donutsweeper: (Default)
donutsweeper ([personal profile] donutsweeper) wrote2009-01-08 02:11 pm

Babble on POVs

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?

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I think it's great you got the book as a present. And really great kids are learning all those grammar rules today!
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[identity profile] tejas.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
My kid knows I'm a geek.

(Is this where I rat her out because she's stealing Mom's DVDs and is, at this moment, wallowing in the goodness that is NCIS S1? :-)

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
(yay for her! S1 is a lot of fun!)
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[identity profile] tejas.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
She's been watching with me, on and off and finally I told her (after the umpteenth question about when the Meat Puzzle arc started), "You really should just watch the DVDs".

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
figuring out canon can be confusing when just catching an episode here and there
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[identity profile] tejas.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:27 pm (UTC)(link)
At least I've gotten her to see the wonder that is Tony instead of just latching onto the surface of the character.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
very important distinction!
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[identity profile] tejas.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I wish the writers would keep it in mind. :-)

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
*sighs at tptb* they seem to forget more often than they remember
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[identity profile] tejas.livejournal.com 2009-01-10 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
There are only millions of people around the world who could remind them.

*sigh*