Author Allen M Werner

Few things bother me more in storytelling, be it oral, the written word or film, than a messed-up timeline. I can overlook punctuation, spelling and even bad acting to a point. Bad dialogue can be tolerated also if the story is good enough.
But the sin of messing up a timeline destroys all credibility with me, even if it is fantasy and science fiction, even if they are purposefully playing with timelines. It still has to have some cohesion and rules, boundaries. Without those, it’s too easy for artists and writers to disguise mistakes and worse, show us they really didn’t put any thought, time or energy into making sure things worked out in a credible order

This is a picture of one of my walls in my basement. As I did with The Crystal Crux epic fantasy adventure, I am doing with my next, as yet untitled, book.
This is my timeline.
At the top are all the major characters.
On the left-hand side of each page is the date.
In each box is a brief description highlighting what that character does on that day.
I have a lot of ideas and things I want each character to do but sometimes the timing of those things doesn’t line up and I can’t make it work no matter how much I want to include it. Or, I may have to make other things happen first before that thing I wanted to happen, happens.
I can’t have people travelling on foot move at the same speed as those on horseback. Their realistic arrival times have to be measured and accounted for.

As you can see by the picture of the timelines, much of what happens in the first week is worked out for quite a few of the characters but not the others.
Much of what happens at the end has to figured out.
I already know where I want the story to go and how things will wind up and end, but I have to situate everyone into the timeline in a manner agreeable with myself, and that is difficult at times.

You know how in video games there are oftentimes side quests that have little or nothing to do with the actual story? Well, sometimes, that is what an author has to do to give other characters time to do what they have to do before this other character can do what you want them to do.
You send them on a side quest. Or you create a problem or roadblock on the way to what seems to be an easy course so they can’t arrive as they should.
Either way, you have to utilize these imaginative deeds and daring to keep the story exciting.
Life is often wrought with obstacles. When something seems simple, it quickly becomes complicated while those things which look complicated can often be fixed simply. A conundrum one might say.

Oh, and before anyone goes, “Why did you have to put it on your wall? Why can’t you do it on a spreadsheet on your computer?”
Well, I’ve tried that, and it doesn’t work for me. I need it right there, on the wall in front of me, all spaced out and looking at me. It keeps me focused and helps me pinpoint what I want to work on, a little bit each day.
Every artist has their ways. This is mine. This might not work for other people.

So, this is where my next book is – up on a wall in my basement.
Several chapters have been written and require a lot of editing but there is still much to do and a long way to go. I don’t expect a release anytime soon. People will just have to content themselves with rereading The Crystal Crux books for now.

Until next time: Stay inspired and keep reading!

Allen M Werner is the author of the Epic Fantasy series The Crystal Crux