(no subject)

[keaalu]

[Poll #1040903]

Edit: Actually, I think I've got it planned out, after all. I'm going to do it "half-and-half", or something like it - some parts in the first-person style of journal entries, others in my usual third-person style. I just need to now devise a calendar for the "Maya" (as there's will probably actually BE journal entries), and a way for Mirii/Sei to plot time (as there's will be more "thoughts" than actual diary entries, even though they'll read like it. Whee.)

Comments

[aegis-fox.livejournal.com]

As a form of storytelling? I'd advise against it. When you're working from a character's perspective, you have to make sure that there's a valid reason for it - i.e. why the readers should see things from that angle, or why this character's view matters enough to show a story through it. In the case of a diary/blog, this is even more important, since you're not dealing directly with the characters actions and thoughts, but now a transcript, which means there's going to be a filter - specifically, not what they experience, but how they transcribe what they experience. Which means (assuming you're staying with the character's identity) you wind up with possibly a biased view, their concept of relevant details, and quite possibly, omitted ones, intentionally (for the character) or otherwise. Which, admittedly, would make for some very interesting writing. But really difficult to pull off.

You also have to handle plot with the factor that you don't get to describe anything as it actually happens, but only after the fact. Though since most stores are past tense anyway, it's not much of an issue.

Point being, it's not just something that should be decided on a whim. You either want the reader to have to see through someone else's eyes because of how who they are relates to the events and the plot,or because the actual perspective is somehow tied to the plot, or because the thoughts and POV of that character are important enough to relate through them directly.

Of course, if you want to "cheat" (i.e. half and half), just have your characters keep journals and just tell us what they write...

[keaalu.livejournal.com]

Good points. *nods* And I accept that the whole thing as journals would be a little tiresome and a pain to pull off, especially if it's from different people's points of view. (That was my main problem with writing things first-person, when I tried it before, I got tired of showing the whole story through just one character's eyes and ended up rewriting it.) BUT! The thing I'd been hoping to carry off is the fact that Mirii doesn't understand the "Maya" and they don't understand her, but each thinks they know what the other is thinking. As in, she's uncomfortable with being treated like royalty but thinks it's just because she's an unusual guest, and eventually she'll take her leave and thank them and go on her way again - she doesn't have even the remotest concept that they plan on eating her (at least, trying to) after the allotted twelve days. THEY, on the other hand, think she's a goddess in mortal form who has arrived to bless and honour them, and that she's remaining with them as a willing sacrifice to bless their harvest. :\

What I was planning on (if this makes sense?) was having some of it as Mirii's "thoughts" (but in a journal-like entry), some as the Chief's writings, some as "real time", and so on. Yeah, I admit it's mostly a gimmick, but eh, the idea of this exercise is to hammer out the requisite number of words in the alloted time and maybe polish it up afterwards. ;) And I don't want to get bored of it halfway through. If I get the story down and it works, all is good. If it doesn't work, I can switch to third-person afterwards. :)

"why this character's view matters enough to show a story through it"
- I see what you're saying, but then I guess you could level that at ANY story written - why are ANY given set of characters so important that we're writing/reading about them? ;)