Use Third Person Narrative for Creative Writing
Personal Pronouns Dictate Point of View for Novels and Stories
Sep 11, 2009
Writing involves determining the type of point of view a novelist wants to use, which can depend on his or her writing style. While beginning writers often use first person point of view, the majority of novels and books are written from the third person viewpoint.
Pick Pronouns as Part of the Writing Process
The third person point of view occurs when an author allows the narrator to tell the story using third person pronouns. There are several different types of pronouns, but ones that refer to third person include the following words:
- “He,” “she,” and “it” are pronouns used as the subject.
- “Him,” “her,” and “it” can be used as objects.
- “His” and “hers” function as possessive pronouns.
- “Himself” and “herself” are common pronouns.
- “They” is a plural pronoun used as a subject.
- “Them” acts as a plural object.
- “Theirs” shows possessive plural.
- “Themselves” is also a plural third person pronoun.
Writing Styles Help Determine Narrative
Third person point of view can show a writer’s mastery of narrative style. It can also be viewed as a more formal style of writing than first person or second person point of view, which makes it a good choice for journalists or freelance writers to use for online writing.
If a writer wants to come across as relating to readers, he or she might prefer to use second person narrative, which reads as though the author is speaking directly to the audience. But in fiction writing, most novels adopt first person or third person points of views.
Switch Viewpoint With Third Person Writing
The third person point of view allows an author the flexibility of using more than one viewpoint character without confusing the reader. The most common technique to change from one viewpoint character to another is to use one main character per scene. When a writer switches to a new point of view, he or she needs to identify the new viewpoint character in the first sentence of the new scene.
Omniscient point of view allows an author to hop from one person to the next in the same scene. This style usually works in conjunction with third person narrative, and it requires specific rules in order to avoid confusion.
Compare Narrative Styles for Creative Writing
There are many books written in third person, including City of Bones and Wings. But, before a writer decides to use third person narrative, he or she might want to review first person, second person, and omniscient point of view.
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