Hello everyone, just like I stated here: how many storylines do you have in your biggest story so far? I’ve used four storylines in “Hotel of the death – the chosen one ” and they all come together at the end. And if you apply more than one storyline, aren't you afraid to confuse your reader?
No. Look at works like The Count of Monte Christo, which features almost a dozen sub-stories. Although the average reader can follow them all, I'm sure (indicative of the wild success of this particular story), I'm also fairly confident that a small percentage might lose some of the details. Maybe even crucial pieces of the story. But that's what a reread is for. Those same people probably have to watch films a couple of times before they can fully digest the plot. Books are no different. My novel has several smaller storylines entwined into one, but that's also because my novel is about the lives of several young adults all eventually coming together. In order to connect the reader with my characters, I have no choice but to elaborate on their individual backgrounds.
I have a number of subplots going on in my work, but mostly they're there for character development reasons. I like using a character's past/backstory to explain why they are the way they are, then let them do their own thing while the main story line is taking place. All of their actions are aimed to push the main plot forward naturally, many the story feel more interesting, and (hopefully) make readers care about your characters as much as you do. If you can pull off weaving together multiple story lines in order to support the main line, then by all means, do it. Personally I love character-driven stories with a lot of depth to them.
I have four stories that stand separately from each other, but are all related in some way. In the main story that I'm working on, there is the main plot, but also an overarching plotline that deals with different characters and operates on a massively different timescale. Then for both plot lines, there are little thematic backstories for most of the main players...
I've confused myself writing stories so I usually try to keep it to two storylines - a main plot/sub-plot deal. But I'm working on a story in which, though there are main characters, a place becomes a character unto it's self so I'm thinking about adding bits of plot from other characters that come and go to show the full scope and effect this place has on them. Figuring it out however is hard. But I've been looking at some books with fractured storylines to help me out.
I have two "main" storylines - I label them foreground and background....but the foreground has four or five characters that all have their own battles that aren't always in the same place. Still trying to decide how many of them I follow when they are alone, at least three.
I've always preferred to go by the idea of "there is no subplots". A good subplot should work to enhance the main plot and add to it. I can't claim I always succeed in this, but I hope to get points for trying.
I kind of like the "no subplots" idea from ToDandy...I have one really big global plot, and all of the little people running around (including my main characters and main plot) are all just little pieces that fit into the larger arc. I may have stuff going on in two or three other countries but it all feeds into the same narrative, and really my "main" plot is just another subplot in a story that, in my case, is about the direction of the entire world. But there can only be one larger story.
Since I have several points of views, I give the characters each a plot. For my first story, there's roughly five plots from each main POV character that makes it a full story.
Most of my subplots are reactions to the main plot. A man dies saving the life of a girl who ran into the path of a speeding truck. The main story centers around his widow and the father of the girl. Subplots include the girl's guilt, the widow's daughter's anger, and the father's anger at his ex for not preventing it (the girl was with her mother at the time of the accident.)
6 (3 Major) (3 Minor ones) The 2 major ones are suppose to show the brothers differences, as both are important and are both dealing with different ideas. One is about self discovery of the self, the other is about the other brother and his use of his abilities. The third one is the one you don't see, but it is only seen through other characters briefly, it isn't spelled out or pronounced it is a drawing cancer. The other three are reactions of what is going in the other Major plot line the third less pronounced and the other two characters major plot lines.
In my recent novel, (released the other day) I have one main storyline, and 2 subplots. It felt just enough as I don't want to make it cloggy, and the main topic is so strong that I don't want to distract too much from that. They kind of complete each other. In my first novel I had pretty much the same, now that I think of it.