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Post by metalikhan on Nov 9, 2009 12:09:15 GMT -5
Reviving an old thread, but I'm looking for some input.
I'm working on a sequel to a novel in which one of the POV characters plays a vital role — but not until the next story after this one. His story is running concurrently with the MC; but the way this is shaping up, they won't cross paths in this ms.
I'm open to some opinions about whether to place his POV chapters among those of the main storyline or to separate it as, possibly, a short story addendum following the primary story.
On one hand, placing his chapters with the others shows that the action of his story is occurring in tandem with the main story and provides key information for an important part of that world that the others will be dealing with.
On the other hand, I can easily see how a reader might go, Who is this guy and what's he got to do with the story?
Comments? Opinions?
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Post by raregem on Nov 10, 2009 9:06:59 GMT -5
Is it possible to leave his story completely out of the first novel, and then in the second novel work in what happened to him during the time of the first novel through dialogue or flashbacks or some other clever way of inputting backstory.
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Post by metalikhan on Nov 10, 2009 20:43:31 GMT -5
It's possible, although I'm not terribly fond of back-telling much story. Currently, this character's chapters are at 5200 words and draws on particular features from the first novel as well as setting up vital scenes and information for the third. I went back to Jeff's Tips and reviewed the one about murdering your darlings (Tip # 72). It's about becoming so enthralled with what you've written that you don't want to cut extraneous material. So far, everything I've measured against that standard turned out to be vital for both the characters and the overall plot. I may have to try a number of approaches for it, maybe even re-routing the main characters in their flight from danger so the plots intersect late in this story. In several ways, this ms is a bridge between the first and third. There's an awful lot that can't happen in the third story without it. Well, if I wanted easy projects, I wouldn't have picked writing.
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