I wanted to wait until we were really into Unreachable before asking this question, but after 40 some-odd chapters I think its a good time.
What do you think of a story being told by the non-trans character's point of view? Does it work? Does it detract? Do you wish there were more discussion about how luxurious panty hose feel?
This isn't the first time I wrote a transgender novel from a non-transgender character's point of view. I did the same with Wrestling Against Myself. i didn't ask then because there were a lot of other issues people had with the work. There are a few reasons I did this. One, to escape the angst that the transsexual character is going through. Two, to get away from the psychology that I so love to explore. Three, to get a different view point of the social aspects.
I just wonder if this is a cool way of going about it. Perhaps others have written similar but I've missed it. I will be doing more of this in the future and less as well. My next three projects (if I don't revisit a christmas story I'm writing) will be from the transgender character's POV but my sequel to GBTC and Unreachable will not. I just want to know if this is something the community wants and/or appreciates.
Comments
Ingrate Gatsby
Gatsby wants his book rewritten in his POV, so people can understand his inner self.
I totally understand your question and have wrestled with that many times.
I once wrote the same story from two POVs in two separate postings. One was the wife's and the other the spouse'.
The first person perspective allows you to accurately state the thoughts of the transperson should you tell the story from that POV... which I love to do. However, many times internal dialogue is without merit. The reader wants to guess what the person is feeling as much as they want to know.
I don't read your stories, because they're serials and work with themes I don't find interesting, but I doubt that POV is as important as the strength of the story.
Sandy Thomas has sold more Trans books than anyone else and she doesn't stick to one POV. Many of her stories are told by someone who is not the transperson.
***
In regards to your question about your stories being pornography. I'm no expert. I pulled all the stories I wrote with protagonists under 18, because I think people can make something out of nothing and, as you know, justice is blind. As Erin has said a million times, there isn't a story on Big Closet that a good share of the general public wouldn't find objectionable. That doesn't mean it's pornography.
You write about a subject that has a high degree of cringe factor. I'm trying to write a story that comes close to your territory and it's very hard for me. You might want to set some ground rules for yourself and check against them periodically.
The main question you have to ask yourself is this. Who would believe my stories to be pornography . . . and does that opinion matter?
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
it can work
There was a story posted here 'how I became a girly girl' that was written from the point of view of the half sister of the transgendered boy. I thought it worked well.
I think that TG themed
I think that TG themed fiction written from the POV of a non-TG character can work very well. It may not be the first choice for your TG readers, but I think it's a better way to reach the general public. There have been some successful young adult novels that have taken that approach to reach mainstream audiences.
Kris
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
It seems to work.
My best received story was not from a TG POV. It has considerably more comments and kudos than any of my others as well as the number of emails I received increased greatly. Granted it was shorter than my usual works but the response makes me believe that a longer TG story without sex and without sci-fi, told from the perspective of a non-TG character would work very well.
I've tried
that point of view to. The outside looking in if you will. I think it does help those who has trouble 'getting' it see our dilemma a little more clearly. Those without gender difficulties simply have no point of comparison and that view of someone who is new to it too can lead them to perhaps better understanding.
Not that it is easy, but it is worth doing. I tried writing a F to M story outline, but it failed completely. I could not put myself in those 'shoes.' I was able to write a F to M viewpoint of a M to F, but that was different because the subject was still the M to F. Damn those blind spots! :)
Hugs
Grover
POV
I have read several novels, NY Times best sellers, that were written in first person. However, the perspective switched between the two main characters. Under the chapter heading they listed, the characters name so you would know whose point of view you were reading. Once I was in the book, I knew just from what was being said who's point of view I was reading.
RobinDiaz
I think it adds another dimension.
There are certainly enough first person stories around, a look from the outside can definitely add a different dimension to things, and seems worth doing. I like it and I liked "Wrestling Against Myself" also.
I think it can work
And work well. It's not as if there has to be a rule of every tg-themed story being told from the trans* person's pov.
And in many cases it can be a breath of fresh air. I thought in the case of unreachable (which I bought on amazon because I couldn't wait for all those chapters!) it really worked well because the story couldn't have had as much perspective or deep thinking about the entirety of the problem if told from the pov of a child in those circumstances.
It also allows for some kindhearted mistakes on the part of the protagonist struggling to get her head around the idea.
Xx
Amy