by Laura Beth Caldwell

Created on: January 08, 2009

Writing in the third person point of view is perhaps the most common approach used by novelists. It is the "over the shoulder" view point of the unfolding action in a novel. The "he said...she said" sort of thing. "Jack and Jill went up the hill...". It's telling the story as it relates to individual characters. Writing in the third person differs from the other primary point of view- first person narrative. The first person point of view is the telling of a story through a particular character's point of view. For example, "Jack and I went up the hill...". The first person point of view sees the story through a particular character's, typically the main character's, eyes.

When writing in the third person, which is typically easier to grasp than the first person point of view, it is important that the author maintain a certain credibility with the characters in his or her story. By "looking over the shoulder" of the main character rather than "through their eyes", a certain degree of intimacy is lost. It is therefore important that the author spend sufficient time developing the characters in a third person point of view novel. Third person is more of a "showing" than a "telling" in that the reader sees the action in the story as it is happening "to" the character from a distance, rather than action that is happening "through" a character.

Third person point of view is sometimes easier when creating several scenarios with multiple characters. It allows the author to move from scene to scene in an omniscient manner without losing the credibility of the main character's point of view. The negative aspect to this is that again, it tends to lose the "intimacy" of first person perspective and can be overdone to the point of confusing the reader with too many scenarios.

The third person point of view works the best in conjunction with strong character developement as well as the building of a believable and intriguing setting. A classic example of this is the novella "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway created a simple setting that was actually very complex in literary design. By presenting the reader with the various details of Santiago's (the old man) world and paying special attention to even the most minor of details in his mannerisms, the reader quickly becomes involved in his story. As simple as this little novella may seem at first glance, it truly is a masterpiece of literary design.

Perhaps the biggest merit to writing in the third person point of view is the limitless potential the writer has for unfolding plot. By creating individual "snap shots" of each characters experience, the writer is able to move through the scenes of a story with a certain degree of fluidity. They are not limited, as with the first person point of view, to the main character's perspective.

Third person point of view is an excellent choice for a new writer as it not only provides multiple possibilities for plot formation, but also tends to be the most forgiving in doing so. A word of caution, however- as Mr. Hemingway has so graciously shown us, things are not always as easy as they might appear.

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