Omniscient Narrator

[karaline]

Have any of you ever used (or seen the use of) an Omniscient narrator when writing erotica?

How did it work out for you?

Can you point me in the direction of any good examples of this?

It's occurred to me that it might work quite well plot wise for my latest story idea, but I can't imagine writing sex scenes from this perspective

thanks
Karaline

 

[SimonDoom]

I have two stories that fit this description.

Late Night on the Loveseat with Mom is a mom-son story that reveals the thoughts of both mom and son. It does so within scenes, so it's borderline head-hopping, although I think it's clear at all times who is doing the thinking. To some degree the narrator also reveals what the father, nearby, is thinking, as well. Since the story reveals what all three characters are thinking, it's an example of omniscient point of view.


My story In The Hallway features only two characters, a man and a woman who meet in an office hallway, and it alternates point of view from scene to scene. I would call that omniscient as well because the reader is fully informed about each character's point of view and thoughts throughout the story.

Most of my third person stories are third person limited, revealing the thoughts of only one character, because I find this POV more useful for maintaining suspense and surprise, but sometimes I like to get into the heads of all the characters.

 

[TadOverdon]

I write mostly third-person limited, but tend to "rove." I sometimes use omniscient when synopsizing past events. "Head-hopping" is an occasional problem in both cases.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Most of my 3rd person POV is Omniscient, the narrator know all. Now whether he/she shares that knowledge is another question. But he/she does know what people are thinking and tells all when appropriate otherwise the characters would be talking to themselves all the time.

 

[NotWise]

My Halloween story has an omniscient narrator. It might not be a good example, because I spend very little time in the character's heads. In my case, it's mostly a matter of shifting points of view. Each part of the story starts from the woman's point of view and shifts to the guys point of view. They're mostly in the same place, experiencing the same events, so the shifts aren't obvious.

The narrator in my Pixie stories is omniscient, but again without spending a lot of time in the characters' heads. The stories are usually told from Pixie's POV, but it changes during sex scenes so that the reader sees the thoughts and motivations of whomsoever is pushing the action. Again, the shift is hard to spot.

 

[rescatooor]

I can't think of a story that is here at Literotica. In other literature, maybe The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, which takes interest in sexuality and psychology, although I wouldn't describe it as erotica. It's a good book either way. 3rd person narration that analyzes the characters behaviour and thoughts, but also changes focal point for each part of the story.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I have two stories that fit this description.

Late Night on the Loveseat with Mom is a mom-son story that reveals the thoughts of both mom and son. It does so within scenes, so it's borderline head-hopping, although I think it's clear at all times who is doing the thinking. To some degree the narrator also reveals what the father, nearby, is thinking, as well. Since the story reveals what all three characters are thinking, it's an example of omniscient point of view.


My story In The Hallway features only two characters, a man and a woman who meet in an office hallway, and it alternates point of view from scene to scene. I would call that omniscient as well because the reader is fully informed about each character's point of view and thoughts throughout the story.

Most of my third person stories are third person limited, revealing the thoughts of only one character, because I find this POV more useful for maintaining suspense and surprise, but sometimes I like to get into the heads of all the characters.

Limited omniscient point of view, if you go into full blown omniscient you'd know what the damn dog things, the neighbors (if you wonder out of the house) and most of the other diners at a restaurant. I've read some stories that have random peoples thoughts as they pass by one of the MC and find that cluttered to read.

I'd only caution, if you're going to with omniscient POV don't over do it. I like first person best, it's more personal, you can split the first person in chapters or scenes, by switching narrators. Working on a story by request (at this very moment, well when I get off here that is) taken from four characters different points of view. They are in diaries, notebooks, journals, and a personal record kept by one of the characters.

 

[rescatooor]

Another book (series) that I thought of that has 3rd person omniscient narration is Jay Kristoff's Nevernight series. Pretty much the first thing the narrator announces is that the MC is going to die. I only read the first one and it has one chapter that is nothing but sex. Here the 3rd person narration is focalized on the main character, for as far as I can tell. But it is clear that the narrator is just omniscient. It's his choice what information to give and when.

I have been told I was right to stop at the first book. Still that book had some style: all of the world building is in footnotes, and those footnotes have a fun, colloquial tone.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Another book (series) that I thought of that has 3rd person omniscient narration is Jay Kristoff's Nevernight series. Pretty much the first thing the narrator announces is that the MC is going to die. I only read the first one and it has one chapter that is nothing but sex. Here the 3rd person narration is focalized on the main character, for as far as I can tell. But it is clear that the narrator is just omniscient. It's his choice what information to give and when.

I have been told I was right to stop at the first book. Still that book had some style: all of the world building is in footnotes, and those footnotes have a fun, colloquial tone.

There was a movie a few years ago, which had a MC narrating the story. The opening begins with this line, "Just because I'm telling you this story, doesn't mean I survive the events." Or something to that effect. And she didn't!

 

[rescatooor]

There was a movie a few years ago, which had a MC narrating the story. The opening begins with this line, "Just because I'm telling you this story, doesn't mean I survive the events." Or something to that effect. And she didn't!

It's a fair warning. Surprising number of stories suddenly have the narrator die. They didn't live to tell the tale, yet they told it anyway.

 

[SimonDoom]

Limited omniscient point of view, if you go into full blown omniscient you'd know what the damn dog things, the neighbors (if you wonder out of the house) and most of the other diners at a restaurant. I've read some stories that have random peoples thoughts as they pass by one of the MC and find that cluttered to read.

.

I think the line between third-person limited and third-person omniscient can get blurry. I've never understood the omniscient POV to require that the dog's thoughts get shown, or that everyone in the neighborhood's POV get shown. If this were true there would be almost no examples of this POV, because off the top of my head I cannot think of a single story I've ever read that does this.

I understand third person limited POV to be when a story is told in third person, but either a) where it reveals the thoughts of only one character in the story, or b) where it reveals the thoughts of more than one character, but typically one at a time, usually sticking with one character for an extended time.

Third-person omniscient is where the narrator knows what everyone is thinking, but the narrator is free to pick and choose what the narrator wants to reveal of the characters' thoughts. There's no obligation to reveal everything all the time. I would describe Tolstoy's books this way, or Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. But in Lonesome Dove the POV usually shifts at the scene change. I wouldn't call it limited point of view, however. The point is that the reader knows what everyone, or almost everyone, is thinking as the story goes along.

Third-person omniscient is not quite synonymous with head-hopping, in my view.

The line between the two POVs is murky, as are most lines in writing.

 

[karaline]

Thanks everyone, as ever really helpful answers.

Zeb, is there any piece of your writing in particular you would recommend as a good example of an erotic scene with an omniscient perspective? your back catalogue is a little intimidating! although i tend to avoid LW and I/T so that narrows it down significantly.

I think the line between third-person limited and third-person omniscient can get blurry. I've never understood the omniscient POV to require that the dog's thoughts get shown, or that everyone in the neighborhood's POV get shown. If this were true there would be almost no examples of this POV, because off the top of my head I cannot think of a single story I've ever read that does this.

this is one of the most interesting books i've ever read, and showcases an example of an omniscient narrator who is does the all seeing thing very well. but be warned, it is a bit marmite, i have friends who love it, friends who hate it, and those who feel a bit meh about it. There is a sense of cold, removed distance all the way through, which is why i am doubtful it will suit my brand of erotica.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/15/reservoir-13-by-jon-mcgregor-review

I understand third person limited POV to be when a story is told in third person, but either a) where it reveals the thoughts of only one character in the story, or b) where it reveals the thoughts of more than one character, but typically one at a time, usually sticking with one character for an extended time.

Third-person omniscient is where the narrator knows what everyone is thinking, but the narrator is free to pick and choose what the narrator wants to reveal of the characters' thoughts. There's no obligation to reveal everything all the time. I would describe Tolstoy's books this way, or Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. But in Lonesome Dove the POV usually shifts at the scene change. I wouldn't call it limited point of view, however. The point is that the reader knows what everyone, or almost everyone, is thinking as the story goes along.

Third-person omniscient is quite synonymous with head-hopping, in my view.

The line between the two POVs is murky, as are most lines in writing.

thanks for defining this, i was starting to doubt myself and wonder if maybe i was misinterpreting the definition. (i've certainly done my fair share of poorly executed head hoping in the past, and try these days, to stay in one head per scene.)

 

[Handley_Page]

Personally, I prefer a story that's narrated.

 

[karaline]

I write mostly third-person limited, but tend to "rove." I sometimes use omniscient when synopsizing past events. "Head-hopping" is an occasional problem in both cases.

this sounds like a good use of omniscient

 

[karaline]

Personally, I prefer a story that's narrated.

as in with an intrusive narrator?

rather than written in first person?

 

[StrangeLife]

I find omniscient narration quite difficult to pull off without losing immersion, so I tend not to use it. Some authors are indeed able to tell compelling stories that way, but alas I don't have the writing chops for it.

 

[PennameWombat]

I regularly use third-person limited but rotate amongst a selection of characters. So the first section is Chris, then Samantha, then Joyce, back to Chris, then Maria, and so on. Certain of my major characters have never been PoV (and some never will be) and occasionally a minor outsider will be featured to provide a more distant view.

I could achieve some of that with third-person omniscient, but part of what I want is THAT character's specific view, and where the various views might eventually clash or coalesce. I won't disclaim using it, but I've not had much desire where it'd really be a primary choice.

When I write in first person, I resolutely stay with the single narrator. It's THEIR story, right or wrong, everyone else is just a player on their stage.

When I write in second person, you'll know the alien brain parasites have finally eaten their way to somewhere vital .

 

[ElectricBlue]

I understand third person limited POV to be when a story is told in third person, but either a) where it reveals the thoughts of only one character in the story, or b) where it reveals the thoughts of more than one character, but typically one at a time, usually sticking with one character for an extended time.

I do 3rd person close narrator (b) a lot. It can get in just as close, just as intimate, as first person pov; in my mind at least.

A good example - although the first three scenes are mostly from his point of view, once it settles in, it shares equal time with each protagonist:

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-floating-world-1

 

[Ian_Snow]

Not in the strict definition of the term, but I've written a few stories with narrators relating things that happened long ago, which affords them a certain sense of limited knowledge about what other people were thinking, thanks to conversations and shared history. That's a good question. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for stories like that.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Thanks everyone, as ever really helpful answers.

Zeb, is there any piece of your writing in particular you would recommend as a good example of an erotic scene with an omniscient perspective? your back catalogue is a little intimidating! although i tend to avoid LW and I/T so that narrows it down significantly.

Ah, sure, probably any of my sci-fi stuff, except most of it doesn't have any sex in it. Two items come to mind... Chicom Invasion and Chicom Invasion Pt. 02.

Other sci-fi stories that come to mind - Warrior One series.

Another - Call of the Dove - there is no sex in that one either.

Most of the rest all into LW or I/T but you might just try clicking those that aren't in those two categories and You can probably tell pretty quick if it's in 3rd person POV.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I think the line between third-person limited and third-person omniscient can get blurry. I've never understood the omniscient POV to require that the dog's thoughts get shown, or that everyone in the neighborhood's POV get shown. If this were true there would be almost no examples of this POV, because off the top of my head I cannot think of a single story I've ever read that does this.

I included the dogs thoughts because of a specific story my father wrote. In truth, I don't think he will every publish it. This is because it is highly autobiographical, though the story was inspired by something outside his life, many of the characters from his youth are in the story. These people are very much the same was they were in real life, names changed to protect the guilty.

The story revolves around a serial killer who kills a kid around 12 years old, then an adult this is his age. It follows the daily lives of three main kids, who are modeled after my father and his two best friends, (two boys and one girl) and all their other friends.

The killer has returned home to kill all the bullies he knew as child, and children the age he was when he was committed to Fort Supply Mental hospital for murdering his parents.

Their are two animals covered in the story, an aging tigress, housed at a private zoo, and female Siberian Husky that belongs to the man character. One of the two will be the hero of the story. Several times you hear the animals thoughts in the story.

The tigress feels the children are her kittens, the dog loves her master, and hates birds.

It is really a good story, but try as might, I cant talk him into publishing it. Many of the small, but important, moments are real things that happened. He just can't bring himself to share them with the world.

One of those personal moments, my father taught a dog to climb a ladder, it went on the roof any time a ladder happened to be against the house, then couldn't come down. Usually it was because birds were on the roof. Of course, they flew away when the dog got the there. In the story, the dog thinks, "Stupid birds," when they won't play with her.

 

[Djmac1031]

My Halloween story features an Omniscient Narrator.

It is a handy tool if you want to foreshadow or reference an event that hasn't happened yet.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Labels can be confusing, so I'll just say that I do on occasion, using third person narration, tell what the characters are thinking or feeling. One such was Love Long Gone. It worked.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I like epistolary writing. Having stories told from several peoples 1st person accounts. The story can be advanced only using small parts to be duplicated in each individuals account, or they can cover all of the story from the different points of view.

Consider this, all 1st person narratives are told by an unreliable narrator. What your told is skewed by their involvement, perceptions, recollections, and sometimes in an effort to inflate their virtue, strength, or self-importance, or deflate incompetence, bad judgement, or blame.

By using several different points of view, the reader can chose who's truth is more accurate, or that the truth is somewhere in between all accounts.

Not every story can use such a method. It often bogs down in the retelling of the same events, and certainly it narrows the time frame of a story as it happens.

Dracula, and to a lessor degree, Frankenstein are good epistolary tales.

Just consider it as an alternative to singular first person point of view, or omniscient narration sometime.

 

[TadOverdon]

So here's a thing that's bugging me today:

I have a character who is referred to omnisciently as "Janet."

The character who my third-person narrative follows most often, Lauren, has known her for decades and thinks/speaks of her as "Jan."

This got confusing when the two finally have a scene together in "present time." In the narration setting the scene and describing the two of them interacting from a third-person perspective, it makes sense to continue Janet. But in many paragraphs the narration sticks pretty close to Lauren, such as briefly summarizing her internal reactions, and "Jan" seems right.

It's kind of like (while not at all like) figuring out the segue from past perfect to past tense during a long flashback. Where's the entry/exit?