How to Write in Third Person Point of View

In the world of fiction, the third person point of view (POV) is a widely popular choice for writers. With this POV, the narrator exists outside of the story and refers to characters by their names, using third person verbs and pronouns, such as “he,” “she,” and “they.”

It’s important to note that generally, the narrator is not a separate entity/character with its own role in the story. The narrator simply sits on the shoulder of the character(s) and communicates to the reader the events and interactions as they unfold.

There are three forms of the third person POV: objective, omniscient, and limited. The choice between the three forms is important for a writer, as it determines how close of a look readers will get at the inner workings of a narrative.

1. Third Person Objective

This form marks the narrator as more of an observer of the story. Rather than being close to one or more of the characters, the narrator relays events of the story without bias or emotional depth.

The thoughts and feelings of the characters are not communicated. The narrator may provide detailed accounts of events and words exchanged between characters, but the reader is responsible for making sense of it all.

2. Third Person Omniscient

As the word “omniscient” alludes, the third-person omniscient POV allows the narrator to describe the thoughts and feelings of any character within the story. Though there may be one or two characters who are more heavily focused on, the narrator is free to dive into the private thoughts and actions of each character if they so choose.

As an example, consider Character A and Character B are having a conversation. The narrator shares with readers Character A’s internal dialogue and what they say to Character B. The narrator then may jump to the consciousness of Character B (this is known as “head hopping”) and share how they feel internally about what Character A just said to them.

This act of “head hopping” allows readers to witness the conflict in the story, and often, it helps to hint at the conflict that will occur later in the plot.

3. Third Person Limited

Similar to third person omniscient, the third person limited POV allows the narrator to describe internal thoughts and feelings, but only that of the main character. The narrator in this POV hovers above the main character and tells the story from their perspective; however, third person pronouns are still used to tell the story.

Using this POV, some authors choose to switch the POV to that of another character at the start of a new chapter, but the defining factor is that only one person’s viewpoint is being narrated at a time.

Is the Third Person POV Right for Your Story?

Unlike the first person POV, where the main character tells the story using first person pronouns (“I,” “me,” “my”), the third person POV provides a wide berth for writers who seek to share the story and consciousness of more than one character, using the narrator as a buffer.

Writers who see foreshadowing and what happens in the periphery of their story as essential would benefit from giving the third person POV a try.