Third person limited vs Focused Omniscence

Telstar · Jul 20, 2008

Third person limited vs Focused Omniscience

This drawing line is very thin and I'm not sure what should i use in my novel.

I'm always following my MC and occasionally other characters through his (magical) senses. What bothers me is the descriptions of places and characters that are not from the MC POV, mainly because he is a child and I want a more objective approach to descriptions.

So, lets put I'm using focused omniscience? Any advice?
I've been thinking about this for a while, and although it didn't stop me from writing what i feel is right, makes me reflect.

Julia · Jul 20, 2008

Mmm...what exactly do you mean by "focused omniscience" as opposed to just 3rd person omniscience?

gypsyscarlett · Jul 21, 2008

Telstar said:
This drawing line is very thin and I'm not sure what should i use in my novel.

I'm always following my MC and occasionally other characters through his (magical) senses. What bothers me is the descriptions of places and characters that are not from the MC POV, mainly because he is a child and I want a more objective approach to descriptions.

So, lets put I'm using focused omniscience? Any advice?
I've been thinking about this for a while, and although it didn't stop me from writing what i feel is right, makes me reflect.

I'm also a bit confused. When you say, "focused omniscient"- do you mean the outside omniscient narrator will only focus on your main character? Rather than how an omniscient narrator usually describes events/ inner thoughts of all the characters?

dpaterso · Jul 21, 2008

Tough call. It does sound odd, but if you feel it's right for the story...

-Derek

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 21, 2008

I understand what you mean by "focused" omniscience, but I don't think you're looking at it the right way.

The story is clearly third person, because we are discussing omniscent and limited.

"Omniscent" as I understand it, means only that the narrator may describe things not from the perspective of the characters. So Jack doesn't know there's a werewolf behind him, but the narrator can say there is to the reader.

"Limited" means that the reader and narrator are privy only to that which is within the perception of the character.

You cannot do it both ways.

Either it is Limited Third, from the perspective of the MC, in which case you can't really get OOC in your descriptions, or it is Omniscent Third, in which case you don't have a problem.

maestrowork · Jul 21, 2008

"Focused omniscient" simply means the narrator can talk about anything but he only focuses on a single character's thoughts, feelings, etc. instead of reporting on everyone. But he could still say "Little did John know..." or "something was lurking in the dark."

Meanwhile, 3rd limited is *limited* to what the POV character knows and can observe.

Both are legit POVs, but different.

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 21, 2008

maestrowork said:
"Focused omniscient" simply means the narrator can talk about anything but he only focuses on a single character's thoughts, feelings, etc. instead of reporting on everyone. But he could still say "Little did John know..." or "something was lurking in the dark."

Meanwhile, 3rd limited is *limited* to what the POV character knows and can observe.

Both are legit POVs, but different.

So what is the practical difference between the two? Just a tendency toward one side of the equation?

Danger Jane · Jul 21, 2008

Practical difference is that a limited narrator only knows what the POV character knows. No "little did he know". A focused omniscient narrator stays within one character's head, but can go off on tangents and there can be "little did he know." The omniscient narrator is its own entity, potentially with a big personality--a peanut gallery on the wall rather than a fly on the wall.

Telstar, you might want to throw some hints that the narrator is not hampered by the child's perspective. Very infrequent asides to the reader might do the trick.

Liosse de Velishaf · Jul 21, 2008

Danger Jane said:
Practical difference is that a limited narrator only knows what the POV character knows. No "little did he know". A focused omniscient narrator stays within one character's head, but can go off on tangents and there can be "little did he know." The omniscient narrator is its own entity, potentially with a big personality--a peanut gallery on the wall rather than a fly on the wall.

Telstar, you might want to throw some hints that the narrator is not hampered by the child's perspective. Very infrequent asides to the reader might do the trick.

Okay, lol; missed that...

maestrowork · Jul 21, 2008

Danger Jane's got it.

An omniscient narrator can say and show anything within that world (or outside, for that matter, in case of author's intrusion) -- and get into different characters' minds, too -- but a "focused" one chooses to only get inside ONE character's mind. But everything else is the same.

Sunshine13 · Jul 21, 2008

Huh . .. I should totally try this with my next book. Sounds fun.

writersprite · Jul 23, 2008

So many wonderful things to experiment with....
:e2woo:

Telstar · Jul 23, 2008

Thanks for the many replies. I will address them singularly.

Telstar · Jul 23, 2008

maestrowork said:
"Focused omniscient" simply means the narrator can talk about anything but he only focuses on a single character's thoughts, feelings, etc. instead of reporting on everyone. But he could still say "Little did John know..." or "something was lurking in the dark."

Yep, exactly. It can gives me the little bit more of freedom that I occasionally need.

Telstar · Jul 23, 2008

Danger Jane said:
The omniscient narrator is its own entity, potentially with a big personality--a peanut gallery on the wall rather than a fly on the wall.

Telstar, you might want to throw some hints that the narrator is not hampered by the child's perspective. Very infrequent asides to the reader might do the trick.

In the style of some descriptions is obvious that they cannot be from a child POV. I do not want, though an obtrusive narrator: my narrator is quite invisible, but i'm trying to keep it consistent.

I think that reading some of your answers just did what i already knew: that i have indeed a focused omniscient narrator and that i just have to stick with it and avoid faux pas.

Third person limited vs Focused Omniscence

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