5 Elements for Writing Novels Set Across Multiple Centuries

I have always been an avid reader of books set across dual or multiple timelines. When done well, the moving between eras can create great tension, elevate a mystery, accentuate a theme or concept, and keep a reader hooked. But there are challenges in writing any dual timeline novel.

(5 Tips on Connecting Characters From Different Timelines.)

Whilst there doesn’t necessarily need to be equal time or weight given to each timeline, they do need to have equally compelling characters and narratives, and most importantly, each must serve the overall story, or there is a risk that readers may prefer one timeline over another. Transitions must be handled carefully so as not to throw a reader out of the story; the jump from one timeline to another must make sense within the narrative; there must be rationale for having each era and protagonist; and the stories must weave together seamlessly, maintaining tension until the final resolution at the end of the novel.

Structure is key, and I personally find that careful planning is especially important when writing novels set over multiple timelines.

The challenges of writing a novel with timelines across more than one century are even greater than those separated by merely a few years or decades. When I had the idea for Book of Forbidden Words which has three protagonists, three settings, and three timelines set across the 1500s and the 1950s, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. I was worried about it being disjointed, about the change in voice and tone, the setting and character, and how to navigate the story with 400 years between my characters.

My inspiration for the novel was initially a theme. We are currently going through a technical revolution, the implications of which nobody can yet imagine. I wanted to find a time in history when we went through a similar seismic change, and I hit upon the printing press which led to a transition from the medieval into the modern world, but also years of war and religious upheaval and persecution stemming from the Protestant revolution. It was a time of great fear and conflict between those pushing for change, and those resisting it.

I considered a modern timeline alongside it, but the distance felt too great, and instead I chose to set my second timeline during McCarthy-era America when there was a frenzied cracking down on freedom and change. I very much wanted one timeline to reflect what was happening in the other, which would mean the story flowed and best served the themes in the novel.

When writing a previous novel set across more than one timeline, I chose to write it as it would be read, that is, I wrote them both at the same time. But for this novel, as they were such different eras, I chose to write the timelines separately. Either method is fine to use, as long as it works!

I decided to write the 1500s first, because I needed to immerse myself in the era as it was so different to my own. I wanted it to feel authentic, but not completely at odds with the period 400 years later. What really helped was the thought that whilst my characters were living in very different worlds, human nature hasn’t changed! That very much helped me to inhabit my characters and bring them to life. It also helped because when I had finished writing the two points of view from the 1500s, I could structure the 1950s story around the earlier one, ensuring what was happening was reflected in the later narrative. It gives the effect of history eerily repeating itself, which was exactly what I had hoped to achieve.

If you are planning to write a novel set across two or more very different eras, I think it is a good idea to give some thought to the following five elements which can really help your story shine.

In common with most well-written dual or multiple timeline novels, it is important to have something that links the periods. This can be a physical object or place, such as a painting, a house, a bundle of forgotten letters. It could be more speculative, such as the characters actually travel backwards or forwards in time. Or it could equally be a theme or concept, such as the past being reflected in the future, a family tragedy weighing on the present, etc.

In Book of Forbidden Words, I have used an encrypted manuscript, in fact inspired by a real one, The Voynich manuscript, which gave me the perfect thread around which I was able to create a mystery which joined the timelines and the characters together. One wrote it, another encrypted it, and the third decoded it. It served not only my story, but the underlying themes of the novel too.

Transitions between timelines must be smooth and not take the reader out of the story. This can be achieved in various ways which ensure the narrative flows between each one. The use of the device or link mentioned above to carry through from one timeline to another. Or by reflecting what is happening in one era, then happening in another.

Tension can be created by leaving a character on a cliffhanger before moving to a different timeline and then returning to that character later on. But these tensions should be created naturally through the narrative and not appear forced or annoy the reader. I found it useful to have each character suffering a predicament of some sort at the same stage in the book to ensure the reader remains hooked on each character’s journey throughout.

Why these settings and timelines? Whatever choice you make, everything must serve the story.

Having more than one timeline means you have a lot less space to develop each one, to immerse your reader in the time and place, to have them invested in the character. Use that space wisely. Every single scene must move the overall story on, as well as the arc of that character in that timeline. Structure is really key here and my top piece of advice is plan, plan, plan!

When writing any historical fiction, it is always good to aim for the sensation of authenticity. I say sensation because, especially with fiction written in the more distant past, it cannot be completely authentic, or readers would simply not be able to relate to it. This is especially pertinent when writing across very different timelines.

However, it is important to spend equal amounts of time researching each time period in which the novel is set so each setting feels equally immersive and authentic. Whilst tone, atmosphere, and manner of living will vary between time periods, as mentioned above, it is helpful to remember that whatever the era, people themselves have not changed, and focusing on the nature of us humans is helpful in ensuring each one is not only authentic, but relatable.

Linked to the above, but specifically in relation to having timelines very far apart, the nature of the way people would have spoken will be very different. To make them work well together, adjustments will need to be made.

In Book of Forbidden Words I tried to choose a neutral language for both time periods, perhaps with the odd word, phrase, or reference which might ground the reader in that specific time period, so that moving between each one would not feel clunky or jarring. The chapters will need to be read smoothly whichever time period you are in, but this will remind the reader where they are.

For example, in the 1950s one might have a character waking up to an alarm in time to go to work, whereas in the 1500s, they will be waking when the cock crows.

The best way to research writing novels set across multiple centuries is to read them!

Here are a few I would strongly recommend. Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse, set in 13th century and present-day Carcassonne, involving a mystery set around the search for the Holy Grail. Laura Morelli’s, The Stolen Lady featuring Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrait, The Mona Lisa is a compelling adventure, woven between 1400s Florence and 1939 Paris. I loved Emilia Hart’s, Weyward, a triple-timeline, magical realist novel of female power, set between the 1600s, 1940s, and present-day England. Finally, a feat of literary genius, is Anthony Doerr’s, Cloud Cuckoo Land, which intertwines stories from 1400s Constantinople through 2020 Idaho and into some unknown future time. Enjoy reading these great examples, and very best of luck writing your own!

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