1 Story or 2

CH1 · Aug 4, 2009

I'm still very new to writing, I started over a year ago but due to normal life interfering, my new found passion had to go on the back burner untill recently I tried to pick up were I left off, I had no plan when I deceided to start writing, I couldn't even tell you why I did start, it just flowed out of me, I'm not saying it was great or anything, I knew it would need alot of editing.
When I started re-reading I found myself looking at the story in a completely different way and relised that there was two stories going on, has this happened to anyone else?
If so, what did you do? Leave them entine and see where it leads me? Or seperate them now and concentrate only on one maybe returning to the other later?
Hope someone out there has some friendly advice for a re-born newbie

cooeedownunder · Aug 4, 2009

Yep, started one, then saw a story in it that started 8 years earlier, and now I have possibly two stories. In turn, I am writing it as one, seperately LOLOL

cooeedownunder · Aug 4, 2009

I was a bit too cheeky then proberly.

I haven't been able to seperate the two stories in my mind - because they blend together, so I just write which one takes my fancy that day, and still hope they become one. But I have resigned myself that they may very well be two seperate stories...I think if you get caught up in what to do with them, your mind gets a bit clogged...so my suggestion is to just keep writing what story line takes your fancy, and hope you find an ending to one of them, which may or not be your original story.

RJK · Aug 4, 2009

Herman Wouk wrote several books (door stoppers) that could have been two or three individual books Winds of War and War and Rememberence are two of them. They follow the lives of several family members. The books could have been complete following just one member or couple.

Bufty · Aug 4, 2009

I'm not sure if I'm in that category or not, WHU.

I have two similarly structured novels, each of which follows an adventure involving twins who are separated early on in the adventure. Each twin, in their search to reunite and unbeknownst to the other, unravells one side of the puzzle and their paths converge again for the climax.

I use both their POVs (a boy and a girl) and am wondering if I have really got four stories in this soup.

I thought the story worked with the two of them -still do, but... I honestly don't know at this stage.

Maybe I should start something new.

Cushnoc · Aug 4, 2009

WHU: When I was finishing my new novel, I realized it was WAY too long. Then I realized that was partially because I had entire sections in there which could be their own stories. So I separated them out, and am now going to form at least one or two of them into short stories.

So, I guess I ended up leaving them together, and was able to separate them out when I was completely finished. I don't think leaving them in there hurt the novel--if anything, they helped take me to places I may not have gone in it without them. And, I'm really happy with the novel's ending now--so I guess it didn't hurt to keep them in.

Hope that helps. In the end, I think if I were you I'd go with whichever method (keeping them in or separating them now) that my gut told me was right.

Keep writing!

Danthia · Aug 4, 2009

If the stories are connected thematically, and both sides tell "one" story (from two different perspectives) then you could probably leave them as one book. If the stories are separate stories taking place in the same reality, you might think about splitting them.

Listen to your instincts. Do you feel they're one story or two? Do you think they'd each make a good book? If so, split them. If not, leave as is.

CH1 · Aug 4, 2009

Thank you for your replies, I'll definately have to give it some more thought, my gut says go with it but my brain is nagging me not to

groovyville · Aug 4, 2009

I have the opposite problem.
I started out writing one novella, then started the sequel. Now as I'm overhauling the first one, I'm thinking that maybe I should combine the two into one story.
But I'm not really sure about it. (because I also have plans for a third book to follow and very much liked the idea of a trilogy)

1 Story or 2

CH1

AW Addict

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day

cooeedownunder

Grateful for the day

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Cushnoc

Danthia

CH1

AW Addict

groovyville

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