Third-person omniscient is a point of view in the story that allows the writer to freely move from the point of view of one character to another. Using this technique, you can give your readers information that they wouldn't get if you used another point of view technique, because the narrator of the story knows and sees it all, and can move from character to character. With this function in mind, there are a few rules you need to follow when you write using an all-knowing third-person point of view to make sure the reader doesn't feel confused or misunderstood because of this point of view.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Understanding How Third Person Omniscient Perspective Works
Step 1. Find out how the third-person omniscient point of view works
Whatever point of view the story uses, whether it is a first person point of view or a third person point of view, it is necessary to provide information or a description of the thoughts, feelings, emotions and knowledge of the characters in the story.
Point of view also needs to help the reader know what the characters in your story feel or think, and how those characters perceive their surroundings in a given setting
Step 2. Get into the third person point of view
When writing in third person, use names and pronouns such as he, she, or they. This point of view gives the narrator the freedom to tell the story from the point of view of one of the characters. The narrator can convey his thoughts and feelings through the characters' thoughts during the story.
- A paragraph written in the third person for example, "Karin turned on the light in her room. Not long after, she got goosebumps. She was just standing a few meters away from the uninvited guest. Karin thought about whether she should run or fight. couldn't move because of fear."
- Notice that the paragraph above tells not only what Karin does, but also what she thinks and feels.
Step 3. Recognize the advantages of using an all-knowing third-person point of view
In this point of view, the narrator has access to know the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the story, and is not limited to one particular character's point of view. As a writer, you can move from the point of view of one character to another. Moreover, in this point of view, one particular event in the story can be interpreted by several different characters.
- Because this is an omniscient point of view, the narrator has a considerable distance from the characters (as if the narrator is a god or God who sees all the characters) and has a very broad view of the events, actions, and thoughts of the characters in the story..
- This point of view gives you, as the writer, more latitude to use more of the characters' viewpoints and thoughts.
Step 4. Beware of flaws in this point of view
Unfortunately, the use of this omniscient point of view has its own drawbacks. Because you're viewing the characters in the story from 'above', you're presenting them to the reader at a considerable distance and, in the end, it's more like telling what happened, not showing what happened. In addition, the use of this point of view also makes it difficult for the reader to bond more deeply with the existing characters so that the narrative of the story becomes stiff or even boring.
- If you're writing a story that focuses more on the characters (thoughts or feelings), using a third-person omniscient point of view is less than ideal because it doesn't allow you to show a character's point of view in detail, including their thoughts and emotions.
- If your story is more plot-focused and includes a wider range of characters, an all-knowing third-person perspective might work well. When used properly, this viewpoint allows you to easily move from one event to another that features multiple characters, and from one setting of time and space to another.
- Regardless of the point of view you use, you need to make sure that the reader can relate to the characters in the story and not get confused or misunderstood your story.
Step 5. Keep in mind that with this point of view, the narrator can interact directly with the reader
Also, another advantage of using a third-person omniscient point of view is that as a writer, you can speak directly to your readers, creating a more intimate, direct relationship with them.
- This relationship can be seen in simple sentences such as, “Readers, please note that killing Alice is a difficult choice. Let me explain why.”
- Or, something less direct to the reader, such as, “About Alice, don't worry. He did have to go through some difficult times but, in the end, he will rise up and live happily ever after.”
Step 6. Remember that there are two types of third-person omniscient point of view
This point of view can be categorized into two types: objective and subjective.
- The objective version of this point of view resembles the point of view of a surveillance camera. In this point of view, the narrator is in the story but invisible. The narrator relates events as they are (as they occur), and does not respond to events. The objective third-person omniscient point of view can be likened to a camera following the characters in the story. The camera records the character's actions and conversations, but does not record or view the character's thoughts.
- The subjective version of this point of view has a strong narrative view that displays or exposes the thoughts of the characters in a single event or scene. This means that all of the character's thoughts and emotions are filtered or constrained through the narrator's voice and in the narrator's utterances.
Part 2 of 3: Using a Third Person All-Knowing Point of View
Step 1. Determine what kind of third-person omniscient point of view can support your story
If you want to get a sense of one thing through multiple narrators, but still want to show their emotions through actions and dialogue (not through thoughts), using an objective third-person omniscient point of view is more appropriate.
If you want to write a story with a dominant narrator that tells or describes other characters that exist through the narrator's voice, using a subjective third-person omniscient point of view is more suitable for your story
Step 2. Practice writing using your chosen point of view
Instead of using the pronoun “I” (first person point of view) or referring to the reader as “you/you” (second person point of view), address the characters in the story by their name or with the appropriate pronouns, such as he, she, or his.
For example, for the sentence "I arrived in the city on a cold and windy morning," you could write it as "She arrived in the city on a cold and windy morning" or "Alice arrived in the city on a cold morning. and windy."
Step 3. If you are using an objective third-person omniscient point of view, avoid introducing the narrator to the reader
When you write your story from this point of view, keep in mind that the narrator is an unknown figure because the narrator plays the role of an 'unseen all-knowing' person. Therefore, you do not need to give the reader a name or any information about the narrator.
This is different from the first person or second person point of view. In these points of view, the narrator also has a role in the storyline and dominates the point of view of the story
Step 4. If you are using a subjective third-person omniscient point of view, make sure you show the narrator's dominance in your story
The best-known example of a subjective third-person omniscient narrator is the character Lemony Snicket in the novel series A Series of Unfortunate Events. The narrator of Lemony Snicket refers to himself as "I", and also interacts or greets the reader directly and moves from one character's point of view to another throughout the novel.
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Step 1. Keep using the point of view of one of your characters until you move to the point of view of another character
If you constantly change the point of view of the story (e.g. from character A's point of view, suddenly changing to first person), you are violating or not adhering to the third-person omniscient point of view.
- Point of view violation occurs when one of the characters knows something that he shouldn't be able to know from his point of view. For example, even though in one story the narrator finds out that Paul hit John from behind, John will not know that Paul hit him, unless he finds out from another source or through a process of elimination.
- Point of view violations can also detract from how logical the whole story is, and spoil the character voices you've worked so hard to create. Therefore, pay attention and be on the lookout for point-of-view infringement on your story.
- Another problem that often arises is the jump in point of view. Jumping occurs when you jump from one character's mind to another's in the same scene or event. While this is technically possible and can be done when you use an all-knowing third-person perspective, this skipping technique can confuse the reader and result in too many different characters' thoughts in one scene or event.
Step 2. Use transitions to move smoothly from one character to another
To keep the reader from getting confused and from jumping from one point of view to another too much, focus on building bridges or smooth transitions from one character to another in the story.
Step 3. Give the reader a warning that there will be a point-of-view before you move to another character's point of view
You can do this by turning the reader's attention to the character you want to focus on and explaining the actions or movements of that character in the story.
For example, if you want to move from Paul's point of view to John's, you could write: “John rubbed his back where he was hit. He then noticed Paul standing beside him. John wondered if maybe Paul hit him."
Step 4. Use one of the characters to take on a key role or action that is important in your story
This is an interesting way to move from one point of view to another. Once the new character takes on a key role, continue the story by expressing his thoughts or feelings.
For example: “John put his glass roughly on the bar counter. Who was that bastard who dared to hit me just now? he cursed. John then saw Paul standing beside him. Who's he? his mind."
Step 5. Experiment with the third-person omniscient point of view in shorter works before trying to use them in longer works
At first, the third-person omniscient point of view may be difficult for you to master, especially if you're not used to writing stories using the viewpoints of many different characters, and are still learning to use smooth transitions from one character to another.
