by Nick Hayden
December 6, 2013
One thing we here at Children of the Wells looked forward to doing when we started this world was exploring several different plotlines at once. Back in the planning stages, when all was bright colors and lollipops and rainbows, we wanted to have three parallel storylines proceeding simultaneously.
That turned out to be too many for us to manage. It’s hard enough running a continuing story if there’s only one person involved. When you have a half dozen authors, each with his own ideas and each with his own day job, well…you can imagine.
But even with a measly two parallel plotlines, we’re experimenting with ways to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
So, if you happen to be reading just Bron & Calea, or just Jaysynn, let me encourage you to take a look at the other side of the coin. Here’s why:
- See the Great Cities! – If you hope to visit all the great cities–Jalseion, Thyrion, and Remirion–you’d best tackle both plotlines. It doesn’t look like Calea will make it to Remirion any time soon, which is a shame, because it’s an interesting place.
- Get All the Clues! – What caused the Cataclysm? And why are strange things happening now? You’ll get the answer eventually, but you’ll have a better set of clues if you follow Bron as well as Jaysynn.
- Enjoy Big Stories & Personal Stories! – While we’ve dedicated ourselves to writing character-focused stories, Jaysynn’s novellas will touch on big picture events, like the movement of nations, more often than the more personal conflicts of Bron & Calea. By reading both, you’ll see the aftereffects of the Cataclysm from the seat of both kings and common men.
- We All Love Crossovers! – Okay, so we don’t plan on a crossover quite yet, but I know for a fact a character from The Fall of the House of Kyzer appears in the upcoming Bron & Calea novella. Who knows what might occur in the future? Jaysynn vs. Bron in a bar fight? (I know one author who’d love to see that.) In any case, we want events in Bron & Calea to affect Jaysynn’s struggle, and vice versa. Now that the prologue’s out of the way, I think you’ll see that more and more of that kind of ripple effect.
We haven’t completely figured out everything about writing parallel plotlines, but we’re excited about the possibilities it holds. We hope you are, too.
And if you aren’t, well, enjoy the story you like best and ignore the rest. That’ll work, too.
But you’re missing out.
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