Third Person Point of View

When you go through most books in a library or a bookstore, you will notice that there are two main narration types used – first person point of view and third person point of view. While the former allows you to get into the mind of the character, the latter provides you with a broader perspective on the story. 

But what does third person POV entail? That’s what we’ll be talking about. We will also show you one or two third person point of view examples. 

What Is a Third Person Point of View 

When writing from a third person point of view, the author would use pronouns such as “he”/”his”, “she”/”her”, “they”/”their and “it”/”its”. The story is told from the perspective of an outside narrator rather than the character as it is done in first or second person point of view.

Need a quick rundown on POVs in stories?

Check out our comprehensive guide on Points of View in Writing, ventuering deep into 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th POVs! Learn how (and when) to use them. Helpful examples included!

Types of Third Person POV

There are three main types of third person point of view: 

• Third person omniscient point of view. In this case, the narrator knows everything, both about the story and the characters. They talk about every character, can give an insight into what any of them is thinking or feeling and can give either their or the character’s commentary. The narrator can also can travel through the timeline freely rather than being confined to a specific structure. 
• Third person limited point of view. In a third person limited POV, the narrator usually sticks to one character, either for the whole story or for specific chapters or parts. By using this narration, the author limits what the reader knows, creating tension and suspension. 
• Third person objective point of view. In this point of view, the narrator does not delve into the characters’ minds – we don’t know their thoughts or feelings, and we get to know the story through an observational tone. 

What Is Deep Third Person POV 

Sometimes, when talking about third person point of view, you might encounter something called deep third person point of view. It is a relatively new type of perspective, which is why in many cases it is not included when talking about the different types of third person POV. 

So, what is a deep person point of view? 

It’s a hybrid perspective between third person limited and first person point of view – the story is being told as if you were in the mind of the character, but still the pronouns used are those of third person POV. Just like with first person POV, the reader only knows what the character knows. 

Advantages of Third Person Point of View

Using third person point of view is a favorite of many authors, and there are a few reasons for that, including: 

• You can choose how much the narrator knows. When writing in third person POV, it is entirely up to you to decide how much you want your narrator to know. Do you want them to be objective, only sharing events as they happen without getting deeper into the character’s thoughts and feelings? Or maybe quite the opposite, and you want them to know everything but every character? 
• Allows for richer world building. Since the narrator is not limited like in case of first and second point of view, you can provide your readers with more extensive world building. You don’t have to stick to a character’s immediate experience. 
• Multiple character perspectives. While this is not limited to only a third person point of view, it is still worth mentioning. Using 3rd person POV allows you to seamlessly move between characters, allowing your readers to better understand the complexities within them, such as their relationships, emotions, or conflicts. 
• Timeless and familiar. Third person point of view is probably the most used narration type in literature, even more common than first person point of view. Readers are familiar and comfortable with it, which might make them more willing to read your book. Publishers are also more likely to be interested in getting it out to the public. 

Disadvantages of Third Person POV

Just like all types of narration, third person point of view also has some disadvantages, such as: 

• Increases the chances of telling rather than showing. The narrator in third person point of view is often observing the events from a distance rather than experiencing them like in first person point of view. Because of that, the chances of simply stating what the character is feeling rather than showing it through their dialogue or actions are much higher, making the specific situation you’re describing in the scene less engaging.
• Can make it hard to build a connection with the characters. Even if you use a limited third person point of view, there is still distance between the narrator and the character, which the reader can feel. This can make it harder to connect with the main character whose story you’re telling and feel empathy towards them and their experiences. 
• It can be tricky to switch characters’ perspectives. Head hopping is a common practice in writing, and that includes a third person point of view – however, transitions between the characters are much harder to nail, especially when you’re doing it in the middle of the chapter. 
• You need to develop a strong and unique voice for each character. Without doing it, the characters might all start sounding the same, confusing the reader whose perspective they are currently following. 

How to Write Third Person Point of View

Here are some helpful tips for when you want to start writing your third person point of view piece.

Determine Which 3rd Person POV Is Most Suitable 

Depending on your specific plot, different types of 3rd person point of view will be the best option. For example, if you are trying to write a novel about a detective who is solving a murder case, then using a third person limited point of view will be the most suitable type – your reader will find out new information at the same time the main character does. 

On the other hand, if your book is a fantasy novel in which all information is relevant, regardless of whether the character knows it or not, then either an omniscient or objective third-person POV might be worth considering. 

Consider Which Characters Will Be the Main Point of View

Using too many characters as the main point of view can be overwhelming and confusing for the reader, so try to keep the list short. While you might add more characters’ POV for specific sections or chapters, try to limit the main ones to a few. 

Also, as we already mentioned, you need to remember that when writing perspectives of different characters, you need to establish a unique voice for each of them. Every character is different and has a different background, and all of this will affect their voice. Not to mention that if you don’t establish a distinction between characters, they might all start sounding the same.

Make Sure the Narrator’s Voice Matches the Story 

When writing from a third person point of view, it’s very easy to let loose and start writing in your own voice – however, you should avoid doing that. Instead, try to match the narrator’s voice with the overall mood of your story. After all, you wouldn’t write a thriller or a murder mystery using a witty and sarcastic voice meant for comedy books, would you? 

Example of Third Person Point of View

Cinder’s auditory interface dulled the noise into a static thrumming, but today one melody lingered above the rest that she couldn’t drown out. A ring of children were standing just outside her booth, trilling—“Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!”—and then laughing hysterically as they collapsed to the pavement.

A smile tugged at Cinder’s lips. Not so much at the nursery rhyme, a phantom song about pestilence and death that had regained popularity in the past decade. The song itself made her squeamish. But she did love the glares from passersby as the giggling children fell over in their paths. The inconvenience of having to swarm around the writhing bodies stirred grumbles from the shoppers, and Cinder adored the children for it.

Excerpt from Marissa Meyer, Cinder

When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she admired him. “He is just what a young man ought to be,” said she, “sensible, good-humored, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! So much ease, with such perfect good breeding!

Excerpt from Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

He sat back. A sense of complete helplessness had descended upon him. To begin with, he did not know with any certainty that this was 1984. It must be round about that date, since he was fairly sure that his age was thirty-nine, and he believed that he had been born in 1944 or 1945; but it was never possible nowadays to pin down any date within a year or two.

For whom, it suddenly occurred to him to wonder, was he writing this diary? For the future, for the unborn. His mind hovered for a moment round the doubtful date on the page, and then fetched up with a bump against the Newspeak word doublethink. For the first time the magnitude of what he had undertaken came home to him. How could you communicate with the future? It was of its nature impossible. Either the future would resemble the present, in which case it would not listen to him: or it would be different from it, and his predicament would be meaningless.

Excerpt from George Orwell, 1984

A woman sat in a hotel bar, watching the door. Her appearance was neat and tidy: white blouse, fair hair tucked behind her ears. She glanced at the screen of her phone, on which was displayed a messaging interface, and then looked back at the door again. It was late March, the bar was quiet, and outside the window to her right the sun was beginning to set over the Atlantic. It was four minutes past seven, and then five, six minutes past.

Excerpt from Sally Rooney, Beautiful World, Where Are You

The Bottom Line 

As you can see, a third person point of view is a pretty versatile way of telling a story – the most versatile out of all narration types. It gives you the option to decide just how much you want your narrator to know. Do you want them to focus on one character only? Should they focus on multiple characters and know what is going on in everyone’s head? Or maybe they should know nothing at all and tell the story from an objective perspective? The choice is entirely up to you.

The point of view is only one of the things you will have to focus on when writing your book – there are several more, and we compiled some of the most important ones in our book writing section. And once your manuscript is done and ready for editing, don’t hesitate to take advantage of our free rich-text editor. Good luck with your writing!