Hi! My name is Jay , and I'm a fanfic writer on ao3. Here's a little bit about me!
🍒 ˎˊ˗ I'm a kpop fan and I'm a GLITT , Nebobo , Fearnot and Dive
🍒 ˎˊ˗ I've been writting since 2023 but I had a big hiatus. I'm displeased with the works I've made so far and I'm trying to edit them in a way , rewrite them while keeping the base plot
🍒 ˎˊ˗ I have three ongoing fics , but I'm focusing on a certain one - I Hate You More. It's a more so slice of life turned romance writting in a fantasy yet modern setting
🍒 ˎˊ˗ I'm also trying to become a music composer to express my ocs through music
🍒 ˎˊ˗ I'd love it if you could give my writting a shot :)
hate when people think the only archetype possible for a male sidekick to a female protagonist is a soft boi and/or himbo. like the implication there is that the only reason a man would ever defer to a woman’s authority is if he was a bumbling idiot. love male supporting characters who are smart and strong and confident and can step up when necessary but still kind and humble enough to let someone else take the lead most of the time
A Quick(ish) Comprehensive Guide to Writing in Third Person Limited
When we write, one of the very first aspects we consider is the perspective of the story. Is it in first person? Second person? Third person? Third person point-of-view is arguably the most flexible perspective, but that also makes it difficult to fully grasp and harness.
~~~
INTRODUCTION
Let's begin with the fundamental questions: what is third person and why do people use it?
> What is Third Person POV?
Third person POV is simply a narrative style in which the narrator has a broader view of all the characters and their thoughts. Unlike first person, which is seen through the eyes of one person, calling for the use of pronouns such as I, me, or my, third person uses pronouns such as he, she, or they to refer to everyone, including themselves. As the reader, we aren't meshed into the main character and viewing the story that way. Instead, we're moreso hovering from above and observing collective events, actions, and even thoughts.
There are three MAIN types of this perspective: third person omniscient, third person objective and third person limited.
Omniscient is where the narrator knows everything about the characters, events, and emotions, revealing many, if not all, of these aspects of the readers.
Objective is when the narrator focuses solely on the actions and behaviors of the characters, without providing insight to thoughts or emotions. It's an objective narration style.
Limited is where the narrator focuses on one character (which would likely be the protagonist) and centers the story around that character.
> Why Use Third Person?
To put it simply, third person can allow you to write more. You have access to multiple POVs and there is often less bias. In first person, the narrator is the character, which can cause warped views influenced by their bias.
However, for third person, the narrator is an external voice (oftentimes you), so while there can be some bias depending on the character you're hovering, there is significantly less.
***
THE BASICS
In this post, I won't be talking too much about third person omniscient because it's more uncommon in writing. Instead, I will be talking about a popular variant of third person limited in which we use the POVs of multiple characters one at a time.
> Using the Correct Pronouns
In first person, we use the pronouns "I, me, my, we, etc." to describe the narrator. In second person, we use the pronouns "you, your, etc." to describe the protagonist. In third person, we use the pronouns "she, he, they, etc." to describe the protagonist.
Avoid using first or second person pronouns unless you're writing thoughts or dialogue.
> Making the POV Clear
Since we're using the perspectives of different characters (at different times), it's imperative to clarify who the perspective belongs to. You can do this simply by listing the POV before writing the part or by starting a new paragraph, which begins with a sentence starting in active voice by the focused character.
EXAMPLES
Lexi's POV:
She was astounded when she realized that...
V.S.
Lexi was astounded when she realized that...
Both examples are in third person and evidently centered around Lexi.
> Be Consistent
Be consistent with pronouns; unless you're writing thoughts and/or dialogue, make sure you're always using third person pronouns to address everything. It's easy to let it slip, but it's important not to.
Ex:
WRONG: She stares at the mirror. My hair is kind of messy, so I grab the brush.
CORRECT: She stares at the mirror. Her hair is kind of messy, so she grabs the brush.
Another thing to consider is keeping the type of third person POV consistent. If you're writing in third person limited, don't suddenly switch to omniscient. Granted, many readers may not be able to identify this kind of mistake, but it's good to practice consistency!
***
GENERAL TIPS
Now, let's discuss some general ideas to keep in mind when writing in third person limited.
> Use Names
You might be thinking what? No duh I have to use names, but I'm being dead serious. In third person, you might find yourself writing out names of characters more often than when you might be using first person. This is because pronouns get confusing. If there are two girls talking, then which one is 'she'? Remember that your protagonist is also an outside character.
Use names, use different ways to identify people (the taller student, the younger employee, etc.), because even if you know who is who, the readers might not.
> Objectiveness
One of the pros of using third person to storytell is the objectiveness that it grants. First person comes with many biases, which can warp how the reader views the characters, actions, and events of the story.
However, in third person, you want your narrator to be as unbiased as possible. Be objective. Describe things as they are. Sure, sometimes a character's opinion might influence the story, but it shouldn't be too excessive.
> Be Descriptive
I'm sure I've said this only about one million times now, but third person POV is broad. You can talk about anyone, anything, and you can even explain events unrelated and outside of your protagonist's bubble, which you normally can't do in first person.
So be descriptive. You don't have to worry about how a specific may view something because we're in third person. There's so much more for you to describe, you just have to take advantage of it.
You can describe your protagonist's enemy with both distaste and detached neutrality; you can describe minute details of a tree without making your main character seem overdramatic--you just have to do it.
***
ADDITIONAL TIPS
> When to Change Perspectives
In third person limited POV, it's common and often necessary to change the character the narrator hovers around. This is because only following the protagonist is, well, quite limited. So, when do we change which character we follow?
Show Events Outside of the Protagonist: If you have part of the cast (such as the antagonist) that's taking action outside of what the MC is aware of, and you want to show what's happening, this is a good time to switch perspectives!
----
Show Different Reactions to the Same Event: Let's say an intense incident just occurred that affected multiple people. Switching perspectives here can be quite useful because it allows you to show how different characters handle and view the same situation. This also helpful because it gives the reader deeper insight to the characters!
> Incorporating Character
I talked about this alone in a separate post, but I'll reiterate it again. Many people believe that third person POV is less interesting because there's "less personality" in its writing compared to first person.
This is mainly due to the standard objectivity that comes with third person, but it doesn't mean you can't include hints of character within your writing outside of dialogue and thoughts.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to word choice and a bit of sentence structure. Different words and phrases have different connotations, and though it seems like a very subtle detail to focus on, it does impact your writing.
Try to use vocabulary that fits the character you're hovering. Vocabulary that they might use.
If you're writing from the perspective of an angrier character, maybe you'll use cruder language during their section. If it's a more dramatic character, perhaps you'll use more theatrical language and flowy sentence structures mixed with choppy ones.
EX:
1. He felt stupidly annoyed at the man's assumptions.
2. He felt irritated at the man's assumptions.
3. He felt fed up with the man's assumptions.
Those three examples all have similar meanings and identical sentence structures. However, you'll notice that there are slightly different connotations per each sentence.
For number one, it sounds like the character is upset that he's so annoyed. This offers the idea that the character feels he shouldn't be as annoyed as he is, quietly hinting that he isn't the type to get ruffled easily or at least, not towards such assumptions.
For number two, the statement is very direct. The character is irritated. He might not be as displeased as number one or three, but he is still annoyed. However, the forwardness of the statement might suggest that he's a pretty straightforward guy who's expresses his emotions frankly.
Lastly, for number three, the character sounds more tired and possibly angry. He's done with the assumptions. It can be assumed that he's the type who's more likely to take action than the other two.
Now, these are really simple examples, but you can see that the word changes do slightly alter the meaning of the sentence and evoke separate emotions based on the character of the perspective's owner.
If the character uses the word "excessively" instead of "very," we might think that the character is more eloquent.
Yes, all of these descriptions technically belong to the narrator, but there's no linear way to write the narrator. In this case, they act like a mirror, reflecting the voice of the character.
CONCLUSION
We're at the end! This was a MUCH larger post than I expected to write, so kudos to anyone who's read more than 50% of this LOL.
All in all, third person POV isn't actually terribly difficult to get the hang of. You'll need some practice, as with anything, but you'll understand it better the more you work on it--with or without my help!
The biggest point is to make sure your pronouns are in check. Don't use "I, me, my or you, yours, you're" unless you're writing dialogue or thoughts!
Hope this has been helpful! Reach out to me for any questions; I'd love to answer them!
honestly, this phrase has been on my mind more times than i can count. i've kidnapped it, taken it as a hostage with no ransom money because i need it to live permanently in my head.
You ever get that stupid feeling… after a day of doing so much, and accomplishing the things you wanted to accomplish… you sit down and feel… like there’s something you didn’t do? Something you should be doing? You need to tell someone something? Like when tomorrow comes, you won’t be ready? Your mind races and you’re just trying to catch up? You’ve done everything. You’ve given what you were able today, and yet you feel as though you shouldn’t sit. You don’t get to relax because that one thing that you can’t even name needs to get done before you can.
Anxiety. I know I just explained anxiety. At least some form of it. A part of it.
I just spent two days organizing and declutterring my room. My closet, my desk, my book shelf… it feels really good to get it done. And I would like to clean my car out at some point as well, but I know that right now—at 7pm—I cannot push myself any harder.
But my mind keeps going. And I could go on and on, but you don’t need to hear the ramblings of my restless mind.
You and I need to take a moment and breathe. Find the show or video that gives you peace. The blanket that is cozy even if it’s a bit too warm for it. Light a candle, turn on your fairy lights. Shut the curtains. Grab a snack and some water… I’ll be doing the same.
For now you need rest. Let tomorrow worry about itself.
"The pain I carry is like nails being hit with a hammer, non-stop, head to toe. Hence, I have immersed myself in music, bleeding just to have mercy on myself, dreaming of my skin healing the wounds and my skull reconstructing."
Runa nails. I feel like she feels so happy getting her nails done and it's kind of her self-care? Usually it's Sanrio characters or other cute characters
