My current WIP is another collection, only the stories are linked - either by one particular character, or a certain town. The stories span decades, with just that one or two common threads in each. It's a pretty short project, only 8 or 9 chapters, but is it overkill to keep having the same character and/or geography appear up in all of them? I think it'll make sense by the final chapter as that's the one that explains everything that each preceding story was leading to (that's the goal, anyway). I'm just concerned about linking the chapters too often, if that's a thing. Or are the overthinking demons attacking me again?
Stock response #34—"It depends on how it's done." We couldn't tell you unless we read all the stories first.
Good point lol. I suppose having the same character in every story and then revealing in the last chapter why isn't overdoing it. Especially since he appears in different guises throughout.
I don't think you can really overdo that in a linked short story collection. The main thing to keep in mind is that you don't want to be repeating anything as you move from story to story. Also, a lot of times people will read collections (even linked collections) out of order so it might be good to think about the readers who won't read your work in chronological order. I know it's kind of an older book (1990s), but Drown by Junot Diaz does this pretty well and is also a great collection.
The main thing I have this recurring character do when he appears under each guise is talk to the MC while performing, or about to perform, some action. Sometimes they have a long, cryptic conversation where he subtly (or not-so-subtly) betrays his identity, and sometimes it's "off camera" where his presence is only implied until I have him do something that affects the story. Sometimes he's playing a particular role or doing some kind of job. Other times he's just a mystery man who is just "there." So I think what I have him do varies enough. But a few chapters in, it's pretty evident that this dude keeps showing up in some way or another. So that's why I was concerned about over-linking him...but he does/says different things in each appearance.
One example you might look at is 'Alt Apocalypse" By Tom Abrahams. Hear is the audible summary for relevance. 'The Alt Apocalypse is the ground-breaking, genre-bending series from Tom Abrahams. It explores survival under the most extreme circumstances, but with a twist (and no cliff-hangers). This series, which can be listened to in any order, features the same core characters in each complete story. But every book dunks them into a new, alternate apocalypse; a nuclear holocaust, an earthquake, a flood, a wildfire, a hurricane, a plague, and even zombies. Different heroes will emerge in each novel. Different characters will survive and perish. Your favorite character dies in one book? He or she will be back in the next. In the end, you'll unwind the loose thread that connects every character and every stand-alone story. '
