POV question male or female lead

[HectorBidon]

The male character ... is far more likely to notice and point out things that most people would consider weird.

But the female lead ... is not terribly self aware and takes the longest to fall for him.

Like Cagivagurl and Rob_Royale said. Why don't you narrate it yourself, in a gentle omniscient third person voice as you've done here? Use your narrative authority to give each character an adequate share of the spotlight so that the reader can get to know them and see what is going on in their mind. Think romcom. Scenes or her, scenes of him, scenes of the two of them together. Show enough to let the reader see them both sympathetically.

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[ElectricBlue]

Who do I choose?

Both. You could give them each time in the sun, provided the story is always moving forward. I do this often - who ever said a story should only follow one character?

 

[MillieDynamite]

Both. You could give them each time in the sun, provided the story is always moving forward. I do this often - who ever said a story should only follow one character?

Time in the sun, today is humid so it wouldn't be fun here in OKC in the sun.

 

[SimonDoom]

You have not said how long the story is or will be, so I'll respond to those who recommend writing the story in third person omniscient and offering both perspectives. If the story is short, I don't recommend doing this. Stick with one perspective. If it's a long story, then it might be fun to explore it from both perspectives.

To choose which one, if that's the path you choose:

Which will make the story more fun?
Which will make the story sexier?
Who among the two will be the more perceptive narrator? It makes sense for the more perceptive character to be the narrator, right? Unless the limited perspective serves a legitimate artistic purpose.
Whose story is more interesting?
Which character learns something? That's the one that should be the narrator.

I don't think any of us can answer these, or other questions, without more details.

 

[jehoram]

It wouldn't hurt to write it both ways and see which one works better.

Or write it as two stories, from different points of view. That's what I did in "Bigfoot and the Wood Nymph." And others have used the same gimmick.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Guilty as charged. I did a rape story from the points of view of the Rapist and then the Victim, with a third-person conclusion. I originally wrote it in therapy but published it later. It wasn't, or rather isn't very good. But I have no desire to revisit the story now. No, it isn't here.

It wouldn't hurt to write it both ways and see which one works better.

Or write it as two stories, from different points of view. That's what I did in "Bigfoot and the Wood Nymph." And others have used the same gimmick.

 

[AWhoopsieDaisy]

Like Cagivagurl and Rob_Royale said. Why don't you narrate it yourself, in a gentle omniscient third person voice as you've done here? Use your narrative authority to give each character an adequate share of the spotlight so that the reader can get to know them and see what is going on in their mind. Think romcom. Scenes or her, scenes of him, scenes of the two of them together. Show enough to let the reader see them both sympathetically.

​

I can't stand gentle narrators as a reader. I write pretty much exclusively in third person with bold narration. Which I've gotten criticism in the past with my creative writing workshops that even my third person omniscient narrators are "switching perspectives too often". Apparently having the omniscient narrator echo the sentiments of the character muddies the waters.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I can't stand gentle narrators as a reader. I write pretty much exclusively in third person with bold narration. Which I've gotten criticism in the past with my creative writing workshops that even my third person omniscient narrators are "switching perspectives too often". Apparently having the omniscient narrator echo the sentiments of the character muddies the waters.

Generally yes, I think quick switches can be a little disconcerting. It's better, I think, to stay alongside one character for a while before shifting pov. Having said that, I know I've got third person narrative that shifts more frequently, most often in the sex scenes. Nobody has commented, don't do that, so I guess it must work.

 

[CyranoJ]

Who do I choose?

The female character sounds like a lot more fun for my money. Do it right and you can subtly call attention to the cues that she misses. Also, "autistic female protag" is not a POV we get nearly often enough. Personally, I'd go with her.

 

[Paul_Chance]

Just from your small story blurb, sounds like the female POV would be better.

 

[AWhoopsieDaisy]

The leads in question. ^
I'm an artist before I'm a writer so you can tell a lot about my characters by looking at them.

Sunny: Her special interests are bugs, Pokémon and costuming. Hence why she dresses like... that. She's very ambitious, not afraid of anything and nobody really takes her seriously in STEM classes because she's a FIBERS major. Shes also combatting a lot of people assuming shes dumb or childish due to her more visible autism symptoms. She's the type who will jump head first into something with complete confidence only to clumsily land on her ass and laugh it off. Fail fast if you will.

Parker: He's a skater but isn't particularly good at it. He likes sci-fi and excells in subjects like math and organic chemistry. He fixes and builds junk computers for fun. Hes attending university on scholarship alone. Only child, absent father, mother hospitalized with MS for the rest of her life. He works part time as a waiter to keep everything from falling apart. He's the type that didn't have a great time in highschool and instinctively keeps his head down.

Things really kick off when Parker decides to work with her on a partner project in an engineering elective. The instructor had dismissed her idea but Parker is convinced it's actually clever because it's supported by a more organic scientific basis that the others are overlooking. (Also Parker wants an excuse to talk to her without being creepy but shhhhhh.) Meanwhile Sunny is busy trying to ace the class out of spite, and maybe rope Parker into letting her use him as a mannequin for another class because he has nice bone structure. She has no idea Parker likes her.

 

[Jmanchu]

Im stuck on who's perspective to stick with In my 3rd person limited narration.

The male character would make an easier audience surrogate as he's definitely the more average of the two leads. He's far more likely to notice and point out things that most people would consider weird.

But the female lead is autistic and her narration as I was doing a bit of a test to feel her out is way funnier than his. She's not terribly self aware and she takes the longest to fall for him.

I worry if I use him for narration she'll come off like a manic pixie dream girl. But if I use her for narration she's not going to point out certain oddities or really draw attention to the guy at all.

Who do I choose?

IMO I wouldn't worry about if she's a manic pixie girl. I don't get the whole "manic pixie girl" criticism. Honestly I think that's not something bad or negative. Whatever criticism could be said about the manic pixie girl's role in the depressed or whatever guy's life could be said about the male character and his relationship to her as the guy part of whose function in the story is to be fixed by her for his negative or limited viewpoints. The reality is that it's really two people who in the story are there to help each other out in life, or gain something positive from their interaction whether intentional or just that it happens. That's how life is, people in your life bring something to it.

I'd say just write what's more fun and interesting FOR YOU than worrying about something like a "trope" or pushing buttons accidentally. Art is supposed to push boundaries anyways, whether we're following or pushing against tropes, doing our own thing, or just doing it for fun. Let your art be free. But what would I think whose POV is better? Maybe hers if you feel her POV is funnier or more interesting. Or do both POVs so you get the best of both worlds?

 

[SimonDoom]

From the way you describe them, I'd tell the story from his perspective.

She sounds like a very interesting, quirky, offbeat person, but you describe her as "not afraid of anything." He sounds more introspective and uncertain. His uncertainty would generally make him a better narrator. A narrator who is never afraid or uncertain is a less interesting narrator. Plus, you describe him as being interested in her, and you can only delve into that if you tell the story from his perspective. His interest in her creates motivation and interest that will drive the story.

Finally, I think what Bramblethorn and I discussed about telling the story from "Watson's" perspective, as opposed to Holmes's, might apply here. She sounds like someone who might be misunderstood by other people within the world of your story, and his narration about her will make the reader appreciate her in a way that they might not if she tells the story.

 

[Athalia]

It wouldn't hurt to write it both ways and see which one works better.

I've done that. If you do it that way, it will become clearer which story is the one you really wanted to tell.

Or write it as two stories, from different points of view. That's what I did in "Bigfoot and the Wood Nymph." And others have used the same gimmick.

I've done that, too. In my four-part series "Jessie, Michael and Claire," Jessie tells the first two parts, Claire tells the third part, and Michael finishes the series.

 

[Carnevil9]

I often write the first few paragraphs several different ways (1st person character A, 1st person character B, 3rd person). Usually after three or four paragraphs one will just feel most natural.