Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/25125
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/25125
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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.

Original score: 2