Third person is a point of view that lays out the world of your story like a carpet. It covers every character, if it’s omniscient. Once you go beyond the inner perspective of a single character, you’re writing omniscient third person. Or maybe “close third,” where readers feel the emotions of a few characters, with each taking a distinct turn in the spotlights. For example, your book may follow the story of two main characters. Each can have a chapter to themselves so we feel their emotions and see their fears. Jumble them up in a single passage or scene, though, and you have stumbled into head-hopping.
Authors write in first person to keep the flame of emotion alive. Write in omniscient third, and you’ll have to avoid the pitfall of readers caring less about the characters’ fates. You drill into character emotions during scenes, and in the summary writing in between. I like omniscient third person, but I try to ensure I make the stakes high while I’m writing in that POV. People also say it’s kinda old fashioned and corny. I can be, too.
“Having far too many speeches” is one kind of issue. Writing material that’s anything other than a scene is another challenge. I edit many authors who don’t want to let go of spoken dialogue. One scene right on top of the next. It’s as if they’re walking on a single floor of a building when they need to ascend or descend stairs to retrieve something important. Stories without staircases lack the variety of voice we use in life. As an omniscient writer, more non-scene writing will improve your book.
You can’t be accused of having too many speeches when you can write an extended passage without quotation marks. See how many lines you can read in your draft before you hit a quote mark.
Get a copy of The Author’s Checklist by Elizabeth Kracht. The agent, who works hard with authors to improve their books, has the most comprehensive guidebook to what makes a book hit its high notes. Characterization is the only 11-page chapter in the book. In contrast, POV covers just three pages and hits the crucial points right on the head.
