What is Tuatoru tata?
Ko te Close third he tirohanga kōrero e whai ana ki tētahi tangata kotahi ki te piri ki a ia, e whakaatu ana i te kōrero mā ō rātou whakaaro, ō rātou kare-ā-roto, me ngā tohu o te mōhio i a rātou, ā, e whakamahia tonu ana te reo tuatoru: ia, rātou.
Ko te Close third (arā, ko te tuatoru tata / iti) he huarahi ki te kōrero pūrongo i roto i te tuatoru-tau.
Usage example
I roto i tētahi wāhanga o te close-third: I pā a Mia tōna ringa ki te matapihi makariri o te kafē, e tatau ana i ngā hēkona tae noa ki tana taenga mai. I kī a ia ki a ia e rangimārie ana ia — engari i whiti ōna maihao, e pīpī ana pēnei i ngā manu mōrearea. I te taha o te hātepe, i pupū te rama o te ara ki te kākāriki, ā, i puta ake te mahara ki tā rātou tautohe o mua, mārō, me te rerekē o ngā mea.
Practical application
Ko te take nui o te close third ko te āhei ki te kaituhi me ngā kaihoahoa kōrero ki te waihanga i te hononga ngākau ki tētahi tangata kotahi, ā, ki te pupuri i te māmā o te pūrongo. I roto i tētahi taupānga pērā i Endless Romance, mā te whakamahi i te close third e āhei ana ngā kaitākaro ki te noho ki roto i ngā urupare me ngā kōwhiringa o tā rātou tangata i kōwhiria — nō reira e tino whaiaro ana ō whakatau, ā, e piripiri ana ngā hua ki te ngākau — kāore i te herea te pūrongo katoa ki te reo tuatahi.
FAQ
How is close third different from first person?
Both give strong access to a character's inner life, but first person uses 'I' and limits you to that narrator's voice entirely. Close third uses 'he/she/they' and keeps sentence-level distance while still conveying the character’s thoughts and sensations, which can be easier to shift into or out of for variety.
Can you switch close-third viewpoint between characters?
Yes—many stories use alternating close third chapters or sections, each anchored to a different character. Be clear when you switch (with chapter breaks or scene markers) to avoid confusing the reader about whose inner life they're in.
How do I avoid head-hopping in close third?
Head-hopping happens when the narrative slips into another character's thoughts without a clear scene break. Stay disciplined: in any uninterrupted scene, filter descriptions and internal commentary through the anchored character’s perceptions, and use breaks when you need to move to another point of view.