How To Write In Third Person Point Of View

Eyeball looking at a person writing in their notebook, demonstrating third person perspective.

Writing perspectives can be confusing – first, second, third – is there a fourth?! Choosing the narrative perspective completely changes your entire novel: including its tone, narration style and the details you share with the reader.

According to UNESCO, 2.2 million books are published every year, and as the majority of these are written in the third person. So, before you pick up your writing pen or open your book writing software, it’s important to know this perspective inside out. Let’s go over how to write in third person point of view and its different types!

What Is Third Person Point Of View? 

Third person perspective (3rd person POV) is a narrative technique where the storyteller stands outside the story, observing events and characters from an external vantage point. The writer achieves this by often using the pronouns, ‘he’, ‘she’, or ‘they’.  

Third person POV can be broken down into 3 different types: 

Limited: 

In the third person limited perspective, the narrator focuses closely on the thoughts and feelings of a single character, typically the protagonist. This viewpoint provides readers with intimate access to the character’s inner world, but limits the narrative to only what this character knows, sees, experiences, or infers.

J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ series is a quintessential example of third person limited point of view because the reader views the world solely through Harry’s perspective. Take a look at this paragraph from ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’:

‘Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn’t know what he was going to – but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind. The door slammed shut behind him and he wasn’t going to worry about that now, he had other things on his mind. He looked up at Hagrid smiling down at him from the huge motorcycle.’

Rowling provides insight into Harry’s feelings of hope and determination and his thoughts, demonstrating the revealing nature of this point of view for a single character. 

However, it’s important to note that although the main perspective of the novel is Harry’s, Rowling also shifts to other character’s views in the series, making the story shift to omniscient narrator. 

Illustration of an office scene where one of the workers can only see what is in front of him, demonstrating the limited third person narrative.

Omniscient:

The third person omniscient point of view allows the narrator to have an all-encompassing knowledge of the story and its characters. The narrator jumps between different character persepctives, also called ‘head hopping’, revealing their thoughts, feelings, and motivations. 

For example, while playing Quiddith, Rowling jumps from Harry’s perspective to the spectators: 

‘Hermoine seized Hagrid’s binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd. 

“What are you doing?” moaned Ron, gray-faced. 

“I knew it,” Hermoine gasped, “Snape – look.”‘

Rowling uses the omniscient point of view to convey the fear and desperation felt by Ron and Hermoine. 

Not surprisingly, as the word ‘omniscient’ means infinite knowledge or understanding, this type of narrator is the ‘all knowing’ voice in a story. It creates an immersive reading experience as the reader has insights into multiple characters and events. 

Illustration of an office scene where the third person perspective is omniscient so can see everything in the office.

Objective: 

In the third person objective POV, the narrator presents the story without revealing the thoughts or emotions of the characters. The narration is strictly factual, reporting only what can be observed through actions and dialogue. This method requires the narrator to remain completely unbiased, providing an impartial and detached account of events. 

Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ is a classic example of creative writing using third person objective. Here is an extract from the short story: 

‘The girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry. “They look like white elephants,” she said.’

Do you see how Hemingway only shows us the characters’ actions and words? Nothing is revealed about their internal thoughts or feelings. 

Therefore, writing from this perspective creates a sense of distance so the reader can only infer the characters’ true feelings and motivations. 

How Is It Different From First and Second Person? 

Writing in first person, means frequently using ‘I’, for example: 

‘I could feel the pull of forest, leaving me no choice but to step forward’. 

This type of writing allows the reader to experience the events through their eyes and emotions. It creates trust between the reader and the protagonist because of its intimate nature but limits the reader’s knowledge to exclusively the narrator’s and their bias. Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salingerand To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee are famous examples. 

Second and third person differ because second POV, indicated by the pronoun “you,”directly addresses the reader, making them an active participant in the narrative. Whereas the third person pronouns include ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, to name a few and overall describes the story from an external vantage point, making the reader an observer. 

Second person point of view is also rarely used in fiction because of its limitations in story writing.

A diagram showing the pronouns for 1st POV (I, me, we, us, my), 2nd POV (you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves) and 3rd POV (he, him, his, she, her, hers, they, them, theirs, it)

What Are The Benefits of Writing in Third Person? 

There’s a reason this is the most popular POV for fiction writing! Here are some of the advantages to writing in third person: 

  • Explores multiple viewpoints: Allows the writer to explore the thoughts and motivations of many characters.
  • Develops connection with the reader: Makes characters more human and relatable by revealing their thoughts and feelings. 
  • Increases narrative depth: Provides a broader, comprehensive view of the story’s world.
  • Reveals contradictions: Shows differences between characters’ internal thoughts and their actions. 
  • Creates dramatic irony: An omniscient narrator can share unknown information, developing intrigue and tension.
  • Flexibility: Enables switching between characters’ perspectives to build a layered story.
  • Expands backstory: Can incorporate characters’ pasts and foreshadow future events, enhancing the narrative.

How Do I Write In Third Person? 

It’s pretty easy but here are some tips on how to write in the third person: 

  1. Pick your type: objective, limited or omniscient. 
  2. Use the correct pronouns: he, him, his, she, her, hers, they, them, theirs, it. 
  3. Be Wary of Switching: It’s okay to switch between perspectives now and then, especially in third person omniscient, but 1. you want to be aware that you are switching POV and 2. the shift should be seamless so that it doesn’t disrupt the reader’s flow. 

My Experience With Third POV 

Third person POV is by far the easiest perspective to use when creating your story, and in my opinion the most enjoyable from the reader’s perspective. 

For the reader, it creates a deeper connection with the protagonist and a stronger understanding of events. Besides, don’t you want your reader to fully grasp all of the details of the marvellous world or story you worked so hard to create? 

Yes, it can take a little time and experience to develop an awareness of when you jump between limited, omniscient or objective but the knowledge that comes with understanding your perspective enhances your writing and allows you to think about the information you want to share with the reader.

Similar Posts