This is excellent advice, readers. Check it out!
Writing Multiple Plotlines: Everything You Need to Know
Today we’re going to be diving into the topic of multiple plotlines. This is in response to a question that I received on the blog from Amanda who asks:
I would love a practical guide to outlining multiple storylines. Even if you just have a B story, how do you outline for it and make sure it aligns with the main story?
This is an important question. So often, as authors, we think—particularly when we look at some of what’s popular right now—that we need to have multiple plotlines. We think we need to go bigger and better and have more and more and more. And that’s great. Obviously, there’s a lot of fun in that and a lot of ways we can explore fictional options through that approach. But the key is it has to all work together. Just throwing a bunch of plotlines into the same story world doesn’t necessarily mean they will create the most cohesive or resonant story.
It is great and so important for creating that foundation when writers take time to think about this and ask, “How can I create that kind of resonance in the outline phase or as I’m planning?”
As with most things, the foundation of this all comes down to structure. It’s really about how do you take story structure—the principles of story structure and the major plot points (the First Plot Point, the Midpoint, the Pinch Points, etc.)—and then apply that to something that isn’t just one storyline and still make it seem like something readers can follow and pay attention to and that ultimately makes sense on a deeper level of character arc and thematic resonance.
A Song of Joy by Caroline Furlong 