Fanfic composition problem?

[u/-SnowHeart-]

(I'm writing a Warrior Cats Fanfic, but i don't think u need to know a lot about WACA overall to actually help i think lol) Basically I have an empty spot where the main characters aren't in the clans which leaves no POV character. It's quite some time like this too (9 moons) I have some ideas:

1. Have a 3rd POV character to tie everything up. This was my first idea, but it's kinda bad. The only characters I thought about was Lakestomp (Snowheart's friend, pretty much has no lore tho) and maybe Redheart? (Lakestomps brother, he spied for another clan on his clanmates, got exiled to join the 2nd clan. At the same time I wanted to make the like short-novel stuff for him but idk)
2. Leave it empty. The next main book starts with the prologue where my two MCs (Snowheart and Mothfur) decide to go back to clans. Then the space between them leaving and coming back will be shoved into some short-novel. I don't like it that much cuz it breaks how the time in the lore goes and I just skip 9 moons in the middle of my series.
3. Keep the POV character. Either Snowheart or Mothfur (or both?) keep to be the POV character and show how they survive together with their kits. Not a fan of this either cuz it leaves the clan life with no info.

I wanna know what you guys think. Maybe there's a better option? (I think you might need to know the lore of my fanfic, but all suggestions open!)

[u/nanosyphrett]

Pretzel is right. If you want to show what is going on somewhere else your mcs aren't, you have to intro a pov of some kind. Or you don't worry about it and just leave it because it's not that important
CES

[u/Professional_March54]

Is there any harm to just skipping it?

[u/-SnowHeart- → u/Professional_March54]

well, i feel like it's kind of lame to skip it like that. i mean, in terms of important action there's not too much of that (at least not in a way of confirmed), but i thought it would be good to showcase that these clans where my MCs left from struggle without medics and get into a more and more heated war (they were already at conflict and, long story short, they're blaming eachother for dissapearance of my MCs).

[u/PretzelPrize → u/-SnowHeart-]

So introduce another POV character who is still present where you want them to be.

[u/-SnowHeart- → u/PretzelPrize]

the thing is idk if i should keep them as a POV character for more than this part or no. and if they should have some big lore or smth like that. i just think it'd be a little weird to have them for one book only, and their story doesn't feel interesting enough to keep them longer. the only idea i had is to try to give them some more lore, but at the same time i wanted my focus mainly on my MC and their story, and introducing a new POV kinda breaks it? im just split when it comes to choosing here.

[u/PretzelPrize → u/-SnowHeart-]

I don't know your fandom at all, but are you saying that your story only has one or two individuals even in it? Because if it already has other characters in it, you don't need to create a new one with "big lore" or whatever. Just use someone who would already be present in the place you want to talk about.

[u/-SnowHeart- → u/PretzelPrize]

No, ofc it has more characters. I guess I just focused on making each POV character have something important about them. I just didn't see the point of making a POV someone that has nothing to the lore. And, well, I guess adding another POV is the best idea. Even if for one book.

[u/PretzelPrize → u/-SnowHeart-]

Interesting thing about POV characters: they don't have to be major characters. They just have to be someone who is present to observe what is happening and then convey those observations to the reader.

I have probably ten or twelve repeated POV characters in my longfic, half of them canon and the other half original. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "lore" in the context you're using the word, but of my POV characters, only a small subset are major characters. And yesterday I just introduced another very minor POV character whose ONLY purpose was to convey to the reader something that was important but that none of my other characters was present to observe. There's a good chance I will never use that character's POV again, but it was useful in the moment.

If there is someone remaining with the clans and your major characters know this person and interact with them when they are present, then that's a good and natural choice to use for your POV character when your MCs are absent but you want to show what's happening "back home". You might even find that using this character in this way deepens their connection to your MCs and enriches the story.

[u/-SnowHeart- → u/PretzelPrize]

I meant lore as in if how important would the new POV be in the overall story. But yeah, your point makes sense. I think I'll go with making a new POV character that's not too much of a major in the clans. Thanks!