I get the problem with unevenness. It's annoying when only one character is interesting, or only one character moves the plot along. Overall, though, I find having multiple POV is a great way of exploring a huge, interconnected world. Without multiple POV, the reader has to do a lot more work to see things from another perspective. As for dividing them, in my current work I just do it by chapter, though the chapter headings rarely include the characters' names. It's artificial, yes, but it establishes the total quantity of POV and fixes some of the problems with evenness.

 

I think I appreciate POV changes that are few and far between. Say your chapter ends with Harry blowing up a muggle ice cream shop and then disapparating, and the next chapter starts with Dumbledore's reaction to this as he picks through the rubble. It's good falling action, it sets up some mystery as to what Harry's done next, and it can explore what's going on in the world outside of your main character's viewpoint.

What I really don't like is if every chapter is a different POV, so you end up just jumping back and forth. You'll get Harry's POV, then Daphne's, then Harry's, then Daphne's......

Inevitably I am more interested in one POV and hate reading the other. Especially if the lesser POV is the most recent update, and then you know you've got a long wait until you can get back to the good stuff.

 

First person with frequent POV changes is great, it's just I have never seen fanfiction executing that combo well (and seen only few attempts at all). Light novels on the other hand...

 

When fanfiction does multiple POV it's the rare story that actually confines it to chapter breaks. Usually it's whenever a different person starts speaking, so any single conversation has you hear every persons thoughts about what is going on, instead of just the original POV character.

 

Characters lacking agency. I truly hate reading stories where the main character just goes along with things.

I was just reading a ASoIaF SI story for example where the main character did nothing to try and alter the plot besides trying to convince someone to not do something right at the start of canon, after being in the universe for literally years. I know the SI is young and doesn't have as much agency as say a king or a lord or something, but they're still pretty high up the social totem pole. Even a few basic things could get you a revenue stream going which allows you to financially influence things.

But no, the SI spends chapters lamenting their lot in life, not doing anything despite their foreknowledge.

 

I think for multiple viewpoints it depends on the writer and their execution. Some of my favorite novels and fanfictions jump around between multiple viewpoints, but it has to be done right. We don't need to have the same events rehashed by every major character. However, I think where multiple viewpoints really shine are action scenes.

Download I'm with you! When characters lack agency I actively root for their demise. I see that a lot with female OCs where their only purpose seems to be to cater to the male leads romance and that's it. They blindly go along with anything and everything and offer no substance to the plot beyond drama.

That's another pet peeve of mine: unnecessary drama! You could have a great action story going on with a dark subplot, but then the characters begin worrying more about their romantic entanglements than an actual war. That whole woe is me she doesn't love me anymore plot type could be thought up by a kindergartner and offers zero creativity.

 

Add in drama rape.

 

Won't their foreknowledge be useful only a few times at most? Anyway, lamentation is pretty common in any foreknowledge(SI/Timetravel/..) fanfic.

 

That's... an interesting viewpoint. Unless you mean simultaneous action scenes (like fighting Death Eaters off in two different parts of Hogwarts) it seems like a something that would only bring unneeded confusion.

Generally, I think showing the same scenes should be avoided unless you're doing things achronologically and want to anchor the narratives on the timeline or want to showcase completely differing perspectives on what happened.

 

So my pet peeve is a feedback peeve. And I recognise that it's pretty stupid.

I grimace whenever, mostly on SV and SB, I see author decisions analysed and they use the terms 'watsonian' and 'doylist' to explain what the characters must be reasoning and why the narrative has been constructed a certain way.

I think it annoys me because some of the time it's good feedback but a lot of the time it's a reader just saying whining why they don't like something, but smugly. As if their circular reasoning is deep insight by use of these terms.

 

Sataniel, I think it's potentially down to a matter of preference. I think, personally, changing viewpoints mid-fight makes the scene have more movement and be less stale. Rainbow Six is a great action book, for instance, that uses different viewpoints converging on the same battle masterfully.

The same goes for fanfiction, however, it must be executed well. To be honest a lot of a fanfictions that I have read just from Harry's viewpoint (or one person's viewpoint) even when well written, drone on too long for battle scenes. However, the one's that jump have that oh so pleasing movement that makes it faster seeming to the reader. Again, this must be done well and not a lot of authors pull it off. I can only think of a few that succeed in this.

 

Pranks, man. What is up with fanon's obsession with pranks. You've got Sirius chiding Harry for not pulling as many EPIC PRANKS as the Marauders did, you've got Fred and George engaged in a never-ending prank war with everyone from Snape to good old Moldyshorts.

It just becomes such a waste of time. Instead of moving whatever the actual plot you have forward, you get a few thousand word diversion into Harry, Fred, and George planning a totally epic prank to get back at Malfoy for sabotaging Neville's potion or whatever.

Also angsty misery porn. I don't want to read about how Harry was beaten since he could walk, how the Dursleys drowned Hedwig in the washing machine, or how his first crush was raped by werewolves. Obviously fluff stories with no conflict aren't great, but I'd much rather have that than the alternative. At some point it gets tiresome to read if you keep kicking the main character while they're down. A story without growth isn't satisfying to read, and keeping Harry in a never-ending whirlpool of depressing, angsty darkness doesn't allow for much growth at all.

 

It allows the main characters to demonstrate their superiority over everyone from Snape to Moldyshorts, and it adds "humor" to the story. That's reason enough for most writers, I'd guess.

 

Its especially jarring when the pranks James and friends pulled aren't portrayed particularly well.

 

My problem with them is that these pranks are never funny or clever. I mean, in the hands of someone who can actually write, they could further the understanding of the reader about the magic involved during the preparations for the prank (for example, what are the deal about the magic of the Canary Creams? It's Transfiguration mixed with Charms, Potions?) and be actually interesting.

But no, it's always "turn the clothes of X into those of a clown and make him sing Raining Blood by Slayer in the fucking Great Hall" or the always interesting "dose up X with love potion and laughs as he tries to woo Y". These pranks fail at humor, fail at worldbuilding, fail at fucking everything except at padding the wordcount.

 

Is Rent-A-Hero the only good prank in the fandom? I can't recall another.

 

My Pet Peeve is "Moldyshorts." It falls right in line with "Dumbledork."

 

Why would I ever call that manipulative old coot that steals Harry's money and puts blood wards on the Dursley's anything else?

Preposterous.