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Whose point of view would be better

Discussion in 'Fanfic Discussion' started by Quick Ben, Jan 17, 2013.

  1. Quick Ben

    Quick Ben In ur docs, stealin ur werds.

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    I'm considering writing a fic where the basic plot is that everyone in Harry's neighborhood is terrified of him and everyone is forced(not that he tells them but that is rather their general consensus) to always keep him happy, calm and placated. My problem comes in choosing from whose perspective I'm going to tell the story through.

    I'm stuck between using a member of the Magical law enforcement(is that even canonical?) whose sent to investigate the strangeness going on there.

    A muggle whose visiting someone in the neighborhood and soon notices the odd things going on there.

    Someone from Hogwarts sent to check up on Harry or Vernon who has been away and comes back to find things are different at home.

    Obviously whoever I choose will affect how the story plays out but the basic outline of the story still remains largely the same. Any and all help would be appreciated.
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2013
  2. Aekiel

    Aekiel Angle of Mispeling ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    I'd do it from an outsider perspective, but as to whether it's a magical or muggle POV depends on the story you're wanting to write.

    If you want the sense of something being not quite right, where the protagonist encounters increasingly unbelievable and terrifying things, I'd go with muggle. The sense of helplessness in the face of the impossible is a big part of fantasy horror stories.

    If you want a story that's more of a mystery than horror, I'd go with an Auror or Hitwizard since they're better able to deal with the more dangerous sides of magic than most.

    Playing up the personal horror of the protagonist would be a good choice for a Hogwarts teacher. I could actually see this being a great plot for Snape turning up to have a look. He comes expecting Harry to be treated like a prince, and finds exactly that. Then he begins to notice that things aren't quite right. Terrified glances from the Dursleys, the neighbours acting odd: things like that. He'd be a perfect fit for this too, since he grew up in a muggle neighbourhood.

    A Vernon point of view would be difficult, but fairly similar to the muggle POV. He'd notice if Harry was being treated differently immediately, but he's not one for working things out. He'd bull straight through without the slightest hesitation, which doesn't work to build up tension very well.

    Those are just a few suggestions though. There's plenty of room with a plot like this to have whoever you want as the protagonist. Maybe a new family has moved to the area and protagonist is the new kid at school. Maybe the Dursleys have sent Harry to a psychiatrist who becomes a little too curious about his/her new patient, or perhaps a school teacher who is worried about little Dudley's newfound fear of his cousin.

    Lots of ways you can go, but it all depends on the type of story you're wanting to write. Want more horror than mystery? Go with muggle. Want a mystery with Harry at the centre? A wizard is less likely to be affected by the unreality of it all.
     
  3. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    To add to Aekiel's ideas, if you wanted to go a comedy route you could choose Harry himself, who manages to find himself in progressively weirder situations within the community, with everyone around him behaving very strangely. At first he might suspect foul play, maybe even the Imperius curse, before rooting out the real reason.
     
  4. Quick Ben

    Quick Ben In ur docs, stealin ur werds.

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    For Vernon I actually thought his personality would work well with the mystery, at first as you said he would try to bull his way through but the more he tried and failed the more he would start doubting himself and start going with the mentality that he is the one in the wrong and everyone else is right.

    Thanks, I'm thinking of going more mystery than horror since I honestly don't think I can make Horror work.


    I actually considered that(but not in a comedic sense) where Harry himself doesn't actually know whats going on around him but slowly comes to accept and like it and even come to exploit it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2013
  5. Aekiel

    Aekiel Angle of Mispeling ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Vernon wouldn't do that. He's too bullheaded to change his mind, especially when it comes to Harry. Like I said, it's difficult to write a horror/mystery where the protagonist just barges through everything.

    As for making horror work, you'll never know until you try, and the WbA forum is there to help you improve your story if you're willing to listen to the advice given there. Beta readers help too, which has the benefit of having the public draft being more crafted to an audience rather than just your own tastes.

    Still, mystery works just as well as horror for this type of story, but it generally requires the protagonist (or at least a sidekick) to be more in the know than a muggle would be. Vernon may work for that, but my previous point about him still stands.
     
  6. Quick Ben

    Quick Ben In ur docs, stealin ur werds.

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    Thanks point taken. Then how about a muggle who will tell a large chunk of the mystery in little whinging and this is what grabs the wizard's attention and he/she then investigates and solves the mystery? What would be the more effective narrative?
     
  7. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    If you haven't already, the fic Strangers at Drakeshaugh is a great example of Muggle OC writing. Might be a good place to start in finding your tone.

    I think Muggle works better than a wizard as an outsider PoV. I just can't imagine the mystery lasting very long if held up to the scrutiny of an Auror investigation. Interview one of the neighbours, slip a confundus charm across or some truth potion (not necessarily veritaserum) in their tea and you're done.

    Edit: Also, watch Hot Fuzz. For some reason I'm getting a Hot Fuzz vibe from this idea.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2013
  8. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

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    The first person that came to mind when I read the original post was Mrs. Figg. She's neither magical nor muggle, is already part of the community in question, and isn't an OC. We have a little info on her personality from canon but not so much that you couldn't tweak it to make her into the kind of character you want.

    But then I skimmed through the later posts and realized that there's a lot more you could do with this. Taure's idea of making your POV character Harry and treating it as a comedy especially struck me as awesome. Lots of other options though.

    But I figured I'd throw Mrs. Figg out there as one to consider.
     
  9. Aekiel

    Aekiel Angle of Mispeling ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    I'm not a fan of this because the idea behind a mystery is that the protagonist gradually works their way through the clues to the big reveal. If the guy who does all that then gets shunted to the side in favour of someone else it just ruins the suspense you've built up through the rest of the story.
     
  10. Quick Ben

    Quick Ben In ur docs, stealin ur werds.

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    That does actually sound better. Yeah thanks a muggle it is then and now that I've thought about it more that is actually the best way I can approach it. Thanks for the input guys.

    @Cheddartrek,

    I had considered Mrs.Figg but I thought that it would be kind of too easy for her to pinpoint what was going on and who was behind it plus if she couldn't nothing could have stopped her from just flooing Dumbledore.

    Her being a squib actually means that she would also fall under whatever type of magic affecting everyone else.


    Also since I have your attention guys. Would it be an ok idea to add that this all started because at first Harry was able to make people happy(through magic of course)and everyone sort of became addicted to him and its form here that things escalated from him making them happy to terrifying them.
     
  11. Aekiel

    Aekiel Angle of Mispeling ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Yeah, that sounds reasonable.
     
  12. ViolentRed

    ViolentRed Professor

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    You could really have something here. And I second Taure's recommendation to read Strangers at Drakeshaugh. It's an excellent example of magic from a muggle's point of view.

    Maybe write it from the perspective of a single muggle parent, that lucks out with a very cheap house, normally way above her budget, in a nice little neighbourhood. Her child has other children to play with (maybe she has a baby too?) and everything seems great. But then slowly she notices something's off. There's a constant sense of fear in the air. The streets are often empty and no-one likes to talk with each other. Except for this one, strange little boy, who always has someone to play with, be it child or parent. A little boy everybody loves, so much so, that dissapointing him becomes a cripling fear. A fear that drives people away from him, untill they're overcome again by their love. So they want to leave. But they can't. They can't leave that little boy, the light of their live, behind. That would be a faith worse than death. Then it becomes clear why her house was free and so very cheap in the first place. And then she notices her own child is changing. Once a happy kid, now silent for days unless that strange little boy is nearby. So she wants to leave, flee, but her child refuses. Runs away maybe? So she goes to investigate. She has to know what's going on. But the closer she gets, the more she understands about the boy, the more she loves him. And the more she loves him, the more she fears him. She pushes on, she has to know now. But is it possible for her to find the answers, without losing herself?

    I kind of went into a stream of consciousness there, but this would be the kind of story I would love to read. A dark mystery, driven by characters in the face of the unexplainable.
     
  13. Rache

    Rache Headmaster

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    Arbella Figg's POV would be the ideal one for your idea. That way, the reactions of both the muggles in Privet Drive and Dumbledore can be touched towards the notoriety of Harry Potter.

    Now that I think of it, Arbella Figg with a backbone who doesn't sit back and watch Harry get mistreated is a very promising plot bunny.
     
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