniscient—the distance between the characters and the reader that’s inherent in the use of an omniscient narrator. This is something that many writers struggle to overcome.

So now that we’ve laid down the pitfalls that many writers fall into when learning how to write in third-person omniscient PoV, let’s explore the common problems with advice on how to avoid them.

Head-hopping and consistency

Often when writers attempt to write a story from the omniscient PoV, they instead end up with something called “head-hopping”.

Head-hopping is a mistake that writers usually make because they want to be able to show what each character within a scene is thinking. The omniscient narrator can indeed do that, but should do so with the narrator’s words, not the character’s. Let’s take a look at this third-person omniscient sentence example:

Dave sat up on his surfboard and looked towards the shore. Two people, John and Brian, were paddling up to the line up. “Nice day,” Dave said. Dave looked out to the shoulder, a look of worry on his face. John was afraid of the shallow reef in the impact zone, and tended to avoid the peak in these situations. However, at this particular spot, even though the waves were smaller out in the shoulder, the reef out there was much shallower, and Dave worried about John wiping out after a take off. However, Dave didn’t need to worry, as John had decided to brave the peak. Brian arrived at the line up and sat on his board, as they waited for the lull of the waves to be over. Behind him, John slipped into the water, and pulled on Brian’s leash from beneath him, making Brian lose balance and fall into the water. “What the hell?” Brian said, as he floated back to the surface. John chuckled, and Dave grinned. A large wave began to form in the water, moving towards them. Dave gave John a taunting wink as he asked, “you gonna take the first wave of the set?” In this example, we can read what the characters in the scene are thinking. However, we never completely enter into their PoV. Their thoughts are always filtered through the subjective omniscient narrator. The next example will show an incorrect head-hoping version of the same scene: Dave sat up on his surfboard and looked down towards the shore. Two people, John and Brian, were paddling up to the line up. “Nice day,” Dave said. He wondered if John was going to stay out on the shoulder instead of the peak. Dave knew he was afraid of the shallow reef in the impact zone. Although the wave was smaller out in the shoulder, the reef was much shallower, and Dave worried about John wiping out after trying to take off. However, Dave didn’t need to worry as John had decided to brave the peak. I’ll have to watch him, Dave thought. “No need to watch out for me, I’ll be fine,” John said. Brian realized there was a lull in the waves, and sat on his board. Bored on my board, he thought. John slipped quietly into the water behind him, and pulled on Brian’s leash, making him lose balance and fall into the water. “What the hell?” Brian said as he floated back to the surface. John chuckled, and Dave grinned. They could see a large wave forming in the water, moving towards them. Dave gave John a taunting wink as he asked, “you gonna take the first wave of the set?”

Here we have two mistakes. The first mistake is head-hopping: we move between Dave’s, John’s, and Brian’s PoV within the scene. While this is technically considered a form of omniscient PoV, head-hopping is a less-than-ideal way of doing it. As the example shows, this technique can be confusing for the reader.

In this second example, we know what both of the characters are thinking and doing, but the scene is written from Dave’s, John’s, and Brian’s perspectives, not the omniscient narrator’s.

The second mistake is a common problem a writer may encounter when writing in omniscient PoV: the characters have the information they shouldn’t know—unless they’re psychic. An example of this is when John tells Dave that he didn’t need to watch out for him.

When writing omniscient pov, a writer must be very careful not to give characters information that the narrator knows but that the character couldn’t know. This may come off as jarring to the reader as well as disrupt the flow of the story because characters somehow “know” something they shouldn’t be able to.

To write a scene where we know the thoughts and actions of most—if not all—of the characters generally requires the omniscient narrator to have a strong voice so the narrative doesn’t descend into head-hopping in indistinguishable multiple third-person perspectives.

Narrative distance from characters

Third-person omniscient PoV naturally distances the reader from the characters and the situations within the plot because there’s an “otherworldly” voice telling the story. The voice knows everything that’s going on, as well as —in the case of subjective narrators— the fact that the omniscient narrator can sometimes comment on the events in the story. As previously mentioned, an omniscient narrator can even address a reader directly, such as the “dear reader” comments made in Charles Dickens and Jane Austen novels, for example.

Distance from characters in a story isn’t necessarily bad. It’s for precisely this reason that so much fiction in the humor genre is written in an omniscient voice—because it provides the distance from the character required for comedic effect.

For example, in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy , Douglas Adams often puts the characters in situations where reactions would have been horrific instead of humorous, should the situations have been written in a closer character perspective.

The following examples show how the distance from the characters works for comedic effect:

Little Allison had stood in the corner of the room, staring at the wall for hours on end. This was her punishment for stealing cookies from the cookie jar. The length of it took a grave toll on her stubby 4-year-old legs, making them shake with both exhaustion, and excitement. The harshest of tyrants and the cruelest of criminals would have deemed the penalty inflicted upon this young child an indecent abuse, and certainly not equal to the crime of stealing a cookie. Finally, after all that time standing, little Allison gave out a whimper as a tear fell down her face. She could no longer bear it. “Allison, your 15 minute time out is up,” her mother said.

In this example, you can see that because of the narrator’s comments and the distance the story has from the characters, the story turns out to be a humorous piece.

Should we have gone deeper into Allison’s PoV, the story would have most likely had a very different tone. You may have had a stronger sense of Allison’s whining and impatience, instead of the narrator’s darker look on the situation. You might also notice that in this example the narrator is unreliable (Allison had not been forced to stand for hours). This use of an unreliable narrator is something made possible by the use of an omniscient PoV.

The main reason why there is distance between the reader and the character when a story is written in subjective omniscient PoV is that the characters are being judged by the narrator, not by the reader. The subjective omniscient narrator often comes across in the guise of a friend gossiping with the reader about the characters as they journey through the story.

The art of overcoming narrative distance with Omniscient PoV

Sometimes authors writing in subjective omniscient PoV will try to make the readers connect with the narrator instead of with the characters. When this happens, the way the story is told becomes just as important as the story itself.

The distance between the reader and the characters when a story is written with an objective narrator is even greater than with a subjective narrator. In an objective omniscient perspective, the narrator doesn’t “judge” the characters for the reader. However, since the reader only sees what the characters say and do and not what they think, it becomes like watching a film. You can see the characters on screen, you can see who they are and what they’re doing, but the screen is always between you and the characters. You can never step into their shoes and see the story from their vantage point, or understand what they’re thinking at any given moment.

It isn’t impossible to overcome the distance between reader and character when writing in omniscient PoV. That’s most obvious when reading traditional fairy tales, which are usually written from an omniscient point of view. But readers will most often sympathize with the theme, characters, and the situations as concepts, rather than connecting with the characters as people.

For instance, in the story Little Red Riding Hood, the main character is a little girl. She represents innocence and helplessness. The obstacle is a predatory wolf who’s stalking her. Readers will immediately sympathize with the main character not because of who she is (as a person), but what she is (an innocent little girl), and the situation that she’s been put in (a wolf is hunting her).

In short, getting the reader to sympathize with the characters in the story is part of the art of the omniscient perspective. Sometimes it can require creative solutions, but don’t be discouraged if you run into trouble. It takes both practice and a strong understanding of the relationship between the narrator, the characters, and the reader.

Pros and cons of writing in third person omniscient PoV

Consider the following pros and cons of using third-person omniscient PoV to tell a story.

Pros of using Omniscient PoV

The narrator has godlike knowledge, allowing the reader to know everything going on at any time.

It doesn’t limit the author to a single PoV character in a scene.

It allows the author to provide information in a more natural way.

It can provide a smoother transition into action.

Cons of using Omniscient PoV

It’s more presentational, resulting in distance from the characters.

Emotions are harder to convey to the reader.

It tends to be more “tell” than “show” , which can lead to massive info-dumps if you aren’t careful.

The narrator’s godlike knowledge means that tension can evaporate, resulting in a story that feels dull.

Tips for writing in third person omniscient point of view

Writing in third person omniscient PoV allows the writer to craft a distinct and authoritative voice that serves as an all-knowing guide for the reader—sharing details and moving the story in a potentially cinematic way.While typically books written in the third person omniscient may distance characters from the reader, the reader may connect more deeply with the narrator and the theme of the story at large.

Here are some tips for how to write in third person omniscient PoV:

The narrator should have a voice distinct from the characters, either by objectively telling the story in a cinematic way, or subjectively providing judgment on the occurrences within the plot. In doing so, the writer should take care not to outrightly identify or characterize the narrator with details such as a name or a backstory.

Avoid supplying information to a character that the character otherwise shouldn’t know. An example may include a character having direct insight into another character’s personal thoughts or feelings. All information that characters can gather or know should be given from a source within the plot of the story.

Use the narrator to share information with the reader that the characters within the story do know. This can assist in building tension and dramatic irony within the story, but be mindful not to overshare with hints and foreshadowing that removes plot tension.

When using a third person omniscient narrator, avoid overusing elements like flashbacks, long asides, or lectures in the narrator’s voice that may pull the reader away from connecting with the story.

Ensure that consistent dialogue tags and character names are used to avoid any confusion, and avoid head-hopping within scenes.

Craft signals and transitions within or between scenes to show the reader which character the third person omniscient PoV narrator is describing. This may also include having a character take an action, and the narrator describing the thoughts and feelings of that character.

Remain consistent in your choice to write in the third person omniscient and consider the balance of how different character experiences are being represented within the story.

Don’t forget to follow the golden rule of creative writing—show, don’t tell. The third-person omniscient narrator can easily tell a reader what is happening with a character, but excellent writing should show character development and details through narration.

Is third person omniscient best for your story?

So now that we’ve discussed the common pitfalls and how to deal with them, is third-person omniscient the best PoV for your story?

Take a look at your story. If it’s character-driven, then omniscient PoV might not be the best bet. Since the story stands mostly on the shoulders of the characters and requires the reader to make a strong connection with them, third person limited or first person might be a better choice.

If your story is plot-driven and wide in scope, then narrating with an omniscient PoV might be an attractive option. That’s because you need to get the points across quicker, and can move across time and space to bring out just how wide the story’s scope is.

Another thing to think about is your grasp on the omniscient PoV. If you aren’t confident in your ability in using it, then you should get some practice first. It’d be best if you wrote a few short stories to gauge your ability.

Whatever PoV you end up choosing, it must ultimately allow the reader to be able to sit down and engage with the story without getting confused or lost.

Examples to learn from

While practicing writing omniscient PoV in short stories is helpful to understand the nuance of how to write in third person omniscient PoV, another way to become more familiar with this PoV is to read other works that have successfully employed this perspective. We’ve already shown you a few omniscient point of view examples, but consider this additional list of stories written in third person omniscient PoV:

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice .

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women .

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter .

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four .

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies .

Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad series.

Ursula Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea .

Get feedback on your writing today!

Scribophile is a community of hundreds of thousands of writers from all over the world. Meet beta readers, get feedback on your writing, and become a better writer!

Join now for free

Related articles

How to Write in Third Person Multiple Point of View + Examples

What is Third-Person Limited Point of View? Definition and Examples

Writing First Person Point of View: Definition & Examples

What is Point of View? Definition & 8 Types of Point of View

What is 4th Person Point of View?

How to Write in the Second Person Point of View + Examples