Writing directly from yourself is easy peasy, but when it comes to writing in the third person, you should know how to go about it. Go through this article to understand how to write in the third person.
Before leading towards the pool of detailed information about how to write in the third person, let’s first throw a spotlight on what writing in the third person exactly is. Writing in the third person uses the third person point of view. This involves using pronouns such as her, him, it, or them. It is pretty different because when you write in the third person, the story is about other people.
Furthermore, in third-person narration, the narrator exists outside the story’s events and relates the characters‘ actions by referring to their names or by third-person pronouns such as she, he, or they. Third-person narration can be further classified into several types: objective, limited, and omniscient. Continue reading this piece to learn more about how to write in the third person.
What is writing in the third person?
In writing in the third person, the narrator stays outside the events of a story and relates the characters’ actions by referring to their names or by third-person pronouns she, he, or they. In other words, it is written from the third person’s perspective. When you write in the third person, the story is about another person. In third-person writing, the story is not about yourself or the reader. Writing in the third person is a simple task, but you must practice being an expert.
For academic purposes, the third-person writer must avoid using subjective pronouns like “I” or “you.” There are differences between third-person omniscient, objective, limited, and episodically limited points of view for creative writing purposes. In addition, it’s a narrative where you are totally independent of the subject you are analyzing and writing about. You don’t try to influence what readers feel; you don’t take sides. It’s a completely unbiased, objective way of writing that tells a story or examines a topic right down the middle.
The third person’s point of view is aimed at the person or being talked about, which is the type of writing you would find in the stories. From a third person’s perspective, you will have to use the name of the person you are writing about or the pronouns such as he, him, she, her, his, hers, herself, himself, them, theirs, it, and themselves.
For example:
- Michel moved to New Jersey after his graduation to start his business.
- Julia left everyone surprised with her tremendous achievement in winning the prize.
- Isabella took the loss as a positive lesson instead of a demoralizing failure.
- Robert sighted when he heard the scream, but he finished working before doing anything about it.
In all these examples, you are not the person who performed the action but the teller writing from a third person’s perspective.
Types of writing in the third person
There are three different ways to approach the third-person perspective in writing. The types are explained below:
➢ Omniscient
The omniscient narrator knows everything regarding the story and its characters. This narrator is able to enter anyone’s mind, move freely through time and provide the reader with their own opinions and observations as well as those of the characters. An all-knowing narrator not only conveys the facts but may also interpret events and relate the thoughts and feelings of any character. The novels “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B White and “Middlemarch” by George Eliot employ the third-person-omniscient point of view.
For example, Jim Austen’s pride and prejudice are told from a third-person omniscient point of view, giving the reader full access to the main character, Elizabeth, and the characters around her.
➢ Limited
This point of view is when an author sticks closely to one character but remains in the third person. The narrator conveys the facts and interprets events from the perspective of a single character. The narrator can do this for the entire novel or switch between different characters for different sections or chapters. This point of view allows the author to limit a reader’s perspective and control what information the reader knows. It is used to build interest and boost suspense. For example, see Katherine Mansfield’s short story “Miss Brill.”
➢ Objective
A third-person objective point of view has a neutral narrator that is not privy to the characters’ thoughts or feelings. The narrator demonstrates the story with an observational tone. In his short story Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway employs this narrative voice. An unknown narrator forwards the dialogue between a couple as they wait for a train in Spain. This point of view sets the reader in the position of a voyeur, eavesdropping on a scene or story. The facts of a narrative are conveyed by a seemingly neutral, impersonal observer or recorder. For instance, see “The Rise of Pancho Villa” by John Reed.
How to write in the third person?
When writing in the third person, you’re basically creating a story that’s not yours. It’s someone else’s story, and you’re telling it.
The best way to do this is to start by getting a sense of who your character is. Who is this person? What do they look like? What are their interests? What’s their background?
Then, it’s just a matter of putting your character through the trials and tribulations of life. To write in the third person, you’ll need to use the following format:
Third-person: “he”, “she”, “it”, or “they”
What should be taken into consideration when writing in the third person?
Use the third person for writing
Use the third person for formal writing, including argumentative papers and research. Third-person makes writing more factual and less personal. For professional and academic writing, this sense of objectivity allows the writer to seem less biased and, therefore, more credible. Furthermore, the third person keeps the writing focused on facts and evidence instead of personal opinions.
Use the correct pronouns
The Third-person directs to people “on the outside.” You can either use someone’s name in writing or use third-person pronouns. The third-person pronouns include he, she, his, her, it, its, him, her, itself, himself, herself, their, themselves, and them. Moreover, other people’s names are also considered appropriate for third-person use. For example, “John thinks differently. As per his research, earlier claims on the subject are incorrect.”
Don’t use first-person pronouns
In writing, the first person’s point of view is in which the writer says things from his or her personal perspective. This point of view makes things too personal and opinionative. Avoid the first person in academic writing. First-person pronouns are I, my, me, mine, ours, us, ourselves, myself, we, our, etc. First-person sounds too personalized and subjective. It becomes challenging to convince the reader that the views and ideas being expressed are unbiased and untainted by personal feelings. Often, when the first person is used in academic writing, people use phrases like “in my opinion,” “I guess,” “I think,” “I believe,” etc.
Don’t use second-person pronouns
The second person refers to the perspective that directly addresses the reader. This point of view shows too much familiarity with the reader by communicating to them directly as if the reader personally knows their reading audience. The second person should be avoided and never be used in academic writing. The second-person pronouns are you, yours, your, yourself. The second person sounds accusatory and runs the risk of placing too much responsibility on the shoulders of the reader specifically and presently reading the work.
Refer to the subject in general terms
Sometimes, the writer will have to refer to someone in indefinite terms, which means they may need to address or speak about a person generally. This is when the temptation to slip into the second person “you” comes into play. An indefinite third-person pronoun or noun is suitable here. Indefinite third person pronouns include anyone, either, each, everybody, no one, everyone, someone, one, another, any, nobody, everything, neither, other, anybody, somebody.
Indefinite third-person nouns common to academic writing are the reader, the writer, students, individuals, a student, people, an instructor, a man, a woman, a child, scientists, experts, writers, researchers, a person. For example, “Despite the challenges, researchers still succeed in their claims.”
How to write in the third person about yourself?
To effectively know how to write in the third person about yourself, you need to follow these tips:
- Don’t let your voice always shine in your essays. Every piece of writing manages to have a voice or point of view if you speak to the reader directly. However, that can’t always occur in academic writing as it’s factual compared to a novel.
- Don’t try to fluff up your piece to try and cram your personality in, as it is unnecessary in your academic work.
- Don’t focus on yourself or the reader; concentrate on the text. An academic piece of work always has a formal tone as its objective. When you write your following paper, focus on the writing itself rather than the writer or the reader.
- Coach yourself out of using first-person pronouns. This is easier said than done if all you have ever done is first-or second-person writing. When you write your following paper, scan it to see if you have written anything in first-person and replace it with a third-person narrative.
- Be as specific as possible, and don’t let things get complicated. Writing in thor person is all about including pronouns, like he, she, they, and it. However, using them at the beginning of sentences can be pretty vague and confuse the reader. Instead, try using nouns at the beginning of sentences.
- It’s the best idea to write in the present tense when using the third person. In the form of academic writing, you need to write your reports, essays, and research papers in the present tense, especially when introducing different subjects or findings.
- Don’t use your own thoughts; avoid adding such things. Remember you are writing from a third person’s perspective. If your report is on a subject that’s close to your heart, it can be super alluring to sprinkle in your own thoughts. It’s hard, but you need to coach yourself out of it.
- Keep in mind that in academic writing, you are a reporter. You need to allow readers to draw their conclusions without over-analyzing them or making the reader lean one way or another.
- Be consistent and keep practicing to get to grips with writing your academic papers in the third person.
- Criticize your work and analyze it until it becomes the standard. It may be a bit challenging in the earlier days, but once you have mastered the technique, it can take your papers and reports up to the next level.
What is the third person?
A third person is a writer who writes another person’s story from a third person’s perspective. They use that person’s name or pronouns in their writing. The narrator stays outside the story’s events and relates the characters’ actions by referring to their names or third-person pronouns he, she, or they. In limited third-person narration, the narrator still exists outside the events of the story but does not know the motivations or thoughts of all the characters. Instead, one character is the driver of the story, and the reader is given a closer peek into that character’s psyche than the others.
J. K. Rowling employs limited third-person narration in the Harry Potter novels. Even though the narrator is not Harry, and Harry is referred to as ‘he,’ the reader is allowed into Harry’s thoughts like what he is wondering without saying aloud. In third-person objective narration, the narrator reports the events that occur without knowing the characters’ motivations or thoughts. We know little about what drives them until we hear them speak or observe their actions. The resulting tone is often matter-of-fact, not colored by any opinions or commentary, nor by knowledge of what takes place outside the scene.
How do you write a story in the third person?
When writing in the third person, use the person’s name you are writing about and use pronouns such as he, she, it, and they. This perspective allows the narrator to tell the story from a single character’s perspective. The narrator may describe the thoughts and feelings going through the character’s heads as they tell the story. Be aware of the point of view as a third person; you should provide the reader with insight into that character’s thoughts, emotions, feelings, and knowledge. The point of view should let the reader know how your character feels and thinks and what they see around them within a particular setting.
Familiarize yourself with a third-person perspective. When writing a story in the third person, use the person’s name and pronouns. From the omniscient point of view, the narrator has access to all the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the story and is not limited to only one character’s point of view. So, as the writer, you can shift from one character’s point of view to another character’s point of view. Be familiar with the cons of the third person omniscient.
If you write a more character-driven story, the third-person omniscient point of view may not be ideal as it does not allow to embody one character’s perspective in detail, including their thoughts and emotions. In case your story is more plot-driven and comprehensive in scope, the third-person omniscient point of view may work better for you, as it allows you to quickly move through scenes with multiple characters and time and space when done right. Regardless of your viewpoint, you always want to ensure the reader can relate to the characters and is never lost or confused.
How do you say your opinion in the third person?
While writing in the third person, you can not clearly express your opinion. You can state it as “I believe,” “in my opinion,” “I would say that,” and “I think.” The third-person point of view is often used as an alternative to the first person as the “voice” in academic writing. The original example presents a personal climate change opinion with no supporting facts. In third-person narration, the narrator exists outside the story’s events and relates the characters’ actions by referring to their names or by the third-person pronouns he, she, or they.
The bottom line
To write in the third person, you don’t need to let your voice always shine in your essays. Every piece of writing manages to have a voice or point of view if you speak to the reader directly. Keep a few things to avoid mistakes and sharpen your writing. It’s better not to fluff up your piece and cram your personality in, as it is unnecessary in your academic work. In addition, don’t focus on yourself or the reader; focus on the text. When you write your following paper, focus on the writing itself rather than the writer or the reader. Coach yourself out of using first-person pronouns.
