Juggling is tough. Good hand-eye coordination is essential in the act.
And timing is, well, everything.
I, apparently, suck at juggling.
My newest novel, an ensemble historical romance, is set in two
locations at the same time: New York and Philadelphia. To keep all storylines
moving at an enjoyable clip, nearly every one of the 20 chapters contains
scenes from both locales.
No problem, you say.
I agree. One long distance flight per chapter is an acceptable task to
require of an audience. Most don’t mind adding a few frequent flyer miles to
their reading accounts. So, as you said, no problem.
However…
Several of my chapters demand roundtrip flights. A chapter starts in
New York, does some shopping, brunches in Central Park. Then, it’s off to
Philly to catch the Eagles toss around the football for a few hours. Fine and
dandy day, right? But what about that Broadway show whose tickets are burning a
hole in your pockets? Yeah, can’t waste those, so it’s back to the Big Apple
for the nightcap.
Exhausting.
Is this too much to ask of a reader? Or am I not giving my audience
enough credit? Am I worrying about nothing?
I don’t know.
Nope, not a darn clue.
Until tomorrow…
Chloe
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