Babble on POVs

[donutsweeper]

Just a question, and I'm not sure of the correct terminology here, but when reading (or writing), do you prefer a tight 3rd person POV  (where all events are seen and interpreted through one character's eyes) or switching between people's 3rd person POV with obvious page breaks or markers to show the new POV?

For example- my entire Charming the Pants off the Pashahads SGA/Jack crossover is told from Sheppard's POV, there is no scene where we see what Jack thinks about falling into the Pegasus Galaxy.  At points there are Sheppard's interpretation of Jack's actions (he notices a hedged answer, an avoided question, but doesn't know why Jack  answered that way).  If it had been written with switching POV's there could be the scene from Shep's perspective, noticing what he notices and wondering about it, followed by the same scene retold from Jack's, where he explained the reasons for saying what he did.  There also could have been scenes left out from the story the way I told it- I never did explain how Jack managed to get his hands on the Pashahads (because Sheppard wasn't there and wouldn't know).

I've been noticing more and more of the latter showing up in stories lately.  Presuming this babble actually makes sense to anyone, do you notice the difference between those types of POV styles and do you like one more than the other?

Comments

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

I think it's good to read Dresden fic that *isn't* 1st person simply because the canon is like that, it gives a different perspective to the characters that you don't usually get.

I was terrified the first time I wrote from Harry's pov, not being that confident that I'd got the voice right. I feel much happier writing it now but it's probably significant that it wasn't until my 5th Dresden fic that I tried 1st person, though admittedly Harry wasn't the focus in those first fics.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I've really lost my DF voice. I tried and tried to write something as a present recently, but couldn't. I'm only good for little ficlets in that fandom I think

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

Ficlets are good, there's nowt wrong with them! *g* Most of my Dresden stuff is on the short side too, it was only the last non consci_fan_mo one that hit over 4k words.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

ah yes. that one was great!

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

Hopefully writing the follow up to that soon; Harry discovering McAnally's secret. Am gently feeding the bunnies at present.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

*offers carrots to plot bunny*

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

I'm sure the bunnies will thank you, but I'm trying not to let them run rampant until I've finished the current wip. Then they can do what they want. It's going to be kind of weird going back in time as the 3 mid-winter ficlets (the 2 for consci_fan_mo and the follow up) are set much later in the bookverse so Mouse isn't around (and neither is Thomas).

I loved ending up with a muse for a dog, that just made my day!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Mouse is a wonderful muse