Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Advice for generational works

This is topic Advice for generational works in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :

Hi there!

So my WIP is divided into three parts, each with its own POV character and main characters and its own conflicts. There is some small overlap between the parts, since they're chronologically sequential and separated by about a generation. The three parts together have an overarching theme.

My question is, how might one retain a reader's attention between three basically different stories? Is it possible to get them to identify with three very different characters who are in three very different situations? Are there any tricks for providing a sense of continuity, or will readers just feel betrayed when I drop one POV character's viewpoint for another POV character in the next part?

I'm asking this because I was rather annoyed by the handling of this technique in A Canticle for Leibowitz, and I'd like to avoid too much similarity in that respect.

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

oh, I really liked A Canticle for Leibowitz! So I probably am not going to be much help.

Nevertheless. I will not let that stop me from having opinions.

The shifts in Liebowitz were pretty big, though, and it did take some effort to make the jump and re-engage in the story.

Perhaps if you make smaller jumps, it will be less jarring? You mention overlap between the generations. If you prepare for the leap it may help. For example, maybe if, say, towards the end of Part One you devote a reasonable amount of space to Character X, the reader will not be as jarred when, in Part Two, you shift to Character X's POV, as they might be if Character X is a totally new character that they have to get to know.

I would also make a point of a) leaving Part One on a cliffhanger, and b) opening Part Two with a killer hook. I mean you'd want to do that anyway, but I'd go out of my way and obsessively work at it. Use every trick at your disposal to carry the reader over the jumps.

You can also try to let the reader know *in advance* that there will be POV shifts. Things like a table of contents, and a page that says "Part One: Derek the Evil Robot Monkey Killer" followed by "Part Two: Clarissa the Evil Robot Monkey Savior" can set things up.

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

look at the Generation Warriors books and see if there is anything you can use there.

in GW, there was a common theme and premise that carried things through.

mike

Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :

Also, think of it as 3 novellas in one volume. Each one will need to be wrapped up and complete (although leaving a hook to be answered in the next section is cool).

Posted by Elemeno (Member # 2752) on :

Along the same line as mikemunsil's "commom theme and premise" idea, I think it would be helpful if you show the common traits or personality quirks that have been passed down through the generations -in a subtle way, of course.

Posted by franc li (Member # 3850) on :

I'd go with the idea that you have to have a great hook for each transition- so that the reader would want to read that story even if it weren't part of the larger book. Well, the second two hooks would have to get the same sort of readers engaged as the first hook.