Chronological order, how important is it?

[dirk2024]

Hi,
I am unpublished, yet have one story that has been submitted. I'm working on about twelve others covering three story concepts. (I write as I fantasize, which isn't very focused) Each concept is episodic as opposed to serial. So, I plan to write these three concepts, each with its unique characters, and have them connected within each arc.

One is chronological, with two stories complete and three in progress.
The second has one complete story, with about six more stories in progress.
The third has four incomplete stories.

All would be episodes of the character's lives, with each episode concluding (some including foreshadowing for future stories)

So after all that context, my question is, would it be wrong to post them as connected (versus stand-alone) stories, even if they aren't in chronological order? In my second set of stories, I've mostly written one story that happens ten years after the first story. At some point, I might want to write another story in this group that would happen before the "ten-year" story. Since the characters are the same, I don't want to have them as a bunch of stand-alone stories.

 

[Voyeurkenneth]

I think it's okay as long as each story can stand on its own. You can always reorder them with a manual series when it's all said in done. And you can use your About tab to lay out the grand plan to readers if you want to clue them in to the connected nature of it all.

 

[THBGato]

Agreed. The majority of my stories all connect (though they also stand alone) but I didn't write or publish them in chronological order.

Readers don't seem to mind.

 

[Writer61]

I prefer to write chronologically as I find it easier to manage character development and avoid continuity issues. Most readers probably don't notice/care about such things, but they matter to me.

For your ten-year story, I suggest having a reasonable outline of the one that might fit in later.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

The way that I see it, there are episodes that are framed as chapters, episodes framed as serial stories, and larger episodes that comprise a universe of stand-alone stories.

Whether you "write" any of these in chronological order is more an artistic choice of yours. You can always rearrange things prior to submitting. I use a story board approach to writing with sections being written as the inspiration for them strikes me. I am organized enough to keep timelines and character development traits consistent, which makes final assembly much easier.

As for submitting them chronologically, I think it also depends upon your artistic style of writing. I have four stories in my "Brandt Family Adventures" universe that are generations apart. I entice readers to take them in chronological order by ending each with a slight cliff-hanger that gets addressed at the beginning of the next story. They each work fine independently, but the reception from readers is much more positive when they follow the path I laid out for them.

 

[dirk2024]

For your ten-year story, I suggest having a reasonable outline of the one that might fit in later.

For your ten-year story, I suggest having a reasonable outline of the one that might fit in later.

What might that look like? I've not worked with outlines with my stories.

 

[iwatchus]

What might that look like? I've not worked with outlines with my stories.

I would suggest a simple list of events that are sigificant, keeping them in chronological order. You need enough events listed to anchor everything, so you know when what happens. For my series, I also note what chapter each event happens in, so I can easily go find the description to be re-read to verify details that I have forgotten.

If you include too much detail, you won't be able to find what you want. If it is too little, it won't contain what you need. I started with too little and added more as I realized what I needed. YMMV

 

[Writer61]

What are the key points in the story? Format is not important.

By writing out of order, the challenge is to not have things in the year 10 story that depend upon the earlier story.

 

[dirk2024]

I would suggest a simple list of events that are sigificant, keeping them in chronological order. You need enough events listed to anchor everything, so you know when what happens. For my series, I also note what chapter each event happens in, so I can easily go find the description to be re-read to verify details that I have forgotten.

If you include too much detail, you won't be able to find what you want. If it is too little, it won't contain what you need. I started with too little and added more as I realized what I needed. YMMV

Thank you!

 

[Voboy]

I write almost all my stories in a universe with every other of my stories, and most of them intertwine with several others. There is, for many of them, a "sequence" in the universe in which they could possibly be treated as "a series," though I don't think of them that way.

I do maintain a document tracking the basic relationships among all the titles, but it's only an attempt (and not one I spend a lot of time or effort on). The bottom line is that as long as all my stories legitimately stand alone? Their relationships don't need to be exhaustively explained. I'll email my tracking document to anyone who asks, but I'm not sure it's all that useful.

 

[Gamblnluck]

Hi,
I am unpublished, yet have one story that has been submitted. I'm working on about twelve others covering three story concepts. (I write as I fantasize, which isn't very focused) Each concept is episodic as opposed to serial. So, I plan to write these three concepts, each with its unique characters, and have them connected within each arc.

One is chronological, with two stories complete and three in progress.
The second has one complete story, with about six more stories in progress.
The third has four incomplete stories.

All would be episodes of the character's lives, with each episode concluding (some including foreshadowing for future stories)

So after all that context, my question is, would it be wrong to post them as connected (versus stand-alone) stories, even if they aren't in chronological order? In my second set of stories, I've mostly written one story that happens ten years after the first story. At some point, I might want to write another story in this group that would happen before the "ten-year" story. Since the characters are the same, I don't want to have them as a bunch of stand-alone stories.

As a reader, I find a series of stories using the same character difficult to follow. Often the backstory told in one is not sufficiently explained in another.
Even if the story itself may stand alone, if the characterization requires to have read a previous story or more I may or may not do it.
Some authors try to cover by saying, read this or that story first. But as they add more to their body of work that becomes difficult to follow.
I for one hate to begin a story and then find I needed to read three others with different titles in order to understand what is going on. For me, that is an automatic downgrade in scoring.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I write almost all my stories in a universe with every other of my stories, and most of them intertwine with several others. There is, for many of them, a "sequence" in the universe in which they could possibly be treated as "a series," though I don't think of them that way.

I don't write in an alternate universe as such, but most of my stories are interlinked in some way - at least in my mind, some of which leaks through to the stories. The fun I have as the author is finding what out what links them. It doesn't matter a rats to any of the stories, they're all standalone within themselves or within each sub-series, but I know.

A dedicated fan would spot some of the obvious joints, I'm sure, but a casual reader wouldn't, and it doesn't matter. I should write a compendium!

I do maintain a document tracking the basic relationships among all the titles, but it's only an attempt (and not one I spend a lot of time or effort on). The bottom line is that as long as all my stories legitimately stand alone? Their relationships don't need to be exhaustively explained.

I think authors worry far too much about this stuff. I suspect most readers don't recall any or much of the intricate detail from earlier chapters/series, and if you're a good enough writer, they shouldn't need to. The plot lines should be clear at the point that they come together.

At the same time though, I think authors can underestimate the ability of readers to pay attention, and they feel they need to laboriously explain things every time. An astute reader will say, "Oh that's right, I remember that bit," but for the less observant, it's not going to matter, they'll have forgotten.

This, at least, is how it works in a pantser universe. A pantser remembers what's needed only when it's needed, but not before.

The other thing that always occurs to me whenever folk go on about outlines and trackers and such is, don't people have a memory? That's where I store all my connectivity, even the stuff I don't know about yet.

 

[dirk2024]

One thing I can see that will be difficult to maintain is the ages of the characters as the story moves forward in time. I am drafting out a rough outline now in one of my (8-9 year) arcs, where characters come in at different times but all end together in what I plan for the final story.

 

[Voboy]

I think authors worry far too much about this stuff. I suspect most readers don't recall any or much of the intricate detail from earlier chapters/series

About once a month, I get an emailed request for my list. That's a lot of requests over about 8 years of writing. So some readers certainly care.

But I agree with you, in general. I doubt most readers get it. I'm content that these things are Easter eggs for people as nerdy as I am.

 

[Voboy]

One thing I can see that will be difficult to maintain is the ages of the characters as the story moves forward in time. I am drafting out a rough outline now in one of my (8-9 year) arcs, where characters come in at different times but all end together in what I plan for the final story.

Yes, that's why you leave things indeterminate.

In my case, it helps that I write mostly in first person. If there are anomalies that matter, they can always be put down to an unreliable narrator.

 

[MrHereWriting]

Chronological order, how important is it?​

Depends, are you writing Pulp Fiction or 24?

 

[Writer61]

One thing I can see that will be difficult to maintain is the ages of the characters as the story moves forward in time. I am drafting out a rough outline now in one of my (8-9 year) arcs, where characters come in at different times but all end together in what I plan for the final story.

Spreadsheet!

 

[filthytrancendence]

Depends, are you writing Pulp Fiction or 24?

Now I want to see a season of 24 directed by Tarantino.