[stylist] Clarity, movement through time and rearanging chapters.

[Barbara Hammel]

I think it would most definitely be less confusing.  It doesn't matter if 
they alternate.  Not even Tolkien alternated his chapters.  He changed in 
the middle of chapters or wrote a couple about one group of characters.
Barbara

If wisdom's ways you wisely seek, five things observe with care:  of whom 
you speak, to whom you speak, and how and when and where.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "helene ryles" <dreamavdb at googlemail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 9:46 PM
To: "A private list for authors" <DB-AUTHORS at tr.wou.edu>; "bookel" 
<bookel1 at gmail.com>; "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [stylist] Clarity, movement through time and rearanging chapters.

> It seems that my movement through time is confusing some readers. I've
> tried a purely cronological aproach but it lacked suspense.
>
> But I see how the chapters can be a little confusing
> Would a change of order like this help cut out on that?
>
> 1:   6/1997  A testomony by Fiona the fader
> 3:   1983 (14 years earlier) An honorary dragon by Liza Bronze
> 7:   1986 (3 years later) Why I kidnapped Nadia by Liza Bronze
> 2:   1991 (5 years later) Early memories by Nadia Murat
> 4:   1993 (2 years later) Replaced by a career by Nadia Murat
> (I would divide chapter 2 into 2 short chapters)
> 5:   1993  The sad fate of Liza Bronze by Shania Krum
>
> second half of chapter from where Liza travels to Nazdonia (1993)
> 6:  1993/1994   Druzil school for the deaf and the blind.     Nadia Murat
> Someone suggested that chapter also needed dividing. What do others think?
> 8: 1994  The son my mother wanted by Nadia Murat
>
> Would rearanging the chapters this way help cause less confusion? I
> would still start the book in 1997 then go back in time. After that I
> would just go forward except for the occasional flash back.
>
> The only problem is it would spoil the pattern of liza having a
> chapter then Nadia, then back to Liza again.
>
> Helene
>
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