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

[helene ryles]

Hi Barbara,
Thanks for getting back about this. I did want them to alternate
between Liza and Nadia but it's impossible to do this without the time
jumping about since Liza's chapters come earlier at first.

Helene

On 17/09/2009, Barbara Hammel <poetlori8 at msn.com> wrote:
> 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
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/poetlori8%40msn.com
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/dreamavdb%40googlemail.com
>