Three Reasons to Use the Third-Person Point of View
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You might have heard that the third-person point of view is dead. However, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of this POV’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, so you can exhale now—you absolutely don’t have to rewrite your whole book. If you’re still feeling uneasy, feel free to pull up a chair for a minute while we give a spirited defense of the third-person. This POV might be considered by some as old-fashioned or downright wrong, but third person—omniscient and limited—has long been used by writers to craft unique on-page experiences that are exclusively the domain of this storytelling lens. In short, writers are still using the third person to make amazing stories, and we’re going to show you three main reasons this POV is classic.
The Unique Power of the Third-Person Point of View
Common criticism of stories written with this lens are not narrated from the main character’s perspective, and so they fall flat or fail to engage the reader. While some readers certainly do prefer the first person to immerse themselves in a book, POV is just one element that goes into the craft of a book. There’s a reason behind the wide variety of POVs available to writers, and the choice should rest on narrative reasons that reach far beyond whether it’s trendy or not—and it is totally possible to create an immersive story without writing in first person. Below, we’ll give you the top three advantages of the third-person POW.
Quick note: For the purposes of brevity, we won’t go into too much depth on the differences between omniscient and limited third. However, if you need a quick refresher, omniscient means the narrator (not usually a character) is outside the story and has access to all characters’ thoughts and emotions. Limited third also features an outside narrator who has access to a limited number of characters—most often just the protagonist.
Expanded insights for characters and world-building
The third-person POV provides the most extensive opportunities for going deeper with your reader. First person does offer some advantages when it comes to being up close and personal, but keep in mind that the story is always being filtered through that character’s understanding. The third person can give readers insights that the characters themselves might not even be aware of, much less be able to articulate. This is also true of explanations or interpretations that a character could never have. Of course, with truly omniscient third, there’s also the benefit of being able to show things the main character doesn’t know or can’t see, which can build tension as well as allowing your reader’s deeper into the workings of the story.
Layered storytelling with opinions and truth
The third person allows you to let your characters have their opinions while also presenting fact, and there might be a big difference between the two. This POV gives opportunities for characters to be wrong, misguided, clueless, or distracted while ensuring the reader understands what’s really going on. Sometimes it’s an effective storytelling move to be able to present what a character is thinking while also demonstrating what’s actually happening. That contrast allows nuance and depth of characters who, as we mentioned above, might not be able to express themselves as well or who don’t have sophisticated or mature understandings of life.
Freedom to move between voices
The third person gives writers a broad license to enjoy multiple points of view, changing the camera angle between chapters or scene breaks to dive into someone else’s perspective. While it’s possible to move between multiple first-person narrators, it’s much, much harder to ensure that their voices are distinct enough for the reader to keep track. Moving between multiple third-person narrators comes with the built-in advantage of character names right off the bat instead of the writer needing to find a way for someone to mention the new narrator’s name. As an added tension bonus, the freedom of the third person means you can create POV characters who might not survive. It’s much harder to convince a reader that first-person narrator (especially one who’s telling the story in past tense) isn’t going to make it out alive.
The Third-Person Point of View Is a Solid Narrative Choice
If you like the third person, keep writing in it!
Being a writer in online communities means signing up for daily bombardment by posts designed to make you doubt yourself. Maybe you’re not a real writer if you don’t have a cat or if you don’t drink coffee. If you don’t dash off blisteringly hot takes on popular books, are you even an author? POV choices don’t have to fall into these kinds of trifling debates, and we hope this quick defense of the third person has shored up your belief in this completely valid and useful narrative lens.
Wondering if your book is using point of view to its best advantage?
