In multiple narratives, does time have to be in sync?
This goes for any amount of narratives, dual, triple, quadruple, whatever.
I'm writing a story with three points of views going on simultaneously right now, about at the same time. However, is it okay to have one of the characters a day ahead of the others, or one a day behind? If I end one chapter with the character's day ending, and I go back to resume from a cliffhanger on a different character where it is still daytime, and by the time I finish that I switch to the other POV where its already tomorrow, is that okay?
In a dual narrative, does time have to be absolutely in sync? Can characters be days ahead of each other?
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Stories are not organized according to time sequence, they are organized according to narrative arc. A narrative arc is built on rising tension, not the passage of time. Narrative arc can often be asynchronous. Any story with a flashback in it has an asynchronous narrative arc.
A multi narrative story usually has multiple narrative arcs. The important thing is to make sure each of the narrative arcs works as an arc. If you try to hard to keep the narratives time synced, you may mess up both narrative arcs. (Remember, a narrative arc is build on rising tension. A cut away may add tension or defuse it.)
But it is also possible for a single narrative arc to have two intersecting timelines. Consider a story in which two lovers are separated and are trying to reunite. This could be told as a single narrative arc with frequent communication between the characters and perhaps multiple missed rendezvous, all requiring close time synchronization.
But it could also be told as two separate arcs. First you take her through a series of adventures leading her to the rendezvous point at the appointed time. Then you leave her there and tell his narrative arc leading to the ultimate intersection of the arcs (or their failure to intersect). Tension is built through her arc because she does not know if her lover will meet her. Tension is built through his arc because the reader knows she is will be waiting for him, but not if he will choose or be able to meet her.
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As long as you clearly mark what the date is so that the reader knows your scenes are not in sync, you're okay in terms of clarity. But you should have a good narrative reason for doing so, and not just "the cliffhanger was exciting."
From a reading perspective, I prefer that the scenes not be out of sync by more than a day or so. If you have characters who absolutely don't interact, it's easier to manage.
(This also assumes that you're not telling a story which involves time-travel of any kind, in which case go nuts with asynchronicity.)
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