The Importance of Writing in 3rd Person POV for Crafting Compelling Narratives
Are you struggling to make your stories engaging and captivating? Do you find that your writing lacks the emotional power to keep readers hooked? The answer may lie in the way you are telling your story. One way to elevate your storytelling is to use 3rd person point of view (POV).
What is 3rd Person POV?
In 3rd person POV, the narrator is an objective observer of events happening to the characters in the story. There are three types of 3rd person POV:
- Third-person omniscient – where the narrator knows everything about the characters, including their thoughts and feelings
- Third-person limited – where the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character
- Third-person objective – where the narrator does not know any character’s thoughts or feelings, but simply reports the actions and dialogue
Using 3rd person POV allows the reader to see the story from a distance, instead of being immersed in the protagonist’s head. It offers a broader perspective, allowing for a more objective and descriptive narrative.
The Benefits of 3rd Person POV
One benefit of 3rd person POV is that it removes the writer’s biases and allows for a more objective perspective. By not being limited to one character’s viewpoint, the author can explore more facets of the story and its characters.
Another benefit is the opportunity to create suspense. 3rd person POV allows the writer to withhold information from the reader while still advancing the narrative. This creates tension and anticipation, keeping readers engaged and interested in the story.
Using 3rd person POV also gives the author more room to be creative with language and style. By not being limited to one character’s voice, the writer has the freedom to vary sentence structure, pace, and tone.
Examples
One of the most famous examples of a novel written in 3rd person omniscient POV is Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. The narrator knows the innermost thoughts and feelings of all the characters and the result is a sweeping, epic tale.
In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, The Remains of the Day, the narrator is an unreliable butler who tells the story from a 3rd person limited perspective. The reader gets a sense of the butler’s own self-deception and the consequences it has on his life.
In Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, the story is told from a 3rd person objective perspective, creating a sense of distance that supports the themes of disillusionment and alienation.
Conclusion
3rd person POV is a powerful tool for crafting compelling narratives. It offers a range of benefits, including objectivity, suspense, and creative freedom. By choosing the right type of 3rd person POV for your story, you can create a captivating, emotionally resonant narrative that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end.
