Seeking Ideas on how to write same story from different POV

[sxPlasticity]

So... Here's the question up front...

How to write different POVs, specifically the narrator's? What is key to making POV really moving?

Here's an elaboration on the problem and its significance.

When reading porn, it tends to be self-centered, and that gets reflected in porn writing, when they write most everything in the first person.

Taking things out of the first person is the goal here, and - if anyone finds this question interesting - I imagine they will probably find it a bunch of work to answer. Once things get taken out of the first person, it's almost like - why bother writing at all?

But basically, I like writing, so this question is just a writers question, not really sex per se.

Anyway, as a kink writer, I found a story between Femdom and a femsub, which the femsub wrote in the first person. As an experiment, I wanted to think of it with the roles reversed, so I took it and simply changed the names, cases and possessives around, and - it got pretty interesting at times - but I got it to sound a lot like the Domme had written the story.

It brought up so many great questions.

The biggest was, obviously, would a Domme have actually said, done or drawn such conclusions?

But then another, even larger point came into view when I tried to throw in a third and fourth person.

There is one character who plays a short role, so trying to write entire story based upon their POV would be immensely challenging because while they play a significant role they are maybe 1/100th of the story.

An easier task might be to put everything in terms of a completely new "implied" narrator who tells the story but has no direct identity - if such a thing is possible?

I guess this is where my question really opens up. Since this is a "How to..." Forum, the question is, how would you impose a third person Narrator on a two person story?

The only thing I have been able to conclude so far is maybe like a CSI documentary where a narrator usually tells the story while a bunch of reenactors reenact the events and then a bunch of guest commentators explain how and why everything happened in the crime.

A CSI documentary format would be nice, but I would like to lean away from CSI type stuff toward just a more traditional form of literary delivery. Looking for more examples in other genres.

But anyway, I hope this makes sense, and would appreciate any ideas or feedback on this point.

Ty.

 

[Lorelei907]

I actually did that by request of a couple of my readers. Never did I think I’d ever have requests but there I was!

At first I was a little intimidate by it because I thought it would be a chore and didn’t want to repeat everything but once I got into it the writing actually became fairly easy. In many aspects the story was already written, I just needed to change the point of view from first person to third; mostly I or me to Lori.

It took a little experimenting and re-rewrites but it worked out well and I actually had a lot of fun with it. Give it a try!

 

[Britva415]

How to write different POVs, specifically the narrator's? What is key to making POV really moving?

Understand that the same story with a different POV is a different story.

What was the key to making the original story moving? Whatever that process was, it involved putting yourself in the shoes of the narrator, right? So, do the same process: Put yourself in the shoes of whoever the other POV belongs to. Multiple people, if necessary. And, find what it is in their story which would be moving if you were to tell it.

 

[sxPlasticity]

Britva415: What was the key to making the original story moving? Whatever that process was, it involved putting yourself in the shoes of the narrator, right? So, do the same process: Put yourself in the shoes of whoever the other POV belongs to.

That is a freaking great explanation. It's right along the lines of what I am trying to do.

However... there's a few problems... not with what you are proposing, but just the logic of it...

The first is, I'm a guy, whereas the story is about a F/f forced situation. The second thing is, when developing the third (narrator's) voice - it's like, I'm not really that mean...

It's sort of hard to describe, I guess, but - it feels like trying to play both sides of the fence. The sub role and the Domme role are so at odds with one another by the end of the story, it would seem incredibly difficult to somehow make the narrator speak about either without compromising the other, if that makes any sense.

Imagine, if you would - two women in a fight, and you didn't know which one was in the right or wrong... or, better, you simply couldn't side with either...

That's kind of how it seems. Take a guy sub, and try to get a guy sub to arbitrate a fight between a vengeful Mistress and her (forcibly taken) femme slave.

The tendency seems to want to work toward peace, but the way the story turns out is the Domme exacts a sort of vigilante justice on the slave.

It's an old story. I probably would not read it today, but it's also something that has stayed with me.

Your views are respected, even if I don't have an immediate response.

 

[sxPlasticity]

I actually did that by request of a couple of my readers. Never did I think I’d ever have requests but there I was!

At first I was a little intimidate by it because I thought it would be a chore and didn’t want to repeat everything but once I got into it the writing actually became fairly easy. In many aspects the story was already written, I just needed to change the point of view from first person to third; mostly I or me to Lori.

It took a little experimenting and re-rewrites but it worked out well and I actually had a lot of fun with it. Give it a try!

Ha! Do you STILL take requests?

This one is a toughy.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Understand that the same story with a different POV is a different story.

I see what you are trying to say, but turn it around. It’s all the same story, but told by different people.

sxP - consider this concept. You’ve got a third person story in your mind. That’s your starting point. Now select a chunk of it and retell it from the POV of one of the characters. Then select another piece of 3rd PPOV and redo it from thee POV of another character. You’re telling the same story, but in individual pieces each from a different POV.

 

[ElectricBlue]

When reading porn, it tends to be self-centered, and that gets reflected in porn writing, when they write most everything in the first person.

That's a fairly sweeping and completely untrue statement. Try writing something that considers the other person, then your "dilemma" is solved. Take the self-centeredness out of it.

Taking things out of the first person is the goal here, and - if anyone finds this question interesting - I imagine they will probably find it a bunch of work to answer. Once things get taken out of the first person, it's almost like - why bother writing at all?

Have you not heard or read third person narration? That's all you're talking about here. Seems to me you need to read more. Third person narratives are not a big mystery - they've been the foundation of literature since novels started to be written, three centuries ago.