Help me pick plotbunnies!

[auronlu]

muggy_mountain suggested in a review that Auron's got all these internal monologues even when he doesn't speak.

I am beginning to find a small challenge. Since Resurrection III is anchored around Lulu's first pilgrimage, it makes some sense to tell the story from Lu's perspective. Also, as I said, I find it easier to write Lulu's thoughts than peek into Auron's skull.

I am badly-overdue for an intimate -- not just physically, but personally -- scene. I've been keeping Auron and Lulu from being able to talk to each other ever since this story began, in various ways: Lulu constrained by a promise to Yojimbo, Yojimbo eavesdropping, the need for Lulu to set feelings aside and focus on getting them past fiends, their friends nearby. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. Before I started this story I was writing lemons where they just jumped each others' bones for lust, not love. I was having trouble with getting them to talk to each other. NOW they bally well have motivation and material for a heartfelt conversation.

So anyway, I'l totally winging it and I'm not sure what I'm doing next. I have a few ideas for that conversation. However, it was going to be from Lulu's perspective. That's what I've been writing. Muggy's remarks got me to thinking, though. What if I tried an interlude with Auron? Before I go on, stop and drop the camera inside of his skull, see where he is in all this? I'm thinking just one chapter where we find him wrestling with what's happened.

So, here's my question.

1) It's generally bad practice to switch narrative perspectives from one character to another, if the story is otherwise told through one character's eyes. Would it be jarring or enjoyable to switch to Auron-cam for a single chapter?
2) Auron's enigmatic nature and his annoyingly cryptic way of dodging questions is part of his charm. Having the story suddenly from his view strips away that barrier. Is it better, instead, to stick to Lulu-cam and play with double meanings, unsaid truths, and hints about what he's really thinking but refuses to tell her?

I'm not sure if I've got the writing skills to do either one adequately, since writing Auron is giving me more trouble than I'd expected, but I'm wondering what people would enjoy.

I'm guessing that the next chapter should take me a while.

Comments

[trekqueen.livejournal.com]

I think it would be good to do Auron's POV at this point (it is about the two of them so taking turns at being the primary is not a big deal). It also depends if you want him to understand Yojimbo's double/hidden meaning (*poke**cough*) and have an inner struggle within himself over it... or just have the struggle over denial or acceptance of knowing how close they have become. His whole life he seems to have dedicated to a certain purpose(s) then suddenly she came in and interrupted it. He might not have ever dealt with this sort of situation and it is bothering him deeply but being the introvert and non-talkative type he holds it in and tries to decide for himself what the best route is. However, he must come to realize that it isn't just him in this equation thus the reason he needs to talk to Lu about it all.

[muggy-mountain.livejournal.com]

Well, on one hand, your response to the review made a lot of sense and I really enjoy your talent in leaving the unsaid so achingly unsaid, such as this passage: Auron hesitated. His brows knitted together as he glanced over his shoulder again, ostensibly to check behind them for threats. She knew the answer from his silence before he spoke. "Every instant," he said finally..

On the other hand, I really wonder how Auron is dealing with this...though perhaps that could wait until Ressurection IV. However, I don't think it would be too jarring to switch perspectives, as the narration isn't first-person. The begining of the story is even, arguably, written from his perspective.

Of course, I also find Auron easier to write, probably because dialogue is my weak point, and I enjoy charting out inner-angst landscapes. With my story, I am trying to give Auron and Lulu equal head-time (albeit peppered freely with my own voice), but I am always tempted to gravitate toward Auron. However, I believe Auron and Lulu are the most alike of the group, and that is challenging --they too often sound too similar in my writing.

As I explore this fandom, I am starting to realize how popular Auron is and perhaps this is why I think he is also the victim of the most OOC crimes. Now matter how badly some author might wish Auron to suddenly fall madly for some sprightly teen, it isn't likely to happen with a character as reserved as Auron. Hence, I really appreciate writings in which I think Auron is portrayed accurately --and even though in my perspective on the man, Auron wouldn't be so quick to jump *any* bones, your writing makes it believable and I am very interested how your Auron is reacting.

Longest comment ever, yes?

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

But helpful.

I have, in retrospect, regretted starting with lemons. I was writing as stress release, not writing fanfic, if that makes any sense... I just wanted some steamy stuff between these characters and wasn't troubling TOO hard to work my way into it.

Now I'm in a bit of a bind because I didn't develop how they fell for each other, and despite my best intentions, they seem to be falling in love. I meant to keep that hovering at the edges and leave it unclear how much was impulse, how much was genuine feeling between them.

However, this leaves you and Trekqueen more room to play with set-up and development. My forté is aftermath. :)

I love playing with the "achingly unsaid". We'll see if I can manage a little of both. I hadn't realized how much I was avoiding writing Auron until this last chapter suddenly snapped that into focus as a slight flaw in the writing.

I have a few ideas now, possibilities for both option #1 and option #2, and will have to play around with them and see which one seems to create better writing. :)

On Aurikku and Auron in Lurve etc etc etc (this may not be coherent)

[rustehroll.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I guess on one hand no, it's not likely he'd fall for a bouncing ball of pigtails and sugar, but on the other hand he is so very... driven during FFX, would he even end up with anybody at all?

I'm writing an Aurikku right now that's AU. She's 18, and falls into the Farplane, and they're going on a Grand Adventure to send her back to the land of the living. I'm planning on having them edge slowly into love, or at least... a deep appreciation of one another. But it's not a Happy Happy Ending. It's just a decent ending.

I don't think Auron can really love when he's got one foot in the Farplanes already, y'know? I mean not all of him is totally there in FFX. He's sorta... even though he's focused on The Goal and has his Eye on the Prize etc etc.

(I think I'm totally missing your point but I'm gonna ramble because I feel like a walk through my thoughts and this is fun discussing with you.)

Re: On Aurikku and Auron in Lurve etc etc etc (this may not be coherent)

[muggy-mountain.livejournal.com]

I like talking about this, so :). I actually expanded these ideas into a looong semi-rant on my journal, if you want to see that.

Despite being the mod of aulu, I really don't see Auron as ever fully letting down his guard and going all "happily ever after" with anyone. I think Lulu possesses wisdom equal to Auron, and I think she, if anyone, could be paired (even if only briefly) with Auron.

This possibility is something I am exploring in my fic, Red & Black, and without giving away too much of a still-developing plot, I will say I mostly agree with your assessment of him but that it does eventually become an Aulu.

re: Plotbunnies

[blueslipstream.livejournal.com]

As long as one isn't shunted into Auroncam, or anyone else-cam, without warning or reason, it's pretty good.

[saharasnow.livejournal.com]

There are some fanfictions out there that started from one character's POV and then switched to another's after certain event happened. I think it is quite acceptable, considering that readers may be interested to look into both characters' heads and see their views on the event that happened.

I have a lot of trouble when it comes to writing Auron's dialogues and perhaps thoughts, probably that is why my story is currently stuck at the point where some mysteries are about to be revealed.

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

I feel silly that I'd forgotten I started with an introduction from Auron's point of view, thanks Muggy!

What I need to do now is sit down and reread from start to finish, paying attention to the critique and feedback I've gotten so far. I think that by finding my own answers to the questions and concerns some of my reviewers have raised, I may generate some very interesting material to use. It may also help me be careful. To a large extent, I write on instinct and let characters steer things. But sometimes I run into dangerous waters, skirting the edge of that "wish fulfillment" problem that muggy raised.

Besides, reviewers deserve that much. Some of you have been so very generous! :)