Is it ok?

[gauchecritic]

As usual I'm very late in entering the contest this year and I'm typing furiously, probably post without an exterior edit and will finish in the middle, winning neither first place nor hallowed Last Place.

I'm not stuck or anything but I seem to be engaged in a style I've never used before.

The story is essentially first person but I have a slight sub-plot (because of the point I am trying to make in the story as a whole) and the sub-plot (plot! Ha!) is necessarily in third person. I'm switching POVs. I've never done that.

Is it ok or just confusing?

 

[fieryjen]

As usual I'm very late in entering the contest this year and I'm typing furiously, probably post without an exterior edit and will finish in the middle, winning neither first place nor hallowed Last Place.

I'm not stuck or anything but I seem to be engaged in a style I've never used before.

The story is essentially first person but I have a slight sub-plot (because of the point I am trying to make in the story as a whole) and the sub-plot (plot! Ha!) is necessarily in third person. I'm switching POVs. I've never done that.

Is it ok or just confusing?

Depends. I've read books where it was done and they worked out just fine, so a PoV switch like this isn't inherently confusing. If you try your best to be clear, I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[tickledkitty]

I think you have the skill to pull it off, gauche.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

As usual I'm very late in entering the contest this year and I'm typing furiously, probably post without an exterior edit and will finish in the middle, winning neither first place nor hallowed Last Place.

I'm not stuck or anything but I seem to be engaged in a style I've never used before.

The story is essentially first person but I have a slight sub-plot (because of the point I am trying to make in the story as a whole) and the sub-plot (plot! Ha!) is necessarily in third person. I'm switching POVs. I've never done that.

Is it ok or just confusing?

POV shifts in short stories are usually best avoided. But using them is okay if it doesn't confuse readers. Good luck.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[rgraham666]

I've done it in a novella I wrote, one of my vampire stories.

The start and finish were in third person, but from the heroine's POV. The rest is first person told from the hero's.

I got no complaints about confusion.

I'm sure you can pull it off, gauche.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Of course you can, Gauche. You don't see that a lot on Lit because most of us aren't talented enough to bring it off. I think you can.

 

[damppanties]

Is it ok or just confusing?

You'll know when it posts. And if you get "What the hell was that?!" sort of PCs, then you just yank it off and redo it. Or not.
[/end blah sort of answer]

I read a few where I noticed a pov shift. It didn't confuse me, it just made me think it's bad writing. I might have read certain other stories where I haven't noticed. With you, I think it'll be the one where it's not noticed. Luck.

 

[walkerlong]

I don't think it's confusing, but I think it works better if you have chapters to locate your narrative breaks.

That reminds me of a book I read recently called The Keep by Jennifer Egan. It that had a strange narrative structure. Every other chapter was written by this character in the other chapters. I thought it hung together pretty well until the ending.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Bet you a pint that you can't do it.

 

[CharleyH]

As usual I'm very late in entering the contest this year and I'm typing furiously, probably post without an exterior edit and will finish in the middle, winning neither first place nor hallowed Last Place.

I'm not stuck or anything but I seem to be engaged in a style I've never used before.

The story is essentially first person but I have a slight sub-plot (because of the point I am trying to make in the story as a whole) and the sub-plot (plot! Ha!) is necessarily in third person. I'm switching POVs. I've never done that.

Is it ok or just confusing?

Have I mentioned lately that your submission is showing?

 

[wildsweetone]

As usual I'm very late in entering the contest this year and I'm typing furiously, probably post without an exterior edit and will finish in the middle, winning neither first place nor hallowed Last Place.

I'm not stuck or anything but I seem to be engaged in a style I've never used before.

The story is essentially first person but I have a slight sub-plot (because of the point I am trying to make in the story as a whole) and the sub-plot (plot! Ha!) is necessarily in third person. I'm switching POVs. I've never done that.

Is it ok or just confusing?

a new style... go for it. enjoy the ride.

 

[The_Fool]

Bet you a pint that you can't do it.

Your motives are as see-through as your blouse...

 

[gauchecritic]

Sorry everybody else....

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET.


Had to say that, it's been a hell of a long time.

Just finished with a diatribe for MiAmico in another thread. I begin to wonder what is the point of intellect? (taking the piss as far as I can tell)

Thank you all for the positives (I never realised the newbs were aware that I actually wrote stories, yes even Jenny's still a newb to me)

Mrs Hynde, none of your foreign muck though.

Rob. I didn't know anyone would want to do it, let alone had done it.

Cheers Rump, Fiery and Tickled (two newbs and the oldest man alive)

Mrs Charley, eeerm.

Dampy.

WalkerLong. Who the fuck are you? No, really. Who are you? But seriously... Yes, I realised when I got to the first switch a break would be a good idea.

 

[fifty5]

Give the readers some sort of hint - chapter ends or just a row of asterisks or dashes.

IMHO, it's just that POV changes aren't that common, so readers need that hint so they don't get derailed. As long as there is some hint, go for it - it opens up a new possibility for richness.

(You may gather that I've done it myself - see 'Incest or group sex' below - for a story I felt worked best that way. It still has that little 'H' so it can't be that bad.)

 

[jomar]

From a newbie: It's definitely okay. And have fun with it.

(Insert this above post 13.)

 

[cloudy]

I'm probably still a newb to gauche.

(go for it, darlin'. I think you can pull it off)

 

[carsonshepherd]

I do it. I just mark the different sections with a line of asterixses or something. The reader quickly gets used to it.

 

[TE999]

I do it. I just mark the different sections with a line of asterixses or something. The reader quickly gets used to it.

It's always worked for me too.

Go for it Gauche!

 

[sr71plt]

Give the readers some sort of hint - chapter ends or just a row of asterisks or dashes.

IMHO, it's just that POV changes aren't that common, so readers need that hint so they don't get derailed. As long as there is some hint, go for it - it opens up a new possibility for richness.

(You may gather that I've done it myself - see 'Incest or group sex' below - for a story I felt worked best that way. It still has that little 'H' so it can't be that bad.)

Three asterisks between each change of POV section, as noted by fifty5, should be enough to stave off reader confusion.

When it posts, note that right away on the contest thread--because you'll need a lot of fast voting to get it qualified at this point.

 

[Vermilion]

It's more than possible if you're careful to make sure the reader knows *whose* head they're in. My current story has been read by four or five Litizens and noone has yet even commented on the fact that the PoV shifts in *every* single scene... this probably means that it's not noticeable... either that or they're all scared I won;t take criticism well...

Try it and see how it goes
Good Luck
x
V

 

[neonlyte]

Finish, post, duck.

Someone will find fault... more likely because you characters are not 18 - 20 with 12inch dicks and 38DD breasts. They probably won't notice the change in POV.

 

[slyc_willie]

Finish, post, duck.

Someone will find fault... more likely because you characters are not 18 - 20 with 12inch dicks and 38DD breasts. They probably won't notice the change in POV.

Hey, it's 42DD breasts, with 34-inch hips.

Get tyour facts straight, man . . . .

 

[neonlyte]

Hey, it's 42DD breasts, with 34-inch hips.

Get tyour facts straight, man . . . .

I'm not greedy

 

[slyc_willie]

I'm not greedy

Wait, forgot the 'naturally hairless pussy.'

Sheesh . . . we've gotten lax in our 'silly porn story descriptions.'

BTW, Neon, everything good? Or, at the least, relatively so?

 

[wildsweetone]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET.


Had to say that, it's been a hell of a long time.

...

does this mean i get a sneak preview?

hope you didn't fall off your chair. (where are all the writing threads? )