First person vs. Second person vs. Third person - Rebekah Bergman
Discover how point of view can transform a story, and find out how to choose between first, second, and third person in your writing.
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Who is telling a story, and from what perspective, are some of the most important choices an author makes. Told from a different point of view, a story can transform completely. Third person, first person, and second person perspectives each have unique possibilities and constraints. So how do you choose a point of view for your story? Rebekah Bergman explores the different ways to focus a story.
Lesson by Rebekah Bergman, directed by Gibbons Studio.
Animator's website: www.gibbonsstudio.net/
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View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/first-pers...
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Пікірлер: 823
Ted-ed is the only thing that makes me want to learn anything about anything
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
Agree with you....help my channel grow
@8is
4 жыл бұрын
If this channel is the only one that makes you want to learn, you’re probably missing out on a lot of other good ones.
@luizcarlosv.b.das.junior7477
4 жыл бұрын
Haha yes
@harshbokadia8433
4 жыл бұрын
That is so true!
@thehamoodiandoctor5792
4 жыл бұрын
Ikr
Plot Twist: The guy on the typewriter is writing every word that’s being said in the video.
@zagiproductions1630
4 жыл бұрын
he's been writing subtitles for years now
@thelunaticcultist5157
4 жыл бұрын
That doesn’t twist the plot
@Alkalus
4 жыл бұрын
Qwasey Wearycooldoc Inc. Oh well, can’t edit it anymore
@thebluefriend
4 жыл бұрын
After this being his most successful video, he is in top demand
@cephi
3 жыл бұрын
@@thelunaticcultist5157 that doesn't plot the twist
First Person: Character is narrator. Second and Third Person: Narrator is narrator!
@chandreshraikwar8256
4 жыл бұрын
Second person : narrator is one of the character narrating a story about other characters. Third person is narrator.
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
Yes...Btw, please help my channel grow
@uniqhnd23
4 жыл бұрын
@@ProPianoxArjun No get out
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
@@uniqhnd23 Why bro??
@mochi6494
4 жыл бұрын
@@uniqhnd23 uhhh no you get out
Ted-ED : Second person is barely used Fan Fictions: let me introduce myself
@bababooey7418
4 жыл бұрын
Y/N authors: 👁👄👁
@cristineevangelio5223
4 жыл бұрын
choose your own adventure book series is a second-person narrative.
@tananansad
4 жыл бұрын
your alcoholic abusive mum wakes you up 😴 from a smexy (XD) dream of 1D 😡 and tell you to pack a bag 🤭🤔 why? you ask 😰 your new owners are here😱😱 my new owners???? who???!!! 😢 some boy band offered to buy you and i dont want you anymore 😥 suddenly!!! harry stylez (lol! styles with a z XD) burst in and hits your mother with the door, killing her instantly😁😁😁 he picks you up and shoves you in a body bag, 😯 dragging you into his van where he and the rest of the band😃😃 kick you until you die a slow and painful death 🤪🤩🤣🤣😏
@angieyang1133
4 жыл бұрын
fhsjfjjsk thats exactly what i was thinking. fanfiction! 🥺
@reeti5958
4 жыл бұрын
@@tananansad girl you have to realise that I am reading this at midnight and imagining scenes. You should have given horror story disclaimer before writing it. 😱
“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.” ― Isaac Asimov
@user-kx8pu6ys5i
4 жыл бұрын
L
@m4ts50
4 жыл бұрын
O
@izak5775
4 жыл бұрын
L
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
Lol...btw please help my channel grow
@EvanRustMakes
4 жыл бұрын
@@izak5775 goodbye
Personally, I like to write stories in the third person. It’s so much more easier than a first person perspective.
@uma5467
4 жыл бұрын
I feel the same way
@user-kx8pu6ys5i
4 жыл бұрын
Sam
@cultist4194
4 жыл бұрын
Same
@raisaapriliani2717
4 жыл бұрын
you can do three of them if you colab with another writer
@trucywrightirl
4 жыл бұрын
Likewise over here, yet I personally think first person is a bit more interesting.
Imagine how terrifying it would be to read Lolita from the 12 year-old girl’s point of view instead of Humbert’s delusional one. 🤔
@richardsantanna5398
4 жыл бұрын
😬
@anelisajustanelisa236
4 жыл бұрын
This made me uncomfortable 😩
@anelisajustanelisa236
4 жыл бұрын
@C S I think the reader pretty much accomplishes that while reading the actual book. That's the advantage of humberts point of view over lolita's.
@obdallahsaleh1946
4 жыл бұрын
احو
@lolal-t2027
4 жыл бұрын
Whats that i wan’a read it now
*First person:* I narrate my story. *Second person:* Audience narrates my story. *Third person:* A stranger narrates my story.
@sterre217
4 жыл бұрын
not always a stranger though, as you'll encounter when you read the Book Thief for example :)
@vindric8330
3 жыл бұрын
Oh alright
@slownif6436
2 жыл бұрын
Third person more like God narrates my story lol.
I wish Nabokov's Lolita was brought up to prove just how much perspective could change a story. Like everyone else besides knows what a monster Humbert Humbert is, which would make the novel more of a thriller, though less complex. As the narrator, Humbert lies, uses flowery language and rhetoric to disguise his actions. It's to the point that it's hard to know Lolita-or really Dolores-when she's supposed to be the focal point of the novel. He turns her into a muse, a caricature of herself by denying her voice and speaking over her. What do you think Lolita would look like if Dolores got to narrate instead?
@anjalikashyap8739
4 жыл бұрын
I agree, we only know one perspective, if we read from the different perspective , it will hit differently. We need more clarification of it's concept and the lesson in the end.
@petraabimanyu903
4 жыл бұрын
Yes, everytime I listen or read about pov in literature, Lolita always comes to me as an example how important who the narrator is.
@Macrocompassion
4 жыл бұрын
@@anjalikashyap8739 Call me Delores like they do in the stories!
@lolal-t2027
4 жыл бұрын
You can also call her lola since its another way to say lolita. Also i always was wondering what she felt like. It would have been so much scarier if it was in her pov and i cant tell how i would get a heart attack if it was in 2nd person, humbert or lolita
1st person: I walked 2nd person: YOU walked 3rd person: THEY walked
@AlwaysOnForever
4 жыл бұрын
I think third person is more like: **Character name** walked Sorry for bad english
@loveirusu8788
4 жыл бұрын
AlwaysOn Forever technically the same thing, you could change the characters' name to "he/she/it"
@AudoricArt
4 жыл бұрын
@@AlwaysOnForever true but you won't say their name every time you address them in a narrative. therefor you'd naturally use the singular third-person pronouns they/he/she/it.
@AudoricArt
4 жыл бұрын
@LagiNaLangAko23 *communist anthum intensifies*
@AlwaysOnForever
4 жыл бұрын
@@loveirusu8788 hmm its right, i think it also depends on the previous sentence, example I see they steal the bag. Then they walk to the hallway. They walk past the bookstore Sorry bad english and i also not expert in story writing
Let's take a moment to appreciate TED-ED Animators. They have done a great work as always.
@abeestosruinsageneration3725
3 жыл бұрын
YES! FINALLY! There's so much character in this animation. Thank you for noticing too!
1st pov is easier to work in. 2nd is rare and unique usually reserved for directions. 3rd is the most complex.
@calemmontiel338
4 жыл бұрын
I think it depends on the story and the complexity of the characters
@PeridotFacet-FLCut-XG-og1xx
4 жыл бұрын
2nd are reader insert fics
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
Best summary...help my channel grow
@shishi6799
4 жыл бұрын
1st POV is hard to nail perfectly, though. If you're not doing it right, it feels imprisoning for both the author and the reader.
@calemmontiel338
4 жыл бұрын
@@shishi6799 Maybe it's just me, but I often write as I would think, which is in 1st person, so that style feels more comfortable. That being said, I haven't written much in 3rd person, so my opinion is lacking
GOSH THIS IS SCARY!!!! Yesterday only I'd enrolled into a short story writing contest whose theme was to write a story with the second person POV. Wondering how to go about it, I started doing research and found quite a few helpful articles on the same. However, I was shell shocked to find that Ted-ed has uploaded a video on this topic just recently. Coincidence enough? Ahh! I'm feel happy and yet so bewildered at the same time!! Thanks Ted-ed!! As always, stunning animation! 😃😃
@Turquoise-Official
4 жыл бұрын
Bhai chill mar
@AlwaysOnForever
4 жыл бұрын
@@Turquoise-Official i think its not wrong to let she happy. Its a rare moment and why not if she want to comment like that
@Turquoise-Official
4 жыл бұрын
@@AlwaysOnForever yeah but I hate it when boys like Keith Jones keep on shaming innocent people like her
@Macrocompassion
4 жыл бұрын
@@Turquoise-Official I hate the guys who criticize the other guys whose enterprise has made them rise above the guys who criticize!
Ted ed: second person's view. Me who swam in the deep waters of Ao3 fan fics: Do you mean reader - insert?
@PeridotFacet-FLCut-XG-og1xx
4 жыл бұрын
Oh my God, yes
@cameladeguinio6434
3 жыл бұрын
Omg hahaha 2nd person pov is not my fav cup of tea since writing it is hard for me. But rn, im on my currently 50k words and more on my 2nd person pov fanfiction sksks
@popisdeadisagoodsong9997
2 жыл бұрын
I just realized how easy it is for me to write in Second Person perspective. It's kinda fun! Even though I sometimes switch to Third or First.
The voice over is so perfect
Reading a first person book makes me the character. I can feel every feeling of that character; And that is the most beautiful feeling :)
@riyagarg23_
3 жыл бұрын
true
“One person's craziness is another person's reality.” ― Tim Burton
@user-kx8pu6ys5i
4 жыл бұрын
O
@m4ts50
4 жыл бұрын
A
@Ara_Ara2
4 жыл бұрын
E
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
So true....pls help my channel grow
@madarauchiha8508
4 жыл бұрын
*One's reality might be another's fantasy. We all live in illusions.* That's most prolly Itachi, from Naruto. 😕
Really love the videos TED-Ed. Its nice to have something to watch that is educational these days. Please dont stop making videos!!
*ironic how im struggling to choose my pov while writing a story then this popped up*
@iya.gi_.
4 жыл бұрын
Yes
@AmbiguouslyAnonymous
4 жыл бұрын
I don't want to be "that guy", but that's not irony, that's just a coincidence. A funny coincidence, sure, but not ironic.
@vilfebacus7810
4 жыл бұрын
That's the power youtube algorithm
@dominusdone5023
Ай бұрын
@@AmbiguouslyAnonymous "a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result." google definition
@AmbiguouslyAnonymous
Ай бұрын
@@dominusdone5023 You're three years late but yes, that would be situational irony. I wasn't aware of that at the time. Although if I were you I wouldn't use Google for definitions in the future, its definitions tend to not align with major dictionaries. In this case the definition you gave is worded pretty strangely, keyword being "deliberately contrary". Using Google's own definition that would mean "done consciously and intentionally", which means it may not even apply to this situation unless you consider the youtube algorithm as having its own consciousness. No other dictionary I can find says that deliberateness needs to be involved. A better definition would be from the website Dictionary, "an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected." or Meriam Webster's "incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result".
Last time I was this early, I had no point of view
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
Haha...Btw, help my channel grow
@lolal-t2027
4 жыл бұрын
Pro Piano Tutorials why are you on a ted ed chanel begging for people to subscribe. Come on if you deserve it you can earn subs with what you do. And if you are going to do this please advertise better. Like say what your channel is and ask if anyone is interested. That is a much better strategy then begging.
How would you describe killing someone with a gun in the first person? First person shooter
@user-kx8pu6ys5i
4 жыл бұрын
*you*
@user-kx8pu6ys5i
4 жыл бұрын
*i like you*
@mo7emedragab870
4 жыл бұрын
Are
@GuitarZombie
4 жыл бұрын
Bang....Thud
@adityaoak1363
4 жыл бұрын
How do you do it in the second person?
One of my favorite examples of a 2nd person narrative perspective is the Stanley Parable. It really provides a deep connection between the narrator & you as Stanley.
“There are no facts, only interpretations.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
@user-kx8pu6ys5i
4 жыл бұрын
T
@m4ts50
4 жыл бұрын
H
@MfTheSupervillain
4 жыл бұрын
E
@popIar
4 жыл бұрын
S
@pickledmango0829
4 жыл бұрын
E
Third person point of view is by far my favorite out of the trio! I read third point of views all the time since I really like the concept of the reader knowing both the characters' minds, knowledge and feelings. Also, not gonna lie, writing third p.o.views are fun to write and I often write stories using it!
@BlueSkies30
4 жыл бұрын
Yeah, it's easier to switch between characters in 3rd person. I like the freedom of being able to tell a book from more than one of the character's perspectives without any confusion, especially when it's in the same chapter. I'm not sure if it's still discouraged (when I took a writing class in college my teacher said to stick to one character perspective) but I still do it when it feels natural to do it. Not like I write to be published anyway. I mean, it would be nice to share and profit from days worth of work, but I wouldn't like my stories being ripped into/edited like crazy to fit publishing standards.
Yet another time, I realized that, in the greater scheme of things, storytelling is more than just a matter of anguishing over how limited, biased, and altered our point of views are. It's about appreciating the myriad shoes of others that we can strive to put ourselves in, no matter what kind of shoes we were predetermined or nurtured to have. TED-Ed has done a terrific yet humble job to share these wholesome messages in such a way that we'll gladly remember. Thank you all, in the most genuine sense!
I think this is one of the most delightful animations Ted-Ed has ever done
“I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” ― Abraham Maslow
@user-kx8pu6ys5i
4 жыл бұрын
A
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
Haha...btw help my channel grow
@mochi6494
4 жыл бұрын
@@ProPianoxArjun brUh
@toasterstripes
4 жыл бұрын
Pro Piano Tutorials you’re gonna get a bad rep for self advertising
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
@@toasterstripes I have to do something to help my chaneel
Love this narrator! They way she speaks makes me so focused on what she wants to say.
I love this animation. I find it funny, humourous and educational at the same time. Hats off to the creator. Very well done.
I don't know if any of you ever read the Book Thief by Markus Zusak, but its play on narrative is sublime. It seems like it's third person, but at the end (or if you've read the blurb :/) you realise it's (SPOILER) Death speaking, and the narrative starts shifting to first person when Death if talking about himself. Love that book.
I already knew pretty much all of this but stayed because of the animation quality. Gibbonsstudio did a really good job.
My cousin: Who would need these? Me: FANFICTION WRITERS 😁😁😁
@ProPianoxArjun
4 жыл бұрын
Lol...btw help my channel grow
@wolfmistresswilderr6579
4 жыл бұрын
and Toby Fox
The animation in this video is hilarious and very well done. The characters make it so much easier to process the information and store it. Props to the animator/artist!
TED-Ed: Second person is barely used- Wattpad writers: Yo.
The animation for this video is amazing. Particularly love everything done for The Remains of the Day. (Also, how does Ted always know what video I need? Have been facing the dilemma of which pov to use for the past few days now 😬)
Really loved this video, and the animations were just brilliant. The video explained beautifully and in great depth, a facet of writing not considered really important by most.
The music was dazzling.... the animation was mind blowing.... infact this is one of the best videos I've ever watched from you Ted ed.... I just say thank you for this... It's truly inspirational
I know this gets said a lot, but this time I have to be the one to say it: The art style and animation is phenomenal!
Literally wonderful! I love the way this channel explains. Maybe it's the best channel for information.
The animation is just astonishing.
I absolutely love the narrator's impression of the prince. 😂😊
I was planing to write a book in quarentine. Was deciding which point of veiw I will try and now just watched a video from TED-ed. Its so much helpful. Thanks a lot TED-ed!!!!!
Thrid is a popular choice. First can be interesting. But second is unique since it's quite hard to pull it out. The Egg by Andy Weir is an excellent one on this perspective.
I love how the animations were done!
I write 3rd person but it gets so emotional with the characters that it sometimes gives a first person feel. The protag continued walking but, ugh, why was it talking so long? Their feet drug the ground as they wished they would. Just. Reach.... Home!!!
The animation. Oh my God. It's ridiculously good. So fun to watch! You notice new things every time! So cool!!!
Human Acts by Han Kang is partly in second person and i found it quite compelling- while first person makes you empathise, second person also makes you feel the weight of the situation and responsibilities. For a book like that involving activism and fighting a regime it makes sense, activism comes from a feeling of communal responsibility: that you do what you have to because you're there now and able to fight the injustice. The second person mirrors conscience guiding you - maybe even forcing you - through hardship because its the right thing to do. Well I think so... I read it a while back.
Man this channel is just really great. The range of topic and all handled so well!
this video is a godsend! ... I am working on a story for years and was never sure which perspective I should use ... I aready started 6 times now. The story is almost finished in my head ... maybe I can now finish it on paper too!
Insanely helpful, my English teacher showed us this yesterday.
This is so amazing! Thank you so much for making it.
A GREAT use of animation that is enhancing the VO. Bravo!!
The most I saw in the comments- ‘Books in review’ writing quotes ‘OwO’ replying first with a letter ‘pro piano tutorials’ advertising himself
Just today I was reading on transition of story from one perspective to another and I got notification of this video.
I've written over 120 chapters in second person before. One of the characters in it was a blind prosecutor, and telling parts of the story from her perspective was so interesting, what was going on around her visually had to be told from other characters. It made the way I told the story feel much more personal.
I have not read many good books with 2d person view, but I must say that of all I have read, Mr. B Gone is the best. The main character in the book speaks directly to the reader, as if he was trapped in the book, and it is quite realistically done. Not something you see often. I would love to see some more videos that go in depth on how to write stories in 1st and 2d person view. Especially suspenseful mysteries and/or horror.
Second person sounds like a y/n
@SS-yl5wo
4 жыл бұрын
Austin Moon yeah fanfic normally is written in the second person lol
@BlueSkies30
4 жыл бұрын
@@SS-yl5wo Except for y/n fanfics, I've never read a fanfic in 2nd person. Usually the ones I've read are 3rd person, occasionally 1st, but rarely. Maybe it's just the type of fanfics I read, but that's been my experience.
"Second person is a less common choice" So who's gonna tell her about y/n fanfics..
i really love ted-ed videos. they make me feel like i need to learn more from the outside world and improve my skills. love it
This animation is so quirky and fun and compliments the theme if the video very well. Good job!
This is fit for English class just as it is. Way better than most current materials. Congratulations with this piece
I love how every Ted-Ed animations have a type of story with this one having this tiny man writing on typewriter and I love it ✨
The animation in this should be considered an art in itself. So Beautiful 😍 💖
Love this art style. Huge Quintin Blake vibes
Thank you TED-Ed, for this video! I'm writing a small story, and I'm wondering should I choose first person or third person. This helps me a lot on my options!
This reminds me of a video I watched about first and third person video games and what a second person video game might look like. They ended up giving an example of a game where in one segment you are CONTROLLING your character(in the game's case, ) but LOOKING AT THEM through the eyes of another character (in the games case, the person chasing your car)
How does Ted have perfect timing? I was thinking about this just last night
Why dogs are attracted when we Whistle-Name:-C.L.Susrut
Great info but the animations Coupled with how simple it was intrigued me more. Bravo to the animation team!
There's a legend that ted-ed uploads the videos about the topic you would be thinking recently. And it's true. It always happens with me.❤️❤️
I went to a conference, where Markus Zusak was having a lecture. He talked about how he tried writing "The Book Thief" in different styles, before finding the right one. He tried the girl, 3rd person, and Death in different ways, before finally finding the one that worked.
The animations on this one are my favorite jet!
I was just wondering about this !! Thanks for the video.
The animation is really awesome, as well as the humour added in the Rapunzel story, classic!
The art in this video is so nice! Good job Ted Ed 👍
I love how the open window and the wind blowing the paper off the table is SO relatable...
Second person is basically every goosebumps book ever written... they tell you what to do/turn the page to Change ur fate...
This was a fantastic video ! Thank you ! ❤
It was uploaded when I need this the most, thanks Ted Ed!
Yusss! I love writing tips!
the animation is super cute with the music :DDD
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara jumps between several points of views, it's disorienting but also beautiful. It's long though, and has a heart breaking ending.
I remember in 8th grade when my English teacher told me that second person pov is not considered as a pov (I've written second person pov fanfics during that time). I wanna show her this vid to prove her wrong
Thats so great and informative. Love you Ted-Ed
this helps me writing my stories so much!!!
The music and art style gave me some OG vibes... keep it up Ted-Ed!
This style of animation is very good, I love it!
Great animation and great narrator for this one. Loved it.
First-person is an actor for a legendary story The second person is the Conversation summarised by another character story The third person is the guy who wrote that Legendary story
If you want to add details in your writing, you can see a movie and paused it when the camera point changes then write down the detain what u see on the movie
Have u ever asked yourself this? WHO IS TED? This amazing dude that makes us wanna learn
@Macrocompassion
4 жыл бұрын
TED is the mirror image of QED, the answer is easily done syndrome at the end of Euclidean proofs.
"'Once upon a time there was an aspiring author who wanted to write. He began to type aggressively on his typewriter.' You say as you read the story aloud." said I as I read the fanfic to my siblings.
What a beautiful animation! I was so distracted by the animation that I forgot what was being said.
It is such a happy coincidence, I wanted to learn more about writing skills and I got a notification of this video ☺️😀✨
This is really educational. I liked it, thanks.
Great vedio Thnks guys !!
And again ted ed never disappoints or bores us of its amazing content
It actually helped me a lot . Thx Ted Ed .
I cannot wait to use this in my classroom next school year!
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the animation. It's so good