There are many ways to write a story. One of the most common is in the first person point of view (I, me, we). This is when you write from one character’s perspective, and they are telling their own story. It’s very intimate and personal because readers can get into that character’s mind. But there are times when it’s best to use a third-person point of view (he, she, they) instead. In this post, you’ll learn how and why use third-person point of view when writing.
Table of Contents
Five reasons to use a third-person point of view
The third-person point of view is a storytelling method used in novels, films, and television shows. It’s also known as the “omniscient” or “limited omniscient” point of view. Why use third-person point of view? Here are the reasons why you should consider writing from this perspective.
1. It allows you to show instead of tell.
The third-person point of view is a narrative mode. It’s the most popular way to tell a story in novels, especially in modern fiction. Why use third-person point of view? The third-person point of view allows you to show instead of tell. It’s more immersive than the first person point of view because you don’t limit yourself to one character’s perspective. You can also use it to jump around between different characters’ perspectives.
The third-person point of view is a popular choice for stories where you want to show how the protagonist changes over time. For example, if you’re writing a coming-of-age story, the third person perspective would allow you to show the protagonist’s life over time, letting readers see how they grow and change as their experiences change them.
The third-person narrator can also be used in mysteries or thrillers, allowing the author to give clues about what’s going on without revealing everything at once — though this can be tricky and might require some extra planning on your part.
Why use third-person point of view? This technique makes your writing more believable because it shows readers what’s happening as it happens instead of simply describing it after the fact.
2. It gives more control over your narrative.
The third-person point of view gives more control over your narrative. You can see it as an omniscient narrator, watching over all of the characters, but you don’t have to be quite so omniscient. It’s a matter of perspective.
While writing in the first person, you experience what your main character experiences as they experience it. While writing in the second person, you share that experience with your reader and share it with their character.
Why use third-person point of view? Writing from the third person omniscient point allows you to step back from that perspective and look at all of the characters from above. You can see them all interacting with each other, but you don’t have to be inside one character’s head for long during this shared experience.
This allows for more flexibility in telling your story because it doesn’t require that everything be told through one character’s eyes or voice.
It also allows for easier transitions between different perspectives because there are no longer barriers between them as if every scene had to be from only one character’s point of view at a time.
3. It lets you write in multiple genres.
The third-person point of view is a flexible and versatile point of view that you can use to write in multiple genres. Why use third-person point of view? The third-person point of view is the most popular perspective for writing fiction, and it’s easy to see why. It allows you to tell your story from any number of angles, including the different points of multiple characters.
You can also easily switch between different characters’ viewpoints within a scene, making it easy to avoid telling the reader too much or too little. Why use third-person point of view? A third person perspective is suitable for nonfiction because it allows you to explain concepts and ideas without sounding like an expert yourself.
For example, if you’re writing an instructional guide on how to grow pumpkins or train dogs, the third person pov allows you to write about these topics as if they were facts rather than as if they were your personal opinions or beliefs about them.
The third-person point of view is the most versatile of all. It’s the one that lets you write in multiple genres and not fall into the trap of repeating yourself.
4. It’s easier to develop characters.
The third-person point of view is a narrative perspective employed by an external narrator (one who is not part of the story) and whose voice is not a character’s. This means that third-person narration tells us what happened rather than showing us what happened.
As a result, it is easier to develop characters in the third person pov than in the first person narrator because you are not limited by the character’s thoughts and character’s feelings of more than one character. The third person limited point allows you to get inside the heads of several characters and tell how they think and feel about what happens in the story.
You can also reveal their motivations for actions, making them more human and relatable to your readers.
Why use third-person point of view? This writing style suits novels where there are multiple protagonists or where there is an omniscient narrator who knows everything about everyone involved in the story.
It’s also helpful if you want to give more detail about events without limiting yourself to one particular character’s point of view at any given time but still keep control over what happens on stage at all times.
5. It’s easier to describe the setting.
Why use third-person point of view? The third person omniscient point makes it easier to describe the setting. It can be used to create a sense of distance, but it is more commonly used to develop an understanding of intimacy. The narrator can use first-person pronouns like “I” and “we” to create an intimate relationship with the reader.
When writing in the third person limited point, you can use the narrator’s voice to describe your setting and the environment around your characters.
This lets readers get a sense of what they see and feel without getting bogged down in too much detail. It also gives them a better understanding of what each character is thinking and feeling at any given moment in time.
Here is an example:
He walked down the street, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He had been walking for thirty minutes now, and he was tired and hungry. The sun was going down fast behind the buildings, and he was getting nervous about where he would sleep tonight.
He shivered as a gust of wind blew past him, but he knew there was nothing else for him to do besides keep walking until he found something better than this rundown city.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers related to some of your questions on why use third-person point of view.
What is the first-person point of view?
The first person perspective, also known as the “I” perspective, is one of the most common perspectives in fiction and nonfiction. It’s the most accessible point of view to master because it requires the least amount of planning. When you write in the first person, you tell your story using “I” and “we.”
The narrator and main characters are the same, so you don’t have to worry about balancing their perspectives or maintaining distance between them. But this ease comes at a price: first person narrative can be limiting and confining for both writer and reader.
The first-person point of view is an excellent choice for a memoir or diary-style story where you want to share your own experiences and feelings with readers. It also works well when you’re writing a personal essay where you want to maintain a strong connection between yourself and your audience.
What is the second-person point of view?
The second-person point of view, also known as the intimate or personal point of view, is a type of discourse addressed to an audience in the second person. This means that the speaker refers to them using you and your pronouns. It is also commonly called the “you” perspective because it often uses the word “you” when referring to someone being spoken about.
You can use the second-person point of view in both written and oral communication. It is commonly used when writing letters or e-mails or giving speeches, but it can also be used in other types of writing (such as plays) or conversations.
In most cases, the second-person point of view involves speaking directly to your audience so that they feel like they are being spoken directly to by you and only them; however, there are some exceptions to this rule. Some people may use this type of perspective even if several people listen (or read) at once.
What does omniscient mean?
Omniscient describes a point of view in writing that allows the reader to know everything about the story. It’s considered the third-person point of view instead of the first person or second person. In omniscient POV, the narrator can tell you things that only one character would know or have access to and go inside their heads and see what they’re thinking and feeling.
Omniscience is usually reserved for main characters or narrators who have knowledge that the other characters don’t possess.
If you’re writing a book and want to use this style, your readers must understand who they should be listening to when reading something from an omniscient narrator’s perspective.
Final words
Why use third-person point of view? A third person omniscient point is a great way to give your readers an intimate look at the lives of your characters. This point of view gives your readers a glimpse into the minds and hearts of your characters that the first person can’t provide. When you write in the third person narration, you can give your characters’ thoughts, feelings, and actions without being restricted by the limits of one character’s point of view.