The Intimacy of the Close Third

Point of View as a Bridge

I am often asked why I prefer the “Close Third” person over a traditional First Person “I.” To me, the Close Third is the most sophisticated tool in fiction. It allows the writer to inhabit a character’s mind with total intimacy while maintaining a slight, necessary distance—a “hovering” presence that can observe things the character themselves might miss.

It creates a bridge between the reader and the protagonist. We see the world through their eyes, but we also feel the author’s hand gently guiding our focus. It is the difference between being someone and sitting right next to them in the dark. It is a POV of shared secrets.

The Monroe Minute
Rewrite a first-person paragraph into the third person, but keep all the sensory details and internal thoughts exactly as they were. Notice the shift in authority.

Until the next page,
Sloane S. Monroe

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Sloane Shay Monroe

I don’t write to idealize love, but to explore it honestly, with emotional precision and depth.