BUSINESS 114 [M] [1] [2] [3] - Classroom A - Classroom B

Lesson 3

Week Three - Third person, Limited Omniscient

Reading Assignment  

In the Getting Started section on the Information page, read the instructions on simple html commands. You will need the italic command to indicate thoughts.

Back off a bit, but not too far. Third person, limited omniscient gives you a certain amount of distance from the characters while still allowing thoughts and feelings of the viewpoint character to be shown.

Max was on the prowl again. Chicken! I smell roast chicken! I want some!

He passed by what used to be one of his favorite stops. She'd been told often enough that he liked chicken legs but she would just shake her head and say "Chicken bones are dangerous. Here's some nice fish."

"SSSST! Fish!" Max had had his fill of fish when he was living in the woods!

Where's Jeff? If I can find Jeff he'll give me some chicken.

With one of his world spanning leaps Max entered the woods determined to have his treat. Here. It was here by the fallen log in the late autumn that Max found Jeff picnicking. When Jeff saw Max eying the chicken leg with whiskers a-quiver he had stripped the meat and skin from the bone and offered it.

Notice that there is no description of Max. This is limited omniscient and while we are privy to Max's thoughts we have to judge the other characters by their actions and dialog. We do have a little more room to maneuver. Note the "When Jeff saw Max eying...." We can get away with this in third person as long as we don't push it too far. It is more a matter of drawing a conclusion than actually knowing what Jeff was thinking.

Writing Assignment

Go back to your original scene and rewrite part of it in third person, limited omniscient, from each of the three viewpoint characters.

Please try to use the original scene. To see the differences in distance, reliability and so forth you need a reference point. The reference point is that original scene.

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