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Topic : Re: Is telling one of three convergent plot-line before moving to the next an acceptable alternative to interleaving them? This is related to a previous question of mine: Convergent, parallel plotlines - selfpublishingguru.com

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This works really well if it's done in Rashamon style (named after the famous Akira Kurosawa film which made the concept famous). Keep in mind though that Rashamon worked because all four (there's actually a sneakily done fifth version) versions of the events were incompatible with each other. Specifically, in the case, the first three versions of the story have the storyteller admit to killing the Samurai... and that includes the Samurai himself (maybe)!

In this story, it works because all four characters present their story as the definitive truth, but they all have motive to lie about the story.

It's famously over adapted in US media as the nature of the story is great for saving budget. You basically are doing one scene three times, change a few events. X-files has a good one where Mulder and Scully both tell their side of the story, but they weren't together when critical events happen. Both have minor misremeberings (such as how good looking was the local sheriff), and both have reasons for being frustrated with the other and we know them well enough to know how they view the others. In this case, the third act isn't a correction as is often done, but a follow-up that validates both stories as working together generally well.

Another option is a sort of approach that was done very well in Season One of "Heroes". Here there are multiple unrelated characters who's own adventures will intersect briefly and then separate and reconnect later.


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