1. That one person

    That one person Member

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    Too much going on at once?

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by That one person, Oct 11, 2016.

    So the story in my mind is complicated, but is it too complicated? It starts with a girl who doesn't remember anything that lead up to waking up in a bed in an unfamiliar house. From here, the story switches perspectives between three more people, and the girl (my MC) has dreams throughout the story that are pretty much memories of her past. So that's switching perspectives and a separate story going on at the same time that the characters work through the main plot.
    Is this too much happening at once, or can it be pulled off by someone who has experience writing?
    Is this even the proper place to put this question...
     
  2. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Try balancing everything out by giving each part it's own chapter by chapter turn. This will help keep things from getting to confusing. Or try
    Using those time/place break things (***) to separate them if they pop up in midpoints. :)
     
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  3. That one person

    That one person Member

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    I've tried to do that, but can you really call a single paragraph a "chapter"?
    Otherwise I get what you're saying and thanks for the response :)
     
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  4. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    @That one person if it a paragraph use the time/place break. I think the shortest chapter I have ever seen was about a page or so. :)
     
  5. That one person

    That one person Member

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    Ah, gotcha. Will do, and thanks again!
     
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  6. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Anytime.
     
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  7. xanadu

    xanadu Contributor Contributor

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    Questions like these, unfortunately, are usually best answered by "write it and see if it works." Sure, situations like these might seem complicated on the surface, but you never really know until you start to piece it together on paper. It can definitely be done with good writing (as can most things). So give it a try, experiment with it, and then have others read it and gauge the reactions from there. The workshop here is an excellent source of feedback, or try finding a beta reader.

    Kind of blah advice, I'll admit, but sometimes that's the only way to get out of your own head. :)
     
  8. That one person

    That one person Member

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    I'll continue writing it then, and hopefully it won't turn into a mess of words that nobody can pick through.
    Thanks for the advice though, it is actually helpful to hear anyone's input. :)
     
  9. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I agree with xanadu, There is no way to tell if you can pull this off unless you try and pull it off. A story in your head is useless unless you actually write it.

    I'm not sure why you think there's too much going on. Maybe there is, but it you didn't mention anything to make me think this is a really complex plot. Is it because you plan to write from multiple POVs? That's been done a million times, but it's also not something that has to be done. You could write the same story from one POV if you want or omniscient. Personally, I prefer a single POV or omniscient. I think clarity is easier with those two options. But I think you are getting ahead of yourself. You need to write it before you know what and if any problems there are.
     
  10. IHaveNoName

    IHaveNoName Senior Member Community Volunteer

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    It does sound complex on the surface, but an experienced writer could pull it off. The question is, can YOU pull it off? Not trying to be a jerk here... this is a serious question. The way you phrases your post makes it seem like it's a bit overwhelming to you, so you might want to scale it back a bit - maybe drop from four POVs to three or even two (or do omniscient like deadrats said). From what I gather, you have two stories: the "main plot", and the girl with amnesia... how do they relate? How do all the characters fit into this grand web? Whose thoughts/viewpoint are absolutely necessary for us to understand what's going on? Start from there, and work your way out from that.
     
  11. That one person

    That one person Member

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    When you put it that way, I suppose I am getting a bit ahead of myself. Maybe I'm just overthinking things.
    What I thought was getting complicated wasn't necessarily the fact that I intend to write with multiple POVs, but the fact that I wanted to include the separate plot of the girl's dreams.
    Thanks for the response.
    I'll try starting from there then, since I am a fairly inexperienced writer. Thanks for the info, it really helps.
     
  12. amerrigan

    amerrigan Active Member

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    The idea for your story reminded me of Delmore Schwartz's 'In Dreams Begin Responsibilities' - though it is probably different to what you intended; as I think it is one dream that keeps changing; reading it might inspire you - as it has so many others over the years. There is a pdf of it easily readable online if you google it.
     
  13. That one person

    That one person Member

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    I'll have to check it out then, thanks.
     

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