This is the same story I've been struggling with that started with Jeram sneaking into a tribal council meeting. After looking at some crits, I've decided the whole thing might read better from a different POV. The story involves Toka and Julie of which either could be the POV character, though I've been told since Toka is facing the most risk, the story should be told from his POV. The problem with this is Toka won't be present in the last half of the story... but Julie will be, and the star attraction. I do have a way to get around this, but it'll be tricky.
Anyhoo; I started rough drafts from each POV... Toka's and Julie's... and can't decide which is better. I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting both of them here.
Here's the first 13 from Julie's POV:
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Voices came from the house behind her. Its front door opened then closed. Good, he was gone. Julie stood on the deck and leaned over the railing to gaze across an immense backyard.
In Noramian culture women served male family members with no thought of doing otherwise. So why couldn’t she have served Delan and just let it go? Because his attitude raised memories of her slave collar and how her mistress had handled her the exact same way. And because Julie was a starship’s first officer where the crew accepted her as an equal.
Her body shook with suppressed rage she didn’t want anyone inside the house to hear. So she struck the railing with a fist. The wood’s surface cracked. Great, one more thing to go wrong.
A hand gripped her shoulder. She grasped it tight and faced
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And here's Toka's:
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Toka gaped at the roast dela, hot vegetables, and thick brown gravy that traveled down Delan’s tunic to join his plate on the dining room floor. Julie could be impulsive at times, but Toka never expected this and watched her storm out the backdoor.
“You see? You see?” Delan wiped at his tunic to smear it even worse.
Mother pushed away from the table. “Here now, let me get you a clean one.”
Delan stripped off the tunic. Mother took it away while Delan glared at Toka. “I can’t believe you intend to mate with that... that...”
Earther? Toka knew Delan wanted a more vile word, but none seemed adequate enough to suit him. “I’m sure Julie can explain
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The story centers on Toka having to choose between the woman he loves and his obligations to the tribe. His father is the tribe's chief with Toka next in line. If the council sees fit, Toka could be exiled never to return if he insists on mating with Julie.
So what do you think. Should I go with Julie's POV or Toka's?