#first person omniscient

[umbrvx]

orv twitter request collection

[mumblesplash]

evbo. evbo get back here right now. what the fuck is the narrative pov of pvpciv

[purrfectlycontent]

they…

[cookie-nom-nom]

Reading Barrayar I felt trapped in Cordelia’s head. It’s incredibly effective for the dread of war as a civilian. Plans and machinations happening beyond you, with no input. Hearing of things happening that seem far off and like yeah that’s awful but then suddenly it dominoes in a way that destroy your life and it’s not your fault and you could've done nothing at all to prevent it. Especially the tension of being hunted in the Dendarii mountains with no idea how the war is going, if they’ve already lost, if it is already too late. Cordelia is doing actively important things in service of the war by sheltering Gregor, yet there's this pervasive feeling of helpless lack of control. She spends most of the book with this dread of not knowing when the next threat to their family will come, and I don’t think it could’ve been done so effectively if we had access to the information Aral had. I found it frustrating at times, since it felt like Cordelia was swept up in events with little agency (at first; obviously our dear captain didn’t remain there). I wanted so badly to be with Aral seeing and knowing and making the decisions.

But that’s the point! Most people have absolutely zero agency in those situations and little information and it’s terrifying. Barrayar captures the feeling of being a civilian in war where so many narratives narrow in upon the heroes and 'men of history' that control conflicts. That's what readers expect. I think that’s why I loved the ending so much. After so long trapped with Cordelia, just trying to survive the larger machinations of Barrayar’s bloody politics, it felt so, so good to finally be on the offensive, to have information the opponents don’t, to finally have power and the means to control what happens. It's a relief to the constant tension of having no agency in a giant conflict that frankly Cordelia had no business being affect by, yet was swept up in because of her love of Aral.

Which is the second thing I deeply enjoyed in Barrayar. I love how the war is made so human. A messy tangle of human relationships control it. I can’t stop thinking about the hostages. There are just so many children being used because the war holds the future hostage. Tiny precious Miles utterly incapable of comprehending how large a pawn he is. Young grieving Gregor vital to the plans of both sides whether dead or alive. Elena, who should be of no importance but she is because that's the kid of an unimportant soldier, just like every other hostage is another piece in the web of the war. I keep thinking about the relatives of Aral’s men caught in the capital. The hostages that Aral refuses to take. Everyone just trying to take care of those they love, and the points where they must put other priorities over their relationships are heart wrenching.

Barrayar looks dead on at how little people try to survive a civil war. From the mountains where the fighting seems so far, and information is slowed to a trickle of the singular mailman. The invasion of forces that disrupts people who may not even know there’s a war yet. The scientists and the genius lost in a single blast that goes unnoticed. The urban populations trying to sneak in food and people and keep their heads down. Random citizens debating who to sell out, weighing risks and bounties, if it will get them the favor with the occupiers that will help them survive. All so small in the grand scheme of things, and yet they are who Barrayar concerns itself with.

Cordelia’s uncertainty and fear would’ve been undermined if we were allowed to see in the heads of people driving the conflict, because Barrayar isn’t about those people. It is the desperation of two mothers, powerless and kept in the dark, that topples the regime.

Addendum: Cordelia’s relationship to Aral firmly places her in an upper class position that is important to note when discussing the role of civilians/‘little people’ within this analysis. But as a woman on Barrayar she is extremely limited in the power she is allocated, especially compared to someone like Aral, which would be the military leadership POV that novels more focused on the grander scope of war would utilize. Again not to say Cordelia has no agency or power, but it is not to the degree of the people in charge. Thus I place her alongside the average people swept up in a war outside their control. Still, her position as a Vor Lady gives her some access knowledge and connections that she turns into power, which while limited are far more than the average citizen. Her significance to Vordarrian is exclusively viewed as yet another hostage, an underestimation that Cordelia readily exploits, but still afforded only due to her status. Cordelia occupies a position of importance but not power beyond the scope of the people she’s formed direct relationships with, which only further ties into the essay's thesis.

[aropride]

(third person objective is when the narrator doesn't know the emotions/perspective of any characters, third person limited is when the narrator only shares one person's person's perspective, and third person omniscient is when the narrator knows all the characters' perspectives)

[emma-d-klutz]

Started binge reading the Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint webtoon because someone I follow kept posting about it and I got curious. I'm on chapter 58 so far, and all I can say is I do not think these two men are in love in the conventional sense of the word but I do think whatever is going on with them is way funnier and more interesting actually

[thats-a-lot-of-cortisol]

I've been thinking about names re: durges (and especially Corentin)

I haven't really liked the whole "this character's name is The Dark Urge" because it's honestly...silly to me? A bit? But I saw someone else discussing their durge's backstory today and it got me thinking about the function of names a bit more.

Naming someone "The Dark Urge" is super dehumanizing. And, like, that's the point, of course. But Corentin, even at their most compliant, was always trying to eek out some semblance of individuality or control or rebellion. They were kidnapped brought to the Bhaalists at 15, after all. Even with the cult's (and Bhaal's) efforts, it's difficult to completely rewire someone who's nearly a grown adult, especially one who's fighting it kicking and screaming most of the time.

So while they lose their memories of their family due to the constant trauma, they do manage to hold on to some things. Their refusal to eat bog body stays the entire time, as does their insistence on maintaining a hair care routine (which is when they start braiding Orin's hair, too). But after they break, other aspects of cleanliness they'd managed to hold onto until that point fall to the wayside, and they stop resisting when Savorak, and Fel, and the Bhaalists call them "The Dark Urge" instead of their name. Orin still calls them Corentin for a little bit, but she stops eventually too as she gets more and more restless and insistent on gaining power.

And then they meet Gortash who, despite also being a horrible person, isn't as bad as the people Corentin had been forced to lead. At this point they know what the likely ending of the Absolutist plot is going to be (though they're still in the early stages of the plan) but being able to work so closely with someone who's sincere and, more importantly, isn't going to stab them the moment they turn their back to him, is like breathing in fresh air for the first time in a decade or more (both figuratively and literally). And they dare to hope that there's an actual, true way out of the hell they'd been living in.

So when Gortash eventually asks if The Dark Urge is really their name, they tell him no.

[knockyasocksoff2022]

NOTE: I didn't include Third Person Objective because I think most fics and fictional books, in general, are the opposite of objective by their very nature and purpose.

---

My personal preference and what inspired this poll:

I usually stick to one narration type per fic. Depending on what the story is, how many characters it deals with and what's going on.

For most fics, I use alternating first person (depending on who the scene is focused on or also to tell the reader something that that particular character would know that another would not) but for @theuntoldoriginsoftheportmafia, I used third-person omniscient because of the sheer number of characters and their complexity.

If the story I'm writing is one that's going to be a little out of character by nature (sickfics, relationship reveals, AUs) then the first person feels fine but, for fics where I feel staying true to the original character is very important, and I'm not sure how they would canonically express thoughts or feelings in the situations I want to put them in, I use third person.

When in first person, I can usually separate pov breaks with chapters depending on how long a scene is. So, chapters will vary in length, but if the pov is short enough, I'll put multiple in the same chapter because I don't love the idea of super short chapters (I'm used to posting on Wattpad). I do this to keep the story flowing, like how the camera in film and television changes focus on certain people at different times during a scene. I may do a poll about this later.

I've only ever stayed in one person's POV for the entire time in one fic. it was Chuuya for my fic More Than You Know, and even then, it's not done, so we might get some Dazai pov towards the end.

That brings us to another point. Dazai's character is so complex that if I'm trying to portray him in a close-to-canon way (as in character as possible), then I prefer the third-person for the risk of seeming OOC if I do first. IDK if that's just me or not. For this one-shot, I entered with a third-person pov of Dazai and kept the rest as the first person with Chuuya. And I also did it for the first two chapters of my RANPOE!!! On ICE AU (It's only on Wattpad, at the moment.)

This is so interesting to me and I'm so curious about what people prefer. Feel free to give the reason for your preference in the tags.

[pttucker]

Even though Dokja's repeated failures gave me major stress during the scenario, I love that we're learning that the main power of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint comes from the "character" that Dokja is "reading" and the reason it works so well is because he's almost always using Yoo Joonghyuk who is...well, Yoo Joonghyuk.

In fact, I wonder if any other person can even use Dokja's special bookmarks, such as Way of the Wind. I wonder if Joonghyuk is only able to use it so effortlessly because he actually learned it in previous rounds. And because he's Yoo Joonghyuk.

[amtrak12]

I do find it fascinating how many readers take a character statement as the Absolute Truth and don't consider there may be layers of hidden meaning tucked beneath the surface. This happens over and over again in my Lucifer fic, particularly with Chloe's dialogue.

The most recent example is when she said 'Our relationship doesn't matter. Rory's more important.' and some readers were like 'Doesn't seem like she's very interested in a relationship with Lucifer. Where does she think Rory came from then? Doesn't she realize if she doesn't sleep with Lucifer, Rory won't exist in the future?'

When the context of this argument and that line is it's the DAY after they learned this toddler is their daughter from the future and a mere TWO WEEKS after Chloe learned angels were real and her partner was the literal, actual Devil. This woman is stressed as fuck! Do you analyze the romantic feelings you've been suppressing since the object of those feelings rejected you when you're stressed as fuck? Cause I sure don't! She's in survival mode right now! I thought that was obvious??? STOP TAKING ME AND THE CHARACTERS AT OUR WORDS! WE'RE ALL LIARS IN THIS NARRATIVE!

[thelawsofdaylight]

Pairing: Enjolras & Courfeyrac & Combeferre Words: 5,863 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General

Fic Summary: When rumours of the development first surfaced, Enjolras, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac knew that they were going to have their work cut out for them in opposing it. They had always been good at galvanising each other into action and that’s exactly what they did. Enjolras instructed, Combeferre educated, and Courfeyrac rallied. The three of them together inspired more, and then more, and then even more, until a veritable network of allies lay in front of them.

They’d looked at each other, that night after their very first meeting; looked at each other and looked at all the work ahead of them and vowed to face whatever challenges lay ahead in the only way they knew how: together.

***

Or, a fic about the importance of friendship and the beauty of resistance.

My @lesmisholidayexchange piece for @combeauferre!

[scribefindegil]

Favorite things in A Narrative:

When you can feel the love for the characters

When you can feel the love for the audience

When you can feel a story's unfettered delight at being a story

[beneathsilverstars]

is second person omniscient not a thing??

[incandescent-creativity]

Oh god what pov am I going to write LiaHT in

[kimdokjas]

omniscient reader has to be one of the best literary pieces to ever exist and it’s not even a joke. the plot, the worldbuilding, the lore, the characters and how they relate to each other, storylines that you can interpret as commentary on modern social issues, the humor that coexists with the tragedy and horrors the characters live through. AMAZING. 10/10 across all boards

anon i am shaking your hand rn you are so correct. orv is literally and unironically THE best piece of fiction i’ve read in my entire life

the way it’s a story about stories and as complex as that is to cover it’s entirely self-contained. like the story just keeps building and never stops even when you think it’s reached its peak. everything is answered and addressed. the foreshadowing is there but it’s so masterfully laid out you only realize it afterwards. the impeccable storytelling. the way the characters are all given their own development and meaning, and their dynamics with each other are so unique to the point that they feel like real people. like i’ve honestly never read another story that pays so much care and attention to the side characters instead of just the MCs

beyond that i’d also add how it’s completely self-aware and manages to both self-critique and turn a lot its genre clichés on their heads. not in a “gotcha” way but more like deconstructing the narrative and offering a fresh and well-rounded perspective. and yeah the way it also balances that with humor is just delightful

but i think what makes orv hit as hard as it does for me is that at its core, orv is a story written with LOVE

it tackles so many complex topics, moral issues, and deeply tragic events but it somehow manages to handle them with care and nuance. and in the end it all comes back to love and i adore how you can just tell that orv truly loves its audience. so much so that it even manages to break the fourth wall (like how did the authors even pull that off) and you become an integral part of the story itself. orv is a love letter to its readers and that’s what makes it different from any other novel i’ve read in my opinion

anyway in conclusion yeah orv is truly THE novel of all time <3