Multiple Perspectives Broader Character Choice All-knowing Information
Most academic writing is written in the third person point of view to remain objective. Biographies also use the third person perspective. In contrast, using the third person perspective allows the narrator the freedom to be inside the minds of all the characters in a story. Writing in the third person provides an outside viewpoint of the story; the narrator knows the larger story and uses a variety of characters to express the story. The protagonist might not know what is happening, but the reader will.
The narrator has flexibility within the third person perspective to write from multiple perspectives, from a limited number of character perspectives, or from an omniscient perspective—all-knowing. The author, therefore, can broaden the number of characters in the story, from main to secondary. The narrator must be careful about switching viewpoints, however, to keep each character within his or her viewpoint. Too many characters can create confusion for both the narrator and the readers or can alienate the reader. The third person omniscient point of view allows the narrator more information and reveals what multiple people are thinking within a scene. The narrator must be the omniscient one, however, not the characters.
Take care when changing scenes: make a clear change that reflects where the former scene ended, why the characters are in the new scene and what are they now thinking? Also the readers don’t need to know everything about every character. A little mystery is a good element. Choose the characters that are most interesting and only switch to another minor character’s point of view when necessary. Make sure each of the characters is markedly different in both physical appearance and personality traits. If they are too similar, the reader confuses them.
Keep the story line focused. The main character in the scene only knows what other characters tell him or her. When the reader only knows what one character is thinking, the suspense remains. Switching back and forth to different scenes too quickly is confusing to readers; jumping into the past and then into the future is tricky. A novice writer should practice by keeping one scene in a chapter with one or two characters at a time. Branch out as you become more proficient.
The third person offers the narrator a limited, multiple, or omniscient point of view—the choice is yours. Try them all!
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