Multiple Events at One Time in Opening Chapter

[Jerry]

Seeking advice on writing in having multiple events happening simultaneously in an opening chapter, but not necessarily multiple POVs - without breaking the chapters by page breaks, or thereof --. Two people are being chased in different areas and I want the story to switch back and forth between the events, not so much POVs, as it is mainly author's/reader's perspective in the opening chapter. This event(s) helps get to yet another event which introduces the MC. Is there a book or examples I can read/research - or if you have any advice - examples of how best to approach. Easily done in a screenplay with a shot heading, but want to execute what I wrote in my script into the novel format.

Many thanks!

 

[pmmg]

I just did something like this in my own story, but I did change the POV pretty rapidly. Just a few sentences and then switch. It was more towards the and not the beginning, and the readers would know the POV characters.

 

[ThinkerX]

I did this in the prologue for 'Empire: Judgment,' Book Six of my 'Empire' series.

The prologue was intended to clear up past mysteries - exactly what inspired a major authority figure to do certain things and how he was able to do so - AND account for just how certain other characters ended up on another planet. The setting was a dormant and decaying alien starship, mostly buried at the center of a primitive community.

My solution was to introduce a prologue POV character who 'sort of knew' both the 'major authority figure' and the people who went away. Sometimes, he was too late to see what happened (good thing, as he'd have been killed) and at another point he gets to watch parts of the action through the starship's internal monitors.

 

[Jerry]

Both are good suggestions (and would luv to read your work!) but I should clarify - this would be from a more omniscient narrative - so not so much a POV, as in from a character speaking or the narrator speaking for them. Rather, an omniscient narrative where multiple events are taking place and how to best stitch them together.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Both are good suggestions (and would luv to read your work!) but I should clarify - this would be from a more omniscient narrative - so not so much a POV, as in from a character speaking or the narrator speaking for them. Rather, an omniscient narrative where multiple events are taking place and how to best stitch them together.

Writing this as 3rd person omniscient actually makes your job a little easier. You aren't limited to using a character at a time as your camera, so you and only you can choose what your readers see. Personally, my team uses 3rd person limited with anywhere between seven and nine POV characters in any given book. The whole world is open to use to show locations, emotional states, maybe enough exposition to give the reader a reason to care. Unlike in movies, you have all the senses to use as bookmarks to show where and how your action is all happening at the same time.

Our entire third book was like this: three main plotlines woven together into a complete narrative by the end. Paperback's big enough to kill a man, but the weaving works well. We ended up writing each storyline independently, and then everything came together during edits. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Mad Swede]

I did something like this in my first published novel. I write in third person limited and for that opening scene I used only one character. But, I needed to start several story threads in that first chapter, or at least set some of them up, which meant that I had to include little background details (a small crowd reading some notice, another person looking at the character as they passed etc) as the character ran through the streets. It works well, but what I learnt was that you must have an idea of the other plot threads and how they develop when you write that first scene otherwise you end up coming back to add those essential little details later.

 

[Jason]

Perhaps consider a prologue to hook readers into the threads and introduce the MC. Then switch emphasis through the early chapters.

 

[skip.knox]

WRT the switching, I would look for places in the action that could serve as a small cliff hanger. Each snippet needs to move the story forward. Steps along the way. To grab an easy analogy, think of describing a trapeze artist at work. You don't need to describe the climb up, chalking the hands, that sort of thing. But you do want to describe the moment they leap into space, suspended by rope and wood.

You don't need to describe the arc of each swing (unless, of course, something crucial happens in there, like a rope fraying). But you do want to describe the moment they do a triple twist and are caught. And so on.

Those are the switch points. Same logic applies to the other scenario, but there's something missing here. It's probably there, but you didn't mention it. Namely, both arcs (I'll assume there are only two) need to tie together somehow. To return to my analogy, if the second scenario involves someone surreptitiously cutting the net, knowing the trapeze has been rigged to fail, then that's great. Both scenarios work together. But if the second scenario involves a CPA driving to work in heavy traffic, worrying he's late for an appointment, then the two are irrelevant to each other.

Assuming both are relevant in your case, then I'd look for points at which each has an opportunity not only to drive its own arc, but to drive the other as well. Maybe the trapeze artist has been injured. Each catch is fraught with uncertainty. But at least there's a net, so the danger is failure of the show only. Now show the villain cutting at the net (somehow he's unseen) and that act raises stakes for the other.

So, when looking for switch points, those are the two aspects: each arc individually, but also how they tie into each other.

I want to add this caveat. I'm not sure about the opening chapter. I've just picked up your book. I don't know any of the characters, and I'm thrown into not one but two chases. Why should I care? OTOH, if I have met the characters, I come to care about them and the circumstances that have brought them to this point, now I very much want to know how the chases progress and how they turn out. Just something for your consideration.

 

[Prince of Spires]

I agree with skip.knox. Do this if the two chases are directly related to each other, and if they meet up during the chapter. If they don't I think it would end up just being confusing to the reader. Look for mini-arcs and climaxes, where you can jump from one to the other.

Also, you visually want a scene break when you jump from one to the next. It doesn't have to be a new chapter, but a blank line with a simply symbol showing a scene break is important to give the reader a clue we're jumping to a different bit (either in time or place). If you just continue writing it will get very confusing.

Another thing I would aim for is to include the character name, or some other very obvious clue in the first line of the scene right after you jump to the other person. You want the reader to be very, very sure about who they're reading about. don't assume that readers will know who they're watching when you jump from one to the other by simply changing the setting. Readers will simply think some time has passed and the character has gotten to a new location and get confused.

 

[skip.knox]

>You want the reader to be very, very sure about who they're reading about.
This.
It's easy for the author to have the cuts clear in their own mind, but lose the reader. Every time there's a bit of uncertainty about who's on stage, or who's speaking, you lose tension. Which, in this case, is the very thing you are trying to build. To avoid relentless repetition, you can choose a physical attribute (the red-headed man) or the occupation (the miller, the mage). That along with the name should provide enough variation.

Also, be ruthless. Chances are, not every switch in POV contributes. When you find yourself justifying--typically something along the lines of, 'the reader needs to see this'--that's a warning sign. It doesn't always mean throw it out; it might mean you can communicate what's needed without needing a POV switch.

More generally, any time you choose to do this, you've just made your work harder, and have raised the skill level needed.

 

[Mad Swede]

>You want the reader to be very, very sure about who they're reading about.
This.
It's easy for the author to have the cuts clear in their own mind, but lose the reader. Every time there's a bit of uncertainty about who's on stage, or who's speaking, you lose tension. Which, in this case, is the very thing you are trying to build. To avoid relentless repetition, you can choose a physical attribute (the red-headed man) or the occupation (the miller, the mage). That along with the name should provide enough variation.

Also, be ruthless. Chances are, not every switch in POV contributes. When you find yourself justifying--typically something along the lines of, 'the reader needs to see this'--that's a warning sign. It doesn't always mean throw it out; it might mean you can communicate what's needed without needing a POV switch.

More generally, any time you choose to do this, you've just made your work harder, and have raised the skill level needed.

Yes. And then again no. Sometimes you want that slight uncertainty or mystery you create when the reader isn't sure who they're reading about. It is very much a matter of context within the story and within the structure of the story.

 

[skip.knox]

Yes. And then again no. Sometimes you want that slight uncertainty or mystery you create when the reader isn't sure who they're reading about. It is very much a matter of context within the story and within the structure of the story.

Interesting. I can't say I've ever had that reaction as a reader. I tend to bristle when I catch the author playing games. Just tell me the story, sez I. This is, I'm sure, a matter of personal taste.

 

[Mad Swede]

Interesting. I can't say I've ever had that reaction as a reader. I tend to bristle when I catch the author playing games. Just tell me the story, sez I. This is, I'm sure, a matter of personal taste.

But for me that isn't about playing games with the reader. It's about building the plot without revealing it all, it's about building suspense with some aim in mind. For it to work it has to lead somewhere in terms of the story arcs, so that the reveal adds something to the story.

 

[Jerry]

Thanks one and all... Yes, even as you state Prince of Spires and Slip Knox - these two events do eventually come together - in the same chapter - and I was aiming at finding a way to not confuse the reader - as all have said - and of course my goal. As mentioned, we want the reader to be very clear in the transition. The 'switching' as you say, Slip, is what I'm trying to do and I appreciate how your descriptions and ideas. As well too, as Mad Swede suggests, to be able to keep the reader in a bit of mysterious suspense - which is how I've written, in a screenplay format, which are easy transitions/camera shots by simple maneuver of a screen heading. Here, in a novel format, it becomes a bit more tricky (even with using empty space or symbol to direct the reader to new event) - I didn't want to break the ongoing action, even as both characters eventually meet. But much of what has been said here has helped greatly in connecting the two but still don't want to disrupt the reader.

If I may outline the scenario:

1st event: A buffalo run/hunt is on, engaged by a tribe which goes awry and into chaos.

2nd event: A troop of rabbits are being chased by wolves through the nearby woods.

These two events eventually clash into one another, crossing paths, where and when a tribal member flees for their life away from the buffalo run.

I'd like to focus on one, and then the other, but then bring them both together as they meet in the chaos. So really, its just a matter of one thing happening here, and the other over there - a simple enough plan, but easily done in a screenplay format, but is it as simple as a space or symbol to separate the events until they come together? The mystery is still good/okay, but even as you mention Slip - I'm not trying, nor want to to hide/lie to my reader that these events are happening simultaneously, but that bit of mystery is okay too when the 2nd event reveals how close they are in vicinity to the 1st, as in out from the woods and onto the plains when the two events eventually clash together themselves. Just want to write both freely and without distraction.

Much thanks all!!

 

[Jerry]

Thanks one and all... Yes, even as you state Prince of Spires and Slip Knox - these two events do eventually come together - in the same chapter - and I was aiming at finding a way to not confuse the reader - as all have said - and of course my goal. As mentioned, we want the reader to be very clear in the transition. The 'switching' as you say, Slip, is what I'm trying to do and I appreciate how your descriptions and ideas. As well too, as Mad Swede suggests, to be able to keep the reader in a bit of mysterious suspense - which is how I've written, in a screenplay format, which are easy transitions/camera shots by simple maneuver of a screen heading. Here, in a novel format, it becomes a bit more tricky (even with using empty space or symbol to direct the reader to new event) - I didn't want to break the ongoing action, even as both characters eventually meet. But much of what has been said here has helped greatly in connecting the two but still don't want to disrupt the reader.

If I may outline the scenario:

1st event: A buffalo run/hunt is on, engaged by a tribe which goes awry and into chaos.

2nd event: A troop of rabbits are being chased by wolves through the nearby woods.

These two events eventually clash into one another, crossing paths, where and when a tribal member flees for their life away from the buffalo run.

I'd like to focus on one, and then the other, but then bring them both together as they meet in the chaos. So really, its just a matter of one thing happening here, and the other over there - a simple enough plan, but easily done in a screenplay format, but is it as simple as a space or symbol to separate the events until they come together? The mystery is still good/okay, but even as you mention Slip - I'm not trying, nor want to to hide/lie to my reader that these events are happening simultaneously, but that bit of mystery is okay too when the 2nd event reveals how close they are in vicinity to the 1st, as in out from the woods and onto the plains when the two events eventually clash together themselves. Just want to write both freely and without distraction.

Much thanks all!!

Thank u one and all -- I appreciate it greatly. I think I've got it all worked out - thanks to all of your suggestions and wisdom --