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- Mar 2, 2014
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[I also posted this in Basic Writing Questions but also wanted to post here as I write historical fiction. Hope that's okay]
What's the appeal of dual timeline novels? I personally don't like them, and I would think switching back and forth between two distinct story lines takes the reader out of one story, jolts them into another, then pulls them back again, etc.
I'm more of a linear gal, but for the second time my agent is advocating a dual timeline for a book I am working on. The first time he suggested it, I tried it out for some sample chapters and it worked - everyone agreed it made the story stronger - but I want to understand WHY it worked and why it made the story stronger.
I eventually abandoned that book - my heart wasn't in it - and have been working on a new project. This new book takes place over the course of one day and has a lot of backstory and after submitting my first draft, my agent is once again suggesting that because of the amount of backstory, I switch it over to a dual timeline and build the backstory in a distinct storyline at the same time as the current story / day unfolds.
I'm speaking to him tomorrow and before we talk I'm trying to wrap my head around the appeal of a backstory - any thoughts or experiences would be helpful! Thanks.
What's the appeal of dual timeline novels? I personally don't like them, and I would think switching back and forth between two distinct story lines takes the reader out of one story, jolts them into another, then pulls them back again, etc.
I'm more of a linear gal, but for the second time my agent is advocating a dual timeline for a book I am working on. The first time he suggested it, I tried it out for some sample chapters and it worked - everyone agreed it made the story stronger - but I want to understand WHY it worked and why it made the story stronger.
I eventually abandoned that book - my heart wasn't in it - and have been working on a new project. This new book takes place over the course of one day and has a lot of backstory and after submitting my first draft, my agent is once again suggesting that because of the amount of backstory, I switch it over to a dual timeline and build the backstory in a distinct storyline at the same time as the current story / day unfolds.
I'm speaking to him tomorrow and before we talk I'm trying to wrap my head around the appeal of a backstory - any thoughts or experiences would be helpful! Thanks.