Easy to Follow Tips for Writing in the 3rd Person
If you want to be a truly complete writer, you should learn how to write in various viewpoints. Knowing how to write in the 3rd person will allow you to write in a more academic and less personal manner. 3rd person writing is usually used for novels and stories. Overall, being able to write in 3rd person will help you become more multifaceted and create better work. Here are tips and examples for writing in the 3rd person.
Know the three types of 3RD person writing
· 3rd Person Omniscience: The omniscient point of view technically gives the writer omniscience over the whole story. The writer is the overall narrator, and can jump from one character’s perspective to another. The narrator can also tell the thoughts and motivations of each character as the story goes. Overall, 3rd person omniscience gives the writer a great deal of freedom.
· 3rd person limited: The 3rd person limited point of view follows a single character while still remaining in the 3rd person. The narrator does not need to stick with the same character throughout the entire novel, the point of view can also be changed to that of another character.
· 3rd person Objective: The objective point of view does not grant the narrator an omniscient view. The narrator is not in tune with the character’s thoughts and motivations. Instead the objective point of view has a more observational quality.
How to write in 3rd person omniscience
· Don’t just use any character as your point of view character. Instead, you should choose the character who is the most important for the plot or has the most to lose or earn.
· Although you should choose your point of view character carefully, you should also not stick to the same character. Remember that you are an omniscient narrator, so you should shift your focus to different characters as well.
· Avoid using first or second point of view pronouns.
How to write in 3rd person objective
· When you write in 3rd person objective, remember that you should narrate the story as an outsider. This means that you don’t have any access to the thoughts and knowledge of any of the characters. Your only task is to describe what is happening throughout the scene.
· Make it a habit to switch from one character to another. Remember that none of these characters are point of view characters, so you should not focus the story on only one character. Spread your attention to every character in the scene.
How to write in 3rd person limited
· In 3rd person limited, the narrator should only see the story through one character’s eyes. This means that the narrator can only describe what this particular character is thinking or has knowledge of. Aside from that, the other characters are all off limits.
· Although you can only use one point of view character, this does not mean that you should ignore the other characters in the scene. To be honest, you should work harder to include them. Describe what they are doing and give them dialogue as well.
Conclusion:
By learning to write in the 3rd person, you’ll become an even more proficient writer. This will ultimately help you in your overall writing journey.
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