Thread: How to group scenes from multiple storylines

Hello all!

I'm in the editing stages of my novel (first draft done as of last winter), and a thought popped up yesterday that I haven't been able to resolve yet. In a book where there are multiple storylines, how often should I switch storylines? If I recall correctly, The Lord of the Rings tends to switch at larger chapter breaks. Currently I switch viewpoint characters after every scene (scenes are usually 1 to 10 pages) and I have about 5 viewpoint characters (only 3 of which are MCs). I'm playing with the idea of grouping the storylines into separate chapters so you don't have to switch as often, but that might make me have to jump around in the temporal flow a little. And maybe I should only write from the POV of the MCs? I'm looking into that possibility also. The novel is written in a scene-by-scene 3rd person limited.

I'm not sure if anyone can give adequate advice without reading the manuscript, but I'm curious to hear thoughts, questions, advice, what you've done, etc. Does the advent of ADD and TV mean I should switch more often? Does tradition (and not losing people) dictate that I should switch less? Does switching more often help increase tension? Help!

I usually switch viewpoints with a new chapter. Sometimes I'll use three asterisks during a chapter and switch a scene that way. I've written novels with a dozen or more viewpoint characters, and this is how I work mine, if it's any use to you:

Chapter One takes place in the viewpoint of Major Carlos, USMC. He's fighting in Afghanistan, backed up by several of the Marine Recon team and his second-in-command. Chapter ends with a cliffhanger.

Chapter Two switches to the viewpoint of another main character, this time a computer programmer called Hunt. This chapter is relatively short on action, owing to the pace and action-packed scenes of the last one. A chance for the reader to catch his/her breath. The chapter covers ten pages, at the end of which is something I call a mini-cliffhanger. A line or paragraph which makes the reader want to read on.

I like to keep the suspense levels up, so Chapter Three won't follow on from Two. Instead, I return to my original viewpoint character and show how he extricates himself from a tricky situation. This chapter can also end on a cliffhanger, but it isn't necessary.

Chapter Four introduces another viewpoint character, this time the U.S. President.

Chapter Five returns to Hunt.

Chapter Six, Carlos.

Chapter Seven, new viewpoint character.

Chapter Eight, Hunt.

At some point later on, perhaps ten chapters down the line, I may return to the President. There may be no need to, since his storyline is only a minor one. But I keep alternating between viewpoint characters at different chapters. Gradually, I introduce more and more until I have as many as I need.

Hope this helps.

Yeah, that's helpful to think about. I guess I'm not really sure what advice I want -- I realize there are not hard and fast rules, and that if there were that would give me all the more incentive to break them.

Anyone else? How often do you switch your POV?

My only suggestion would be that you make the switch clear. I am switching between three characters in third person limited and they only switch with chapters, and in fact have their name at the beginning.

Makes sense. I was switching much more rapidly than chapters (as I said, I'm looking into changing that), but I've made a point of always using the viewpoint characters name somewhere in the first sentence. (It's not a first person POV, so that makes it easier to drop the name into a sentence.

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On a different note, how do you mark new scenes, or new sections within chapters? Are blank lines enough to differentiate new scenes, or should there be some mark/symbol/picture? Say I have three scenes from one character and then three scenes from another character -- should there be some special mark separating them? Should I just make a LOT of short chapters? Should each series of scenes from one viewpoint start on a fresh page? I realize that there are no hard and fast rules, but advice is awesome.

I will post an example of one of the chapters from my novel. Each bit that is [in brackets] is a new scene. In this version I've already moved the scenes around to group them somewhat by viewpoint character.

NEW CHAPTER:

[Start with copy a private memo between officals at DESCO in re: the transfer of Lorien from Horot to the Arc.]

--

SCENE 1: [Lorien rides, thinks about the Arc, when he was last there, and the last time he saw Ash. And the last time he heard from Ash.]

SCENE 2: [Lorien gets water for his horse in an outlying village (unfortunately placed for Arcan travelers). He speaks with Idriel, a local who has seen other riders to the Arc adn who has come by child with one of them, apparently. His message buzzes and he ignores it.]

SCENE 3: [Lorien reaching the transition station. Notices guns, sandrails, etc. Has some conversation. Is creeped out. Is assigned a sandrail for the rest of the journey (describe it and the speeds it travels)]

--

SCENE 4: [Isa hiding in an alley, wet and reading again through the letter on the package telling her not to be found by anyone but Hena or Andarin (and what to tell them when she finds them). Include the letter in full, as well as some thoughts of hers.]

SCENE 5: [Isa finds Hena or Andarin]

SCENE 6: [Isa is part of a conversation when Andarin comes home. He talks about his experience with the crowds and what the word on the street is. Plans are made for a meeting.]

SCENE 7: [Isa is there as the meeting begins. Isa listens to Andarin’s opening speech, then she gets up and introduces herself (remembering Andarin’s coaching) and she says some things.]

SCENE 8: [Isa is there as the meeting continues -- they plan to meet at the same place the next night, then head out in small waves.]

--

SCENE 9: [Lorien passes the night as he camps beside the sandrail. Wakes up, describes the scenery, and continues driving to the Arc. More thoughts about his plans or worries for the future.]

--

SCENE 10: [Vali awake (during the day of rest) yelling and no one coming. Worries about Nasran coming or guards turn into just hoping that SOMEONE will come. Fear that he’ll have to spend another night -- work will resume the next morning.]

SCENE 11: [Vali, tired and parched, dreaming, then being woken up by Isa (he was calling her name -- she was traveling by with the first group) They find a room, open it, open a trap door, and find the cellar passage with a light switch.]

SCENE 12: [Vali and Isa talk while they wait for more groups to come.]

SCENE 13: [Vali and people marching through the tunnel, then singing. Isa wonders about the Lorien guy.]

Does that seem like too many shifts in POV? (I'm not sure how much sense this makes without you all having read the draft so far). The previous version had all the same scenes, but the same character never had more than two in a row.

On my first draft I had many viewpoint characters and switched at the end of scenes. After review I decided it was confusing and not engaging for the reader so I dumped all but one viewpoint and rewrote it. I think just having one viewpoint character made the story more intriguing.

As far as how to group chapters, Sam W has said everything worth really saying, but I feel to add that once you have introduced all you POV characters, it's a good idea to swing through and check on them all regularly. I'm not saying you need to be GRR Martin and pitching-staff-esque rotation, but it's not a good idea to drop someone for thirty chapters and then bring them out again at the drop of a hat. Besides, if they only pop up once every thirty chapters, then are they really all that ciritical?

As to the second, yes, that is too many for me. I'd split it up into two chapters, one focusing on Lorien, the other on Isa and Vali. Unless the material is closely related, there's no need to mix 'em all up quite that much.