Loading hub content…
Loading hub content…
Third-person prose colored by a character's voice without explicit "I thought."
Third-person prose colored by a character's voice without explicit "I thought." POV choices are contracts about knowledge and voice — break them deliberately, not accidentally.
As a technique, it is a deliberate move — judge it by effect in context, not by blanket ban.
In revision, ask whether the move earns its place in this scene — techniques work when they change reader understanding or feeling.
Why it matters
Free indirect discourse clarifies narration choices that affect empathy, irony, and what readers can know when.
Common pitfalls
Instead of naming the move, dramatize it: show the choice that makes free indirect discourse visible on the page.