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“Third person omniscient vs. limited vs. headjumping” by Nathan Bransford, April 24, 2020.
I’ve talked a lot about POV – point of view.
Much of my writing is from first person POV, at least in the Flash arena, simply because it concentrates the “camera” for the close work of very short fiction. I sometimes alternate between first person and close (or limited) third person, especially with romances. Both first person and limited third person allows good head crawling to explore feelings and help readers identify with the characters.
Omniscient third person takes a step back. Often found in fantasy and epic soap opera science fiction, omniscient grants the author opportunity to explore the universe through a variety of characters.
Headhopping, by modern standards, is a no-go. Nathan Bransford explains why in his post.
“Perspective is the frame an author uses to situate a read’s consciousness within a novel.”
When I’m editing, I often say “whiplash” when headhopping. The reader doesn’t get settled in a head before going somewhere else. The rapid change and incomplete settling-in prevents sympathy building and the reader will not identify with the characters.
Mr. Bransford goes on to include several tips to prevent headhopping.
Again the link is: https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2020/08/third-person-omniscient-vs-limited-vs-head-jumping