By Candy Gourlay
On 9 April, I guested on the vociferous #UKMGchat, a twitter chat group devoted to middle grade in the United Kingdom. Here's a recap of our night of tweeting (you might have to wait for the embedded tweet images to show up):
Tonight @candygourlay will be talking about DUAL NARRATIVE for #ukmgchat. We have a small number of questions. Not many at all.
— Wise Miriam (@miriamhcraig) April 9, 2015
Been getting slightly sinister messages about the coming interrogation. Is it always like this on #ukmgchat? @miriamhcraig @authorontheedge
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
@candygourlay @miriamhcraig They're not sinister! Merely keen and over excitable. I *may* be writing a dual narrative myself...
— Lorraine Gregory (@authorontheedge) April 9, 2015
Depends whether you do it for right reasns @TheWendyAllen bumps you up to OMG -Older Middle Grade #ukmgchat @miriamhcraig @authorontheedge
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
@candygourlay @miriamhcraig @authorontheedge thanks, I will check later to see what the right reasons are - have fun! (OMG made me laugh)
— Wendy Allen (@TheWendyAllen) April 9, 2015
I wish I could claim OMG (Older Middle Grade) was my creation but @JBMcLoughlin invented it! @TheWendyAllen @authorontheedge @miriamhcraig
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
*****KLAXON***** #ukmgchat Welcome to @candygourlay and all - we're discussing DUAL NARRATIVE in middle grade fiction! @authorontheedge
— Wise Miriam (@miriamhcraig) April 9, 2015
First question to @candygourlay - What feedback have you had on the dual narrative structure of your books? #ukmgchat @authorontheedge
— Wise Miriam (@miriamhcraig) April 9, 2015
Well lots of folk like it. But in terms of reading age, it does make your book OMG @miriamhcraig @authorontheedge #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
When I do my school visits, the competent readers are wowed by the idea of dual narrative @miriamhcraig @authorontheedge
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
... but for developing readers, it's something to get used to @miriamhcraig @authorontheedge #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
@candygourlay Do you think both 'heroes' need to appeal to your readers? #ukmgchat
— Elen Caldecott (@ElenCaldecott) April 9, 2015
I didn't spot this question so I will answer this here - a dual narrative only works if the reader wants to read both stories. I have read dual books and skipped one voice because I didn't see the point of the other. There has to be a point to using the dual narrative structure.
@candygourlay Were agents or editors reluctant about your use of a dual narrative? Did it put anyone off? #ukmgchat
— Lorraine Gregory (@authorontheedge) April 9, 2015
Agents and editors had no problem about it. I have since talked to children who tell me how theyhad to get their heads around it.
@candygourlay love that book! great example. #ukmgchat
— Elen Caldecott (@ElenCaldecott) April 9, 2015
@candygourlay Hello. How do you structure your dual narrative? Is it alternate chapter or in each section? Thanks #ukmgchat
— Jill Kathryn Wilson (@JillKWilson) April 9, 2015
There are many ways of structuring a dual narrative - you can alternate voices, places, time periods ... check out this blog post I wrote giving examples of dual narrative.
@miriamhcraig @authorontheedge @candygourlay Can it mean historical plot woven in too, like Holes? Or is that called smth else? #ukmgchat
— Emma Greenwood (@emmajgreenwood) April 9, 2015
@alexthepink @emmajgreenwood @authorontheedge @candygourlay I think Holes counts as dual narrative, but in quite a light way. #ukmgchat
— Wise Miriam (@miriamhcraig) April 9, 2015
I liked how the minor historical narrative in Holes, paces itself so that every reveal adds to the frisson of the other story.
Does 2 alternating POV characters count as dual narrative or is it only two different time frames/locations? #ukmgchat
— Peter Bunzl (@peterbunzl) April 9, 2015
Both are DN @peterbunzl #ukmgchat In Tall Story I alternate voices. In A GAthering Light, the two voices are of one char, but from two times
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
@candygourlay @peterbunzl That is such an interesting take. #ukmgchat
— Emma Greenwood (@emmajgreenwood) April 9, 2015
@candygourlay Were agents or publishers put off by your using a dual narrative? #ukmgchat @miriamhcraig
— Lorraine Gregory (@authorontheedge) April 9, 2015
No! they loved it. With Shine, the original version had the backstory of the 2nd character ... @authorontheedge @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
.. tacked on at the end. Terrible. Then my editor suggested that I intersperse the second narrative @authorontheedge @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Tall Story is a culture clash novel and so the form was perfect for juxtaposing the two cultures of my heroes. @JenniferKillick
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
But DN is not just alternating viewpoints. It's also about playing with time, interspersing dual storylines #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Ha ha ha @ElenCaldecott #ukmgchat That's like forgetting one of your children!
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Mistake: having a weaker voice alongside a strong voice. There's no pt doing it unless voices are distinctive @authorontheedge #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
I think because it's about viewpoint, if in third, it's got to be close third @ElenCaldecott #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
It depends on what sort of DN you're doing. Remember A Gathering Light? She wrote it in present and past tense @autho #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
In fact the storylines should be simple- the complexity is in knitting 2 storylines together @JenDMuller @miriamhcraig @ems_worth #ukmgchatt
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Shine has one voice in first person and the other voice in second person @emmajgreenwood @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
OMG @peterbunzl that's true! @miriamhcraig @ElenCaldecott @Hapfairy #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Although I don't think the independent stories that weave through Shine count as part of a multiple narrative because they are only small components of one storyline and do not carry on through out the book.
Melvin Burgess critted Tall Story early on and told me to write their names in big letters on each chapter. @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
The Room - yes! Definitely for 7plus year oldreaders @authorontheedge @emmajgreenwood @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
You have to be a bit of a planner - I'm somewhere in between but I try to make chapters interplay @authorontheedge @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Keep writing until your character comes alive. Once alive, throw the rest away @CrackerHackerJM #ukmgchat It's all about character
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
I really do write like that. I keep writing crap until the characters develop their own wills and hearts @CrackerHackerJM #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
The opposing characters must have desires that cause them to clash @CrackerHackerJM #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
The narratives and the voices have to be distinct in your mind from the beginning. If there's any doubt dontdo DN @LibWithAttitude #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Good point! @RachelHCampling Both hav to be strong because it's a technical feat. But character 1st @miriamhcraig @CrackerHackerJM #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
It's got to feel real. Complex will interrupt the reading experience! @miriamhcraig @emmajgreenwood @authorontheedge #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Good ex of linear is Code Name Verity - linear then next character takes baton of story @ems_worth @JenDMuller @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Re complexity it's how alternate chapters bounce off each other so that you get a wow effect @miriamhcraig @ems_worth @JenDMuller #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
If you're shaky on plot structure, it's not gonna work @authorontheedge @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Yes @peterbunzl it's too confusing - unless of course you're targetting OMG @miriamhcraig @emmajgreenwood @authorontheedge #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Subplots - DN is not a replacement for subplots. The story must demand it @emmajgreenwood @miriamhcraig @ems_worth @JenDMuller #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
DN is not just structure it's the story: a juxtaposition of worlds & voices @emmajgreenwood @miriamhcraig @ems_worth @JenDMuller #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
When I wrote TS and Shine, I didn't plan to do DN. The story made me do it. Let the story decide @miriamhcraig @authorontheedge #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Ah as we say in the Philippines: its depend. There are no rules! @emmajgreenwood @miriamhcraig @ems_worth @JenDMuller #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Keep calm and read it aloud to yourself @authorontheedge @miriamhcraig #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
It was hard @authorontheedge #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Sometimes extra characters complicate the plot in the wrong way. She will thank you for it @Viking_Ma @EyersJonathan #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Sol Stein wrote: Never take your readers where they want to go @peterbunzl @emmajgreenwood @miriamhcraig @ems_worth @JenDMuller #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
Twists galore happen w 2 unreliable narrators - a game of double bluff @helenclarkjones @helen_geekmum @emmajgreenwood @ems_worth #ukmgchat
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
@ems_worth Agreed- it needs to add something, rather than be used as a gimmick. #ukmgchat
— Helen (@helen_geekmum) April 9, 2015
@helen_geekmum @ems_worth I LOVE it when DN builds and deepens theme #ukmgchat
— Emma Greenwood (@emmajgreenwood) April 9, 2015
Goodbye and thank you #ukmgchat pic.twitter.com/j1nmrepIrZ
— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) April 9, 2015
For a moment there UK middle grade children's literature whooped #DisneyGossip's proverbials! #ukmgchat https://t.co/uyhG72RAHf
— Emma Greenwood (@emmajgreenwood) April 9, 2015
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