Thread: Number of Arcs in one book

Hey there guys!
So I'm putting together this fantasy novel and I wanted to know if I was having too many story arcs in the first book.
Of course the arcs tie together, leading up to the main one in the second half of the book..but I was wondering if it would be
better to reach the main arc quicker? (instead of having to begin it only halfway through the book).
That way I won't have the other arcs before the big one that leads to the finish.
Just wondering if that many arcs were bad for the story.

Please and thanks.

How many arcs do you have?

I'm currently writing a book that's at least pushing the line on having too many arcs. I think it can work if you're careful, you keep your characters clear, and they're all somewhat important. However, I would recommend that you get the main storyline going as soon as possible, even if it changes throughout.

Imagine if the Lord of the Rings Trilogy waited until half-way through the series to introduce the ring and the idea that it has to be taken somewhere. Or if Bilbo didn't leave on his quest until halfway through the hobbit.

Like many of the other concepts in writing, it all depends on the context and the execution.

I don't think that in general it's a bad idea to introduce your main story arc halfway through the first book, but there should at least be some elements even from the beginning of the story that set into motion the main arc. Otherwise it might come across like the beginning half has no bearing or connection with the rest of your story. But you did say the arcs tied into the main plot of your story.

Like j.w. olson said above, imagine if Bilbo Baggins hadn't set off on his journey until halfway through The Hobbit. I think that could have worked if Tolkien had used those chapters to build up to the main event, but if he'd just had a completely different plotline at the beginning and then switched gears and suddenly introduced the ring, it would've left the readers wondering why those beginning chapters were necessary.

It sounds like you are running of the risk of the story appearing to ramble initially. You say the initial arcs will come together eventually, but will the reader sense that early on, or will your early arcs come across as a bunch of random story elements? Readers today are pretty impatient. They want to start making sense of the story very quickly. As they read your early chapters they want a sense that the story is going somewhere. Anything that does not move the plot forward needs to be excised from the book. I rarely see writers talk about both arcs and three act structure at the same time. Most writers seem to prefer one or the other. I'm more of a three act structure guy. Maybe you can take a guide from three act structure: By the end of Act 1 (25% of the way into the book), all major characters must be introduced and they probably need to be united in persuit of a common goal. If you want to develop some characters before they meet other characters, introduce the less developed characters when they meet the more developed characters and flesh out the less developed characters with backstory later in the book. In the first Star Wars movie, Han Solo is only introduced near the end of Act 1, but he gets a lot of backstory - that he is a smuggler, that he has a price on his head because he offended a crime boss, that he is capable of violence, that he is not averse to dirty tricks or sneak attacks, etc. Good luck. C.M.

Thanks for the helpful replies!
The thing you said about Bilbo and LOTR were very true haha! Agree with that!
And I also agree that the earlier arcs might appear as random story elements to readers, that they want the main story to kick in fast. (They would also look for a sense of direction within the story)

What I'm really trying to do with the earlier arcs is to build up the characters and setting. The later part of the plot (where things get exciting) is, honestly I feel, too much for the characters to handle. Some of them are first years at the academy and it would seem highly improbable that they would survive the ordeal unless they had some form of preparation.
That's why I created the first few arcs actually, so that there would be this build up...