Greetings all, offically registered with you lovely people today having thoughly enjoyed reading other threads-now its time to extend my very own feelers! I am writing a blockbuster novel of sorts, with time travel being a key element to my narrative. In short, my MA threatens the present leaders of USA to incite reform or else he will travel back in time (something only he has discovered how to do) and set off a nuclear bomb thus ending the world. The narrative will take place in both the present and the past and focus on characters that reside in both ie. Past and presnt selfs are independant of one another. One question I have is how should I write both timelines simualtaniously without confusing the reader. God I hope that made sense! Hah!
If the difference in time between the past and the present is significant a little description of the surrounding should be sufficient. In the beginning take some time to establish the difference in surroundings, may be, mention the difference in landmarks of a same place in the different timeline. May be there is a place where your MC always takes shelter when in the past. Mere mention of that place will indicate change in timeline. Same case with people he usually makes contact with in the past. You may also make it clear from the context of the previous scene/chapter that there will be shift in the timeline in the next scene in which case you may forego the description of surrounding. For most clarity, give each shift in timeline a different chapter.
This strangely reminds me of TimeShift the game, and I have to say good luck with the time travel concept, I'm sought doing similar and the best advice I can give is like KillBill said, make sure you specify when you jumping backwards or forwards, an alternative idea may be to do the book in two or three parts. Part 1: Travel to the past, Part 2: Consequences of said time travel, Part Three: The future.... or something along those lines, its up to you.
Thanks for confirming what I had in mind. I do have one other question that relates to the time travelling aspect of my story. As mentioned in my description, only MA understands how to travel back in time. The MC also travels back along with a few supporting characters but time travel is not suppose to be accessible to most. With that said, is it concievable that the world leaders would be held ransom to a concept (timetravel) of which they know little about? After all, the villian is asking a lot of these men; some leaders will reject the villians claims as the ramblings of a mad man, but do you feel acceptance to reform off the back of such threats is pausible as part of my narrative?
They could be disbelieving of the concept and rubbish it. That is until everyting shifts, and if your MC goes back, he could latch on the the villain's quantum stream, like Jack does in a Doctor Who episode, he clings onto the TARDIS.
