I have two chapters that cut way from the MCs. Is that a no-no?
The first part my WIP is set on an infant colony world. About half-way through an ancient enemy shows up and destroys the MC's home, forcing him to flee. It ends with his father sacrificing himself so he can escape to a secret refuge.
Then I do a short chapter, kind of a montage really, that shows the enemy launching a surprise attacks all over human space.
Then we are back to the MCs a year later. (They were rescued by a passing ship and are just finishing a year's journey in hyperspace back to their home.)
This helps me with a few things, IMHO. First, it establishes the epic stakes involved and conveys the progress of the war via events with a human face rather than by after-the-fact dialogue. Second, it gives the reader a sense of a "break" and lets me skip over the better part of a year's journey in hyperspace. Three, it builds suspense. You are left wondering what happened to the marooned MC. Plus, the interlude chapter ends with the admiral of the defeated humans questioning his decision regarding the alien's next target (where he has chosen to retreat to, with the idea of reinforcing the forces there)--which just happens to be the MC's destination. So (hopefully) the reader is nervous about what awaits the MCs when they finally arrive. Fourth, I convey an important piece of information that the MC can't know, but will need later to save the day, and I don't want to seem like a deus ex machina.
In the last third of the story, the MCs are retreating (again. Things aren't going well.) to another world. (month's journey) and I cut to a key political event on their destination world, Dresden. The chancellor of Dresden is committing treason by secretly negotiating a treaty with the enemy. Again, this chapter has a definite purpose. First, I finally put a face on a hitherto faceless enemy. Second, I intro the problem the challenge the MC is about to face, so the next chapter isn't so exposition heavy. Third, we learn a little about the enemy's motivations.
I feel fairly confident that both chapters work, but I'm afraid that the Gods of Writing (or worse, the other writers on this site) shall beat me on the nose with the rolled up newspaper of proper craft.
The first part my WIP is set on an infant colony world. About half-way through an ancient enemy shows up and destroys the MC's home, forcing him to flee. It ends with his father sacrificing himself so he can escape to a secret refuge.
Then I do a short chapter, kind of a montage really, that shows the enemy launching a surprise attacks all over human space.
Then we are back to the MCs a year later. (They were rescued by a passing ship and are just finishing a year's journey in hyperspace back to their home.)
This helps me with a few things, IMHO. First, it establishes the epic stakes involved and conveys the progress of the war via events with a human face rather than by after-the-fact dialogue. Second, it gives the reader a sense of a "break" and lets me skip over the better part of a year's journey in hyperspace. Three, it builds suspense. You are left wondering what happened to the marooned MC. Plus, the interlude chapter ends with the admiral of the defeated humans questioning his decision regarding the alien's next target (where he has chosen to retreat to, with the idea of reinforcing the forces there)--which just happens to be the MC's destination. So (hopefully) the reader is nervous about what awaits the MCs when they finally arrive. Fourth, I convey an important piece of information that the MC can't know, but will need later to save the day, and I don't want to seem like a deus ex machina.
In the last third of the story, the MCs are retreating (again. Things aren't going well.) to another world. (month's journey) and I cut to a key political event on their destination world, Dresden. The chancellor of Dresden is committing treason by secretly negotiating a treaty with the enemy. Again, this chapter has a definite purpose. First, I finally put a face on a hitherto faceless enemy. Second, I intro the problem the challenge the MC is about to face, so the next chapter isn't so exposition heavy. Third, we learn a little about the enemy's motivations.
I feel fairly confident that both chapters work, but I'm afraid that the Gods of Writing (or worse, the other writers on this site) shall beat me on the nose with the rolled up newspaper of proper craft.
ha
