I dunno.

I'm trying to figure out a form for the way my story progresses, and was thinking maybe some of you could help me out a little. Ya know, with feedback and all that.

It comes down to whether I should devote each chapter change to a different character. It seems like an alright idea to me, but I worry about the cohesiveness of it all, honestly.

Otherwise, I'd devote each of the parts to a different character's storyline.

I think I'm just indecisive.

My copy of Beethoven Was Deaf had been lost up until a few days ago, when I found it at a friends house, of all places. I got it on my 360 and been looping Seasick Yet Still Docked while playing a couple stages from the first Max Payne, which is pretty cool.

I'm annoyed more than I can explain at the stank ass-ery of how KOTOR runs on the thing. One of my favorite games on the original XBox, just because of the association with the pen and paper style rules. When I was still a PC gamer back in the day, I fell mad in love with all of those types of games. Planescape especially, and Arcanum; Icewind Dale, because I read the trilogy by Salvatore - the game itself was pretty bad, though.

Anyway.

Mhm.

Comments 3

honestgamer Staff Apr 21, 2007

I think you'll paint yourself into a corner if you devote each chapter to an individual character. The best way to do it is the Terry Brooks way, which is to just take whatever perspective you want after a break in the chapter. A few viewpoints in a chapter--two or three--isn't confusing when done right, and allows you to tell the story with minimal interference from chapters. After all, chapters are mostly a mechanic that came into place when novels by people like Dickens were serialized, right?

Also, my wife has almost all of Salvatore's Forgotten Realms stuff, I think. We have several trilogies sitting around in the various collections. I keep meaning to read some of his stuff...

Genj Apr 21, 2007

I'm no creative writer or avid reader but I think it depends on how many characters perspectives you're going for. I've read plenty of novels that switch every (or every few) chapters to 2-3 characters' perspectives, but anything more than that and it can become kinda overwhelming following so many story arcs at once.

pup Apr 23, 2007

The only way I would devote each chapter to a different character is if you have a central idea or object that each character interacts with. For me, flipping through multiple characters becomes confusing because I end up getting involved with the current character and forgetting what previous ones did.