Can you have multiple major plotlines in a single novel?

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RandomSimpEvent

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To clarify, I am not referring to subplots or parallel plots, but entire storylines with buildup, climax, and resolution. I'll admit I'm not the most experienced reader, but it seems to me that in a series, each individual novel will revolve around one big cohesive storyline that is resolved by the end of that novel. Would it be strange to have more than one major plotline resolved in a single book?

What really got me thinking about this was comparing the structure of anime/manga to that of western fantasy novels. I noticed that a lot of anime/manga tend to start off with really small mini-arcs(think those early on 2-3 episode arcs) that contribute to the ideas and themes of the series but don't exactly form a cohesive plotline that builds upon itself. I was essentially wondering how something like this would translate over to a western novel format. (Yes, I know light novels exist, but that's not what I mean.)
 
Yes. I'm fairly sure I read a Raymond Chandler short story, where the two cases never met or mixed, apart from the detective.
But why would you want to?
It might end up feeling like one of those TV movies made up of two different episodes of a show cut together.
When reading I might feel cheated if I was trying to work out the connection between tale A & B [& C...] and found out there were none.
 
I don't think it makes sense to do this, at least not in the way you describe it. Sometimes a personal story (maybe a character reflecting on childhood events) is alternated with a present main narrative (maybe that character, now grown up, is working on a murder case). But typically there is some relevance or connection between the two stories. A movie like Babel is also interesting because it presents three (or four?) apparently unconnected stories which turn out to actually have a very dramatic connection, revealed only in the closing stages of the movie. It is a classy piece of work.

I really don't see the point of two entirely unconnected stories though.
 
I would categorize this as a novel containing a series of vignettes. Examples of this (arguably) would be The Magicians by Lev Grossman and the first couple Harry Potter books. I might even consider Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, as its plot line was only unified by a twist at the end. In movies, I've seen two pass plots, first establish, build, and train a team, then send the team on a mission.

The vignette type of novel can be done and can have some success, but I feel less engaged as a reader if there isn't a central driving thread. The problem is that I can skip any single part and not lose anything from the story flow.
 
I think that a lot depends on what you mean by two plots.
Every story might contain several threads--these can intersect or be individualized--however the key to good writing is to tie-up all the threads at some point. so there are none hanging loose.
You should chose one main thread which is your main plot.
If you were to have two strong threads, you should still chose one main plot and the other thread--even if it doesn't intersect with the main thread--should somehow tie into the main thread and serve to move the story forward.

That much said, I don't live by these guidelines; meaning I have left untied threads because I've been writing a series; however, all of those are brief scenes that do tie into the main plot though they might contain elements that don't get used in the final resolution, because they tie in later in the next part of the series. And the scenes are always integral to moving the story forward.

This can make it difficult for editing especially when using beta readers or editors, because they might keep suggesting that you remove some of the unnecessary narrative to tighten things up. Then you have to decide to either take their advice or ignore them and hope they don't get frustrated with you.
 
Yes. It's not always a sensible idea, but you can do it.

I think you're most likely to see it in long running series where in the middle books, major PoVs have their own plot that doesn't much touch the others.

But you can find it in books that aren't like that. Reaper Man by Pratchett has two fairly major plots that run more or less independently of each other. To a decent amount of people that's a major weakness of the book mind, but that's how it is.

You also get books like Delany's Tales of Neveryon or Lee's Night's Master, which feel like several novellas told sequentially with only the loosest interconnecting.
 
That concept of two simultaneous plots was a primary reason for me to quit watching Star Trek TNG. An hour show is too short to successfully do that. Not sure a novel can unless it's a thousand pages long.

I would not recommend it, myself, but YMMV.
 
RandomSimpEvent said:
To clarify, I am not referring to subplots or parallel plots, but entire storylines with buildup, climax, and resolution. I'll admit I'm not the most experienced reader, but it seems to me that in a series, each individual novel will revolve around one big cohesive storyline that is resolved by the end of that novel. Would it be strange to have more than one major plotline resolved in a single book?

What really got me thinking about this was comparing the structure of anime/manga to that of western fantasy novels. I noticed that a lot of anime/manga tend to start off with really small mini-arcs(think those early on 2-3 episode arcs) that contribute to the ideas and themes of the series but don't exactly form a cohesive plotline that builds upon itself. I was essentially wondering how something like this would translate over to a western novel format. (Yes, I know light novels exist, but that's not what I mean.)
Click to expand...
What you are describing is a form of serialization. The Anime is introducing the audience to universe. Mostly those 2-3 episode introductions also introduce the audience to one or more important characters. This is who they are ... Today ... Before the major events that change their lives...

There is another writing technique that has an outside (McGuffin) that carries between unrelated stories -- There was a movie in the 1980s that was a rip-off of the twilight zone that connected the stories by having (apparently the same) black cat walk through the opening scene of each otherwise unrelated story. This method was interesting since there is no other reason to believe that the events took place in the same "world."

I vaguely recall an anime where the voice over spoke of the spring wind that carried across the land and thereby connecting otherwise unrelated stories -- I cannot recall the name...

After starting this response I see that your project was over a year ago --- Give us an update. What did you decide to do? How did it come out?
 
Inversions (Ian Banks) is an example of this (two almost independent stories told in parallel) done well. Banks ties them together in the epilogue which somewhat satisfies our need for the connection. I would not do it myself. Inversions – Banks (1998)
 
Harpo said:
The Waltons had two main plots every single episode for a decade
Click to expand...
The funniest Seinfeld episodes I felt were the ones where two or more threads would come together in a crescendo of comedy at the end. I found some of them genius.
 
In The Lord of the Rings, the second volume, The Two Towers, and a fair chunk of the third, The Return of the King consist of two plots: one following Frodo and Sam into Mordor, and the other following the perambulations of the rest of the Fellowship around Rohan and Gondor. I think both of these follow the OP's requirement of "entire storylines with buildup, climax, and resolution," commencing at Parth Galen, and re-joining at the Field of Cormallen.
 
Pyan said:
In The Lord of the Rings, the second volume, The Two Towers, and a fair chunk of the third, The Return of the King consist of two plots: one following Frodo and Sam into Mordor, and the other following the perambulations of the rest of the Fellowship around Rohan and Gondor. I think both of these follow the OP's requirement of "entire storylines with buildup, climax, and resolution," commencing at Parth Galen, and re-joining at the Field of Cormallen.
Click to expand...


True, but they are subplots that tie in to the overall story. Arguably without the success of the rest of the Fellowship, drawing Sauron's forces out of Mordor and distracting the Eye, Frodo and Sam's journey to Mt. Doom would have been altogether more perilous.

Having two completely unrelatable stories, and converging the chapters of each into one novel, makes no sense other than to totally confuse and annoy the reader; especially when they struggle to the end and find no correlation between the two.

There are very good reasons why there are few examples of this happening, and why you will usually instead find a compendium of seperate tales.
 
He, She and It, by Marge Piercy is another example of where this is done. Two independent stories separated by hundreds of years are woven throughout, but are connected thematically.
 
Blue Bloods - multi series cop drama that hangs off a large family - where they have the police commissioner as father, retired PC as grandfather, daughter is a US Assistant District Attorney, Older son detective, younger son beat cop. They follow their working day, with different focuses at times - so might be more about say ADA and Dad, with the others in a bit. Sometimes several almost completely separate cases - as in separate cases but might have an underlying theme of say theft - with perhaps a plot twist of desperation and justificiation. Other times cases might be linked. The unifying factor for the family is Sunday lunch - they all turn up for Sunday lunch where they discuss, argue, bitch, support compare their weeks. Can also have plot themes arising from the teenage kids - maybe one kid knows a friend has stolen something or might be unrelated to the main theme. Does a good job of showing several sides to law enforcement, to family life, to frustration with the system, with politics, with human behaviour. Works well - is both wide spread and focused - as in not sprawling.
 
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