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First, I will say that I know what day it is. Last year, I did a regular post and got a few private messages asking if I forgot what today is. I live in New York, grew up in New York, went to college in New York, and remember EXACTLY where I was and what I was doing when 9/11 happened. I talk to the friend I was with every year about it since we walked to the same anthropology class that day only to find it was canceled. As faded as the images are in my head, I still remember the facts and emotions. Now, let’s get to some tips about writing a story with two eras.
- Decide on which one is going to be the centerpiece. As important as it is to give each time period enough time, one is going to be seen as the present. The other will be either the past or future. Normally, it’s the present with scenes of the past showing how events unfolded. This is easier because people mind’s work this way with foreshadowing, but it can be done the other way if you want.
- While the characters don’t have to act the same in both time periods, there has to be some consistency. If they are entirely different from each other then readers will have trouble connecting them. At the very least, you need to give hints that a big event happens to change them completely. Even so, trauma doesn’t always erase a person’s personality completely. There could be some flickers of their old self that comes through to forge the connection.
- While time doesn’t have to be equally divided between eras, you can’t spend too much on one if you want them both to tell a story. Otherwise, the past will be nothing more than brief flashbacks instead of solid stories. If you focus more on the past, the present will be flashforwards that simply tell the readers who survives and how the focused events will unfold. For example, already knowing the world is going to end means any actions taken to stop it in the past are doomed to fail or cause it to happen.
- Remember that locations change over time too. If you’re having a large span of time between eras, you need to make sure places that appear in both look different. Even slight changes are important. Think about where you live and consider how many stores have appeared and gone out of business. The weather pattern might have changed or even the general demographic. This is normal without the effect of cataclysmic events.
- Obvious tip: Foreshadowing is important and NEEDS payoff.
- The two time periods don’t need identical plots. The one the chronologically comes first can be different with hints that it is leading into whatever is the next stage of the adventure. This is similar to a story having a sequel or prequel, but you’re telling both at the same time. Again, a difficult balancing act, but one that is possible if you make sure to retain continuity even if it’s just with editing. An example of this could be the past story is about a quest while the present story is about survival.
- Well . . . I don’t have one. Sorry.
Legends of Windemere 