Narrative structure using the format Day: time

Prawn · Apr 13, 2009

I am working on a novel with a different narrative structure than what have used before. The novel takes place during a week-long holiday, so I thought I would have the book divided into 7 days, and divide each day by time.

Day 1: 10 AM
Day 1: 3:30 PM

Before I have always used short chapters, 40 or so chapters in a 90K word book.

Have you written a book with a similar narrative structure, or can you tell me what pitfalls there may be in its use?

Thanks!

Your friendly neighborhood crustacean.

timewaster · Apr 13, 2009

If it were a thriller where time matters and where something interesting is happening all the time if would probably be fine. If it ends up becoming like a diary with lots of ' had eggs for tea' moments, it probably wouldn't : )

Prawn · Apr 13, 2009

True enough. It is thriller/mystery. I want a feeling of things moving inexorably to a conclusion, hopefully of the not "eggs and tea" variety. Perhaps I should have said that the novel is written. I am revising and have decided to try this narrative structure for this draft. I am just wondering if there are any pitfalls I should avoid (other than those filled with egg or tea).

timewaster · Apr 13, 2009

I can't think of one as long as it is a linear narrative. Have you got muliple characters? If you haven't I can't see much point unless there is some kind of looming deadline - a hostage or an unexploded bomb.

ChaosTitan · Apr 13, 2009

I used a variation on that structure in my book. Each chapter heading also has a clock that is counting down from 72 hours (three days). So with every chapter, you see how much time has passed and how much the heroine has left in which to meet her goals.

As timewaster mentioned, the structure works well as long as the reader knows, from the outset, that something major will happen at the end of the time limit. My heroine's resurrection will only last until her three days are up. What's the payoff at the end of your week?

Prawn · Apr 13, 2009

Good point. I could see how it would add tension in Three Days to Dead. The payoff is not apparent at the beginning of the book, but bad guys are timing something nasty for the end of the holiday season. I am not really using this structure to add tension, I am using it as frame to the story because it happens during a religious holiday that lasts a week. I don't want to spend a lot of time harping on the holiday itself, but having Day 2, Day 3 etc, will keep the religious aspect in mind without my having to talk about it all the time.

timewaster · Apr 14, 2009

Prawn said:
Good point. I could see how it would add tension in Three Days to Dead. The payoff is not apparent at the beginning of the book, but bad guys are timing something nasty for the end of the holiday season. I am not really using this structure to add tension, I am using it as frame to the story because it happens during a religious holiday that lasts a week. I don't want to spend a lot of time harping on the holiday itself, but having Day 2, Day 3 etc, will keep the religious aspect in mind without my having to talk about it all the time.

I just remembered I have written a book this way. I had the situation where the main character - a girl in the body of the fox would transform in twenty four days and was thought likely to die - or something. I put the day in the chapter heading, but the point was to add tension. I think if it didn't as a reader I might wonder why.
It is so commonly done on TV though that I may not even notice.

Prawn · Apr 14, 2009

I start the book with a quote from scripture about the holiday lasting seven days, then the next page says DAY 1, so I think the link will be clear for the readers. I am not wedded to this structure. I am trying something different and if it doesn't work I can change it. I am just wondering what problems there are in doing so.

For example, here's a problem I have run into in my multiple POV book.

I often overlap, telling the same thing from two characters' POV. For example, I might have one person witness a shocking accident. Another character might wake up in the morning and head out towards the accident we know is coming because we have seen it though the other character's eyes. This sort of overlap in time (is there a literary term for this?) is much harder to pull off smoothly when you have DAY:TIME at the beginning of each section.

Stijn Hommes · Apr 14, 2009

The "24" novelizations indicate the time throughout the book, but don't mention days since it takes place during the course of 1 day.

timewaster · Apr 14, 2009

My problem was that the book followed two different groups of characters and was told in that form of omni that looks like multiple third. Time passed differently for the different groups and I used narrative summary a lot as there was a fair bit of travelling around the country. I had a problem working that out and spent hours making charts of who was when where. I had to gain a couple of days I think at one point too. I won't do that again in a hurry. It was the most difficult thing about writing the book : )

Narrative structure using the format Day: time

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

timewaster

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Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

timewaster

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ChaosTitan

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Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

timewaster

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Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

timewaster

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