What does writing in third person mean?

Writing in third person means using pronouns like he, she, it, they, and them to refer to characters in your story. The narrator is not a character in the story, but rather an outside observer who tells the story from a distance.

There are three main types of third-person narration:

* Third-person omniscient: The narrator knows everything about all the characters and their thoughts and feelings. They can see into the minds of multiple characters and have access to information that other characters might not know.

* Third-person limited: The narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of only one character, providing a more intimate perspective. They might only know what this character sees and hears, and only speculate about the motivations of others.

* Third-person objective: The narrator only reports what they can see and hear, without access to the thoughts or feelings of any characters. They act as an impartial observer, simply describing the events as they unfold.

Here are some examples:

Third-person omniscient:

> "He knew she was lying, but he said nothing. He had learned long ago that arguing with her was a waste of time."

Third-person limited:

> "She felt a pang of guilt as she saw him looking at her with such hope in his eyes. He didn't deserve this. She wished she could tell him the truth, but she was too scared."

Third-person objective:

> "He stood at the door, his hand hovering over the handle. She looked up from the table, her eyes wide with surprise."

Key takeaway: Third person allows the narrator to maintain some distance from the story, offering a more objective and potentially more complex perspective than first-person narration.