We Know All and See All

Continuing on my series regarding point of view, it’s time to focus on the other third person option available to writers - third person omniscient.

Let me first define the POV.  Third Person Omniscient is characterized as an overarching narrator that can dip into any character and see what they see, hear their thoughts.  Poorly done this is the “head hopping” POV.  Note I said poorly done.  Multiple books exist that have done this wonderfully.

What’s the advantage of using this POV?

Sometimes, you just need to know all that’s going on.  Looking down from Mount Olympus and observe the world.  This POV allows just that.  You have almost no limits to what you tell the reader when.  If you know it, and it fits the present story situation, tell it!  Okay, not really, but it does offer a more open story telling style.  It allows examination of all the characters in a scene, simply by switching who’s head you’re sitting in at the time. 

I’ve heard some writers say this is one of the most difficult POV to use, because the balance of narrator information and thoughts has to develop just right.

So where’s my disadvantage?

I started to address this in the last section, but let me be more specific here.  Balance is definitely the key here.  If you spend too much time going from character to character, readers will declare a “bad case of head hopping” and drop the story.  I’ve seen people use this POV and say the story was too cold, too impersonal, just because they felt no connection to the characters. 

So when should I use third person omniscient POV?

I can’t state for a fact that this story always makes a good third person omniscient POV or that the story is horrible as one.  Most times, I suggest looking at the scope of the story.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

- How focused does the story need to be?

- Do actions outside the narrator’s view factor into the story that maybe you’ll need to reveal before the narrator knows? 

- Will the story revolve around more than the narrator and/or the main character? 

Think about these questions as you begin to write, allow yourself to dissect the story’s needs, then pick the proper POV for that story.

He did what, with who, for how much?

Continuing on my series regarding point of view, I’m going to skip second person for now and address one of the third person styles.  I’ve heard it called third person focused or third person limited.  Both offer the same concept.

Let me first define the POV.  Third Person Limited is characterized by the standard third person pronouns - he, she, it, they.  It is similar to First Person in that everything in the story filters through the view point character, but the reader has taken a step back from the characters.

What’s the advantage of using this POV?

Not all stories need the intimate closeness of the first person POV, but they do need a narrowing of the focus.  This selection allows that narrowing without having to talk with the I pronoun.  It also allows you to see things from just one character, not worry about the fifty others in the room.  You might still get a glimpse of the character’s thoughts, but the narrator has more filter than the main character.

So where’s my disadvantage?

Readers will comment that stories written in this point of view don’t feel as easy to connect with the characters.  Some stories won’t work well with the limits this presents.  You’ll not be able to give the reader enough information or will have to give them too much, based strictly on what the characters sees and experiences.  

So when should I use third person limited POV?

I can’t state for a fact that this story always makes a good third person limited POV or that story is horrible as one.  Most times, I suggest looking at the scope of the story.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

- How focused does the story need to be?
- Do actions outside the narrator’s view factor into the story that maybe you’ll need to reveal before the narrator knows? 
- Will the story revolve around more than the narrator and/or the main character? 

Think about these questions as you begin to write, allow yourself to dissect the story’s needs, then pick the proper POV for that story.