Dealing with large casts

[graychalk]

Hiya everyone! I'm still fairly new to this community, but I've really been enjoying how helpful and encouraging everyone is here. I thought I should come out of lurkdom a bit and say hello. :)

I'd also like to bring up a topic that I hope could get some kind of discussion going, because I've been batting this stuff in my brain for months and I keep going back and forth on the best way to approach this. So... without further rambling, how do you guys deal with writing large casts - especially ones where there are quite a few key characters that would be important enough to warrant their point of views too?

Do you tend to prefer switching between POVs by a break of some sort, or do you brave the omniscient POV and hope it doesn't turn into a mess of head-hopping? And if you do dedicated switches between POVs, when do you make your switches? Within the same scene or do you make it a point to only do it when it's a new scene? Or something else entirely?

I would really love any input on this - it's driving me a bit nuts because I can't seem to find an approach that fits for my fic. :(

Thanks all!

WIP Challenge check-in Day 12, Sunday

[sylvaine]

Hello! How is everybody doing today? Well, I hope!

Poll #9486

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 17

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How has today's writing gone?

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Brilliant!
2 (11.8%)

Pretty good!
2 (11.8%)

Okay-ish.
6 (35.3%)

Not particularly...
5 (29.4%)

Just awful. >.>
2 (11.8%)

Have you been...

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writing
9 (52.9%)

editing
5 (29.4%)

researching
2 (11.8%)

plotting
7 (41.2%)

giving your muse a rest?
2 (11.8%)

As for the discussion question... do you read more fanfic or professional fiction? Any particular reason why you read more of one or the other?

Bit of help? [Fight scenes]

[lesandytomato]

Hey guys!

I'd like some advice on choreographing fight scenes, if anyone who's had experience writing them would be so kind as to share their wisdom. I am just absolutely horrid at writing fight scenes; they turn out boring and choppy, and I'd like to know. How do you guys write yours? What works, and what doesn't? What are some common mistakes people make when writing fight scenes? Thanks a lot. :>

Cheers!
-sand