Weaving Separate Plot Threads

A parallel plot tells two stories of equal importance, moving from one to the other and back again as opposed to a subplot. It can be a past versus present story. It can be one or more characters whose plots intersect. The more threads, the weaker the connection to the story. It can be done but requires advanced craft to do it well enough that you keep the reader entranced.

It can be hard to get caught up in one plot when the writer shifts the verbal camera between separate story lines, especially if they don’t connect. The potential for plot holes is enormous.

If you choose a parallel plot or plots, ask yourself these questions:

1. Who do you want the reader to care about?

Splitting the focus between two (or more) protagonists weakens the reader’s attachment to them. Every time you move the verbal camera between them is a point where they can put the book down. If you fail to make them care about either of them, they may skim past those scenes or simply quit reading. Every single thread needs to have its own impact and tension. Too many point of view characters can stretch the reader’s connection to the story. Do you truly have two protagonists or does a secondary character just play a main part? The love interest really isn't a protagonist. There is (almost) always a person's whose POV starts the ball rolling and has the decision to make, action to take, and stakes for not doing it. Just because a character's POV is followed does not make them a protagonist in terms of story cast. You can have five a-list stars in a movie. They aren't all protagonists.

2. What do the threads have to do with one another?

If you use this technique, it is critical that the plots intertwine, not run along aside each other, meeting only at the end.  When the reader doesn’t understand the point of the split, they are likely to put the book down. I am not saying it hasn't been done, but it is a choice that can have negative consequences. I once skipped half a book because one thread simply didn't matter and held no tension. That is not the kind of page turning to aim for.

3. Are the threads equally intriguing?

It is hard enough to maintain tension in one plot line, much less two. Making both threads equally thrilling is twice the work. Making both threads equally thrilling and related is grueling. If only one thread is interesting, the reader will do a lot of page skipping, unless they toss the book in the do not finish pile. Plot out each thread separately. Are all of the pieces there? How do they impact one another? How can you layer the scenes to keep the pace moving forward? Backstory, flashbacks, and memories are not story plots. They augment a plot. There are many stories that explore a story that happened in the past that has impact on a story in the current era or a future era. For example, a modern-day literary love story that is impacted by a romance in the past. A mystery with a modern day sleuth mirrors a case from another time and place. A historical thriller has a plot in the modern day that uncovers the full story of what happened in the past. Each layer has a main character, friends, foes, goals, stakes, and outcomes. 

4. Does it suffer from too many characters?

Each protagonist interacts with friends and foes and either the same antagonist or different antagonists. Two protagonists and antagonists equal twice the work. Every primary and secondary character you add dilutes the emotional connection to the story. Keeping track of a vast cast, especially if one needs to consult a list or take notes, can put your story in the do not finish pile. As much as George R. R. Martin is heralded, his books suffered from cast bloat and many readers didn't finish the books. They were happy when it was adapted for TV. I suggest sticking to the POV of the main character for each plot or stay in omniscient POV. Using a close POV can also cause problems if not done well.

5. Does it have a satisfying conclusion?

There is nothing worse than wading through complex construction only to reach the end and find a weird twist or obscure denouement. Don’t make one of the plot threads a dream. There are genres that require a happy ending. Romance requires a happy ever after for the main couple. A mystery requires the resolution of the current case, even if there is an overarching evil villain that returns in the next book. Moriarity in Sherlock Holmes is an example of a retuning mastermind. But each of Sherlock's cases are solved in the books. The rest of the genres can have an up, down, or even up/down endings. 

6. Is it appropriate for the genre?

Separate plot threads are not the same as different point of view characters. It is two separate plots. If you use it for a Romance, it becomes a literary Romance. Romances follow one story line. There can be a subplot where the main lovers' best friends also fall for one another. That is not the same thing as two full plots. A murder Mystery follows one sleuth solving crimes. Switching between sleuths and timelines may not be pleasing to your ordinary mystery lover. In a recent television series Bodies, there were four sleuths and four cases and four timelines. I love Mysteries. They make up forty percent of my story consumption. However, it was not my cup of English Breakfast tea. It had mixed reviews. Dual plots can work in Historical, Thriller and Suspense, Fantasy, Literary Dramas, perhaps even con, heist, and prison break.

7. Are you depriving the reader of full engagement?

The goal of any story should be full immersion. The plot should be fully-formed and the tension gas pedal applied expertly to control the speed of the narrative. Are other layers simply an annoying distraction? Can you make multiple threads work together in a way that keeps the reader eager to turn the page? If you don't know how or assume the reader will forgive you for shorting them of the full-immersion experience, then reconsider.

I would not suggest this method for a first-time author. Build your skills first. I’m not saying it can’t be done, or even done well. Some examples of parallel plots are:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Holes by Louis Sachar

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

The Lady of Wild Beasts by Debra Spark

The Sex Club by L. J. Sellers

Day of Atonement by A. Alvarez

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Stephen King's The Stand is a complex layering of plot threads. Even the master of horror struggled with it because of the large number of characters and storylines.

George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones followed three separate but simultaneous storylines. Some readers gave up because of what I call cast bloat. If a reader has to start taking notes, they often give up.

As you can see, they are very different books. Some were more successful than others. 

Plot bifurcation has inherent structural weaknesses. If you choose to build your story on this skeleton, be prepared for the writing equivalent of a biathlon. Each plot must have solid structure, a full cast, and tension that builds. It is essentially writing two novels. You don't have to outline it if you are allergic to the process. You will need to do a detailed dissection of your story scene by scene and chapter by chapter after the first draft.

It is critical that you have other people read it before submitting it or self-publishing it. The details in your head may not make it onto the page. It can be easy to lose your audience. They don't know the story in your head. What makes sense to you might confuse the reader and that results in bad reviews.

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