: Re: What chapter timestamp to use in fantasy time travel novel? (By 'chapter timestamp' I mean the text at the beginning of a chapter indicating when it is taking place). Here is a basic summary

@Mendez196

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I agree with Chris Sunami; ditch the prologue.

If Andy is in the past and prevents some disaster, and the world is reset with him in it, I imagine he still retains all his memories of the prior world, and lives through the new world. But I think Andy is severely disconnected, watching this world unfold, and would have a strong natural urge to watch himself (as Ryan) grow up, perhaps even insert himself into Ryan's life in some way. Become a teacher or coach, or boss.

Andy also has the problem of identity. Presumably he could travel into the past with fake IDs and old cash or old gold coins to sell. But his fingerprints, irises, and DNA are all the same as Ryan's; and the resemblance would be strong.

Nevertheless, without telling us Andy and Ryan are the same person, you can have these two interact throughout the book from the POV of Ryan (because he doesn't know who Andy is), and have him unravel the mystery of who Andy is.

Ryan might have suspicions at some points, might get some DNA from Andy and think perhaps he (Ryan) is a clone of Andy, or before that think Andy is a relative due to their resemblance (and Andy's secrecy), etc. And then, Ryan gets interested in physics, and the potential of time-travel is being discussed by the heavyweights ...

I wouldn't give away the mystery up front. It is more fun to know *something's fishy and get clues along the way but not figure it out until the end.

It is much LESS fun to know what the POV doesn't know, and get frustrated with him being dumb and not figuring it out for the length of a book. That's just too long, and there is no twist for the reader. The story ends like they knew it would from the prologue.

But if you are in the same boat (information-wise) as Ryan throughout, you think his guesses about Andy are reasonable, or clever. Not dumb. the reader only thinks wrong guesses are dumb when they know the answer.

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