Book structure help

WinterDusk14 · Mar 22, 2008

I have three story arcs. Each having three POVs.

Now, each of the story arcs is a good novela length book.

What concerns me right now, is that I'm stuck in between two ideas on how to tell my story.

1) Try to mix all arcs neatly. So, it'll look like each chapter or so will focus on that specific arc before it shifts to the other. And then, once everything is done, I could start the fourth arc which resembles an epilogue for the entire book.
The reason why I thought of this style, is because its essential to everything. Or at least, that's how I feel. But I have that fear that readers may have some difficulties in reading.

OR

2) In that single book, finish an arc before moving on to the next. Then write the fourth one.
The reason why I thought of this one, is simply hoping that readers would understand it more and not get side tracked because of this and that.

The three arcs moves as a triangle. One event causes an effect on the other. And I'm trying to write it, in some way that the reader will appreciate. Any tips?

BlueTexas · Mar 22, 2008

Forget about the reader for awhile. Which way feels like it belongs to the story more? Which way were you leaning before the audience peeked its head in?

kzmiller · Mar 22, 2008

Personally I don't like to go back in time to explore a new pov. But BlueTexas is correct--it's not a good idea to try to write a rough draft with the reader in mind. Editing with the reader in mind is great. But writing that rough draft ought to come from your passion and vision. Go with what you want to do the most, and feel free to change your mind if it stops working for you.

Mumut · Mar 22, 2008

Sounds like you need an arc angel on your side. Go with what really feels best. You can always re-write it if, later, it starts to fall to pieces or you rethink your preference.

Jonny Ryan Mac · Mar 22, 2008

One that I read that worked great was in David Maine's "The Preservationist". The UK Version is called "The Flood", some folks know it better that way.

Each chapter in the book was titled by the number and a POV. Like Chapter 1 - Noah, or Noe - as he's called in the book. Noe was in first person, the rest (Shem, Ham, Japheth, the ladies and the all to loving ' The Wife ') were in third person.

It was a great read. You could do something like that.

David I · Mar 23, 2008

"I have three story arcs. Each having three POVs."

Is that nine POVs total (3 x 3), or three?

In any case, you need to write the thing first and then decide how to move it around in order. This will be easier with three than nine...

Andrhia · Mar 23, 2008

I'm with David. Write out the story however is easiest for the first draft, and then take what you have and organize it a few different ways to see how the pieces flow together and what works best.

Or if you've already written it... keep two or three copies, each with a different structure, and find a couple of beta readers to look at both and tell you which one works better for them, and why.

josephwise · Mar 24, 2008

If one arc causes things to happen in another, I would tell it all together, and sequentially. Cause and effect. But you would need a way to move the reader from one to the other.

Do the three arcs share characters at all? Could a particular side-character transfer from one arc to the next for some reason?

A good example of this, is the Star Wars trilogy. There were several things going on at once. They were related, but seperate arcs. The POV characers were C3PO and R2D2. The narrative followed one or the other of them, even though they weren't the main characters. That allowed the story to be told sequentially by jumping from one important event in one arc, to another important event in another arc.

In my opinion, that's also the easiest way to write something like this, because it keeps you focused on what, in any given arc, is important.

Book structure help

WinterDusk14

Non-savvy tech writer

BlueTexas

Back from self-exile land.

kzmiller

Fair weather fanatic

Mumut

Well begun is half done...

Jonny Ryan Mac

Bogey Golfer

David I

Andrhia

josephwise