Elements of a Dual Timeline Novel: Timeframes and Settings

/ Mae Clair

Hi, SEers! You’re with Mae today. Thank you for joining me for part three of my series on dual timeline novels. Part One provided an introduction, while Part Two offered a look at character development. Today, we’re going to explore timeframes. 

Signpost showing Past, Present, and Future directional arrows
Image from Deposit Photos

When developing your characters, you probably started thinking about timeframes. Usually, when people think of dual timeline novels, they often envision a large gap between eras. One timeframe in present day with the other set somewhere in the past. Often this involves another century, but there’s no rule that says you have to go back x-number of decades or centuries. 

I’ve written novels with my “past” timeframe set in the late 1700s, 1840s, and 1880s. I’m also sitting on a completed manuscript wherein the earlier action takes place in the 1970s. Once you’ve chosen your era, it’s time to do a research dive. Even the novel I set in the 1970s involved research. I was a teenager in the 70s, but it’s amazing how much I forgot.

The internet is great for quick research, but there are other avenues. I favor reference books in addition to haunting websites. At heart, I think I’m a wannabe historical novelist, but the idea of writing an entire novel set in an earlier century intimidates me. That’s why I love dual timelines—I get to flex historical muscles without committing one hundred percent. 

That said, keep in mind what I mentioned in my last post­—a good dual timeline book should have two stories capable of standing on their own, each with a beginning, middle, and an end. The difference is you’re going to tie them together at the finish. 

As a writer, I choose time periods I’m drawn to, or particular moments in history that fascinate me. This makes research more enjoyable and gives me a launching pad off something I’m already partially familiar with.

Once you choose your past timeframe, you need to choose a setting. More than likely, this will tie into your present time period. We’ll look at that more closely in my final post on connections.

Old gothic looking house surrounded by hedge
Photo from Bigstock Photos

When you choose a setting, remember that you’re going to need to work that location in two different ways. Does your setting encompass a large area, or only a small town? Maybe it’s confined to a particular house or structure with significance. It could be a cemetery, an old school, a former hospital, or a church. Whatever you choose, there are going to be notable differences from past to present. How has the town changed? Which buildings have been torn down and replaced with newer construction? Are there roads and bridges where none existed before?

What about the old home your present-day protag bought? Are there light fixtures or hardware that harken to an earlier time? Perhaps something hidden in a wall or under a floorboard. If you show the dining room in the past, let your reader see the difference when you visit it again in the present. That may sound obvious, but even small details need to be carried through or addressed.

Above all, if you’re writing in an earlier time period, remember that objects and items may have different names than are commonly used today. People wrote and spoke differently. That should be reflected in your dialogue and prose. Your narrative should echo the voice of your POV character, no matter the era.

That’s it for today, but in my final post of this series, I’ll look at setting connections between past and present.

Until then, I’d love to know what “past” period of history you’d chose if you wrote a dual timeline novel. A few decades ago, centuries ago, or maybe even early creation? Now, there’s a thought! Let me hear yours in the comments below.

Ready, set, go!

Biio box for author Mae Clair

80 thoughts on “Elements of a Dual Timeline Novel: Timeframes and Settings”

  1. HI Mae, this comments particularly interested me: —a good dual timeline book should have two stories capable of standing on their own, each with a beginning, middle, and an end. I believe I achieved that quite well in A Ghost and His Gold but a few reviewers commented that it should rather have been two separate books as the dual timeline made it complicated. I suppose you can’t please everyone but I did not that comment.

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  3. Love this series, Mae, and have saved all the links for future reference. When I wrote my first book, I expected it to be my ONLY book, and since I wanted to write about two different eras, I jumped right into the dual timeline thing, never realizing how complicated it could get. I chose to link my two female characters by the cabin they each lived in. One lived there in the 1960s and one 50 years later. I remember the 60s very, very clearly, so I thought I could handle that, and I thoroughly enjoyed writing about both time frames and both women, with their trials and tribulations … and even their experiences with some supernatural elements.

    If I were starting over with my writing, I probably wouldn’t have tackled a dual timeline right off the bat like that, but I’m not sorry I did. I learned a lot from the experience, and though you might notice I’ve never done it again, that’s not to say I wouldn’t, if I finally get going on another book. And now that I have your series of posts on this subject to refer to, I’d be much better prepared, should I want to do just that. Thanks so much for your tips and ideas, Mae. As always, you’ve done a fantastic job, and I’m looking forward to the next installment. 😊❤️😊

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    • Kudos to you for jumping into a dual timeline novel right off the bat, Marcia. I have to admit to being highly intimidated before attempting my first. They definitely grow easier with each successive one, but I still remember all the butterflies and nailbiting during that first one, LOL.

      I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series and finding it useful. Who knows which direction the muse will call you next? I’m glad to hear another dual timeline isn’t completely out of the ballpark for you! 🙂

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      • I learned a long time ago to “never say never,” so anything could happen. But honestly, I’ll just be happy to get my WIP finished one of these days, even with a single timeline. In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying your series, and all the other great and helpful posts on Story Empire. You guys ROCK!
        😊❤️😊

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  5. This has really been an informative series, Mae. I have especially enjoyed this one. I have ideas for a dual timeline. I will eventually write it. This series will be a reference source for me and many others who seek to write a dual timeline. I’ve already written historical fiction. Now, I just have to tie in a modern angle. Thanks for sharing your expertise!

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    • Beem, I’m delighted to hear the series has been helpful. You write historical fiction beautifully. I would so love to see you tackle a past/present timeline. I know you’ more than do it justice!

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  6. Great post, Mae 🙂 I like diving into the past, whether its a time I’ve lived in or before that. Like you, I’ve found I have forgotten a thing or two about the 70s and other decades. The research is one of my favorite parts of the past and daul times lines.

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  7. I bet you’d write a killer historical fiction novel, Mae. Your amazing eye for detail would bring both timelines to life. Writing a dual timeline doesn’t appeal to me — I’m laser-focused on Native American metaphysical thrillers — so I have no idea what two places/eras I’d choose. #commentfail 😉

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    • Hmm. I could see you weaving a past Native American timeline into a metaphysical thriller, Sue. Exactly what you’re writing now, but twined with Native Americans in an earlier century. Maybe even just some flashback scenes?

      Thank you so much for the lovely compliment on historical fiction! 🤗 The closest I’ve come to writing a straight historical is a novella set in 1887 which I haven’t released yet. I have to admit I did enjoy writing it!

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    • Maybe not quite dual timeline, Yvette, but I thoroughly anticipate you’ll be doing just as much research. Before I tackled my first dual time line novel, I wrote several books that used multiple flashback sequences. I recall investing a good deal of time to assure I had period details, dialogue, and prose correct for those sections. Happy writing–and researching! 🙂

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    • I do enjoy the Regency period too, Judi. There was a time when I devoured books set in that era, reading one after another.
      You’re right about small details. Sometimes it’s easy to get hung up on the bigger scope, but readers will quickly pick up on trivial details out of whack. As a reader I’ve stumbled over a few of those myself!

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  12. I bet you can guess one of my choices for a past timeline. Victorian London. Shocking, I know, given my obsession with Jack.the Ripper. I also think setting something in a more modern time (somewhere in my lifetime) would be fun, showing the differences between technology then and now. I’m sure I’d be more comfortable with that, since I know the language and norms in which I lived. All food for thought.

    You’re a master at dual timelines. I love this series. Excellent job today.

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    • Aww, thank you for the kind words, Staci! ❤️

      Victorian London! I will NEVER tire of reading novels set in that place and time. I know how much you follow stories spun around Jack the Ripper. I love good detective fiction that does the same. And then there’s the whole sham spiritualism angle, Put the two together, and I’m happy to disappear into the pages.

      And isn’t it amazing to realize how much technology has changed in the last several decades? It amazes me to think there was I time when I functioned without a cell phone, computer or internet!! 😲

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      • I guess I can understand why my parents had a network of informants in town. They couldn’t just call or text to check on my like I can with my kids. It’s hard to imagine parenting without cell phones. Or doing the work we do now! I often yearn for the simpler times, but there are some conveniences I’d hate to lose.

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      • I agree with you. I long for simpler times too, but it is hard to imagine not having many of our modern conveniences.

        As a kid, I remember my dad would stand outside and do a two-fingered whistle. It was so loud and shrill you could hear it through the entire neighborhood. That was the signal it was time to come home. Still makes me smile when I think of that.

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  13. I’ve never attempted a dual-timeline story, but the most recent novel I wrote is set in 1947. You are so right about many things being different, including the language. They used totally different slang back then, and some phrases we consider common hadn’t been created. Electricity was still somewhat limited to the cities, with farms getting it last, so that was different. And there certainly wasn’t much in the way of air conditioning. I had to do a lot of research. It was quite an experience, but one I enjoyed. Thank you for sharing these great tips, Mae!

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    • Isn’t it amazing all the differences you have to stop and consider, Jan? Just reading what you had to research has me fascinated. I love discovering the differences in time periods and how life unfolded in earlier eras. I’ve never attempted anything set in the 1940s. You have me intrigued! 🙂

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      • I can’t explain why my story needed that time period, but it did. It follows World War II, and things were still topsy turvy from that, but at the same time, modern conveniences were making a huge appearance. City folks were even getting washing machines, while country folks still did so many things by hand. So, yes. There were many things to consider in writing it. I hope I did it justice.

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      • I’m sure you did it justice, Jan, and I love the difference between city and country living. The turn of the 20th century was much like that too with things like electricity. I hope this is a book you’ll be publishing soon. It sounds fantastic!

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  14. Your collaboration with Staci worked really well, as have many others I’ve read. I love researching the past – whatever the era – and could happily spend months just lost in the wormholes of the Internet. Sometimes, authors have done their research and then try to cram everything they’ve learned into the novel in a way that is distracting and can come across as mini lectures. There’s a difference between getting the setting and language authentic, and describing something from the past in unnecessary and unnatural detail. There so much in this series that makes me think I’d like to do another dual timeline novel… 🙂

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    • Trish, I am so glad you enjoyed my collaboration with Staci. I loved writing that book with her!

      You hit on something SO IMPORTANT that I haven’t mentioned. You are absolutely right—there is a fine line between sounding authentic vs. turning your prose into a lecture. I have notebooks filled with handwritten notes for various novels, all of it research. Much of it never made it to the page, but it gave me the confidence of knowledge to write of the eras I chose. For my Point Pleasant Series, a lot of that research ended up in presentations I gave to local organizations.

      As for tackling another dual timeline novel, I say go for it! Run with the story that speaks to your heart! 🙂 💕

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  15. A fascinating post, Mae. It all makes sense and I love the way you talk about linking as well as differentiating the details. I would find this intimidating, I think, but you do it well. Thanks for sharing your expertise!

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    • Thanks so much, Diana. I’m glad you’ve been enjoying these posts. Writing dual timelines probably sounds more intimidating then it really is. At least that’s been my experience. Before I wrote “Chapter One” of the first book, I was clueless how to pull off the concept. But it really isn’t so difficult when you consider each timeline as a separate story. They’re actually fun to write!

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  16. My current WIP is set in the 21st century and the 1870s. This series is timely for me as I’m in the editing phase. I’m particularly concerned with the dialogue I used for my 1870s characters. I want it to sound authentic, not 21st century! 🙂

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    • You’re writing in one of the eras I love best, Joan.
      As you edit, I bet you pick up on any dialogue that rings false for the time period. Dialogue is so important, but POV prose from the same characters have to carry the flavor of the era as well. I know you’ll do fine. You’ve already dabbled g in the 1800s with some of your other works which I loved! 🙂

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  20. Very illuminating, Mae. Thank you. In my WIP, a key character struggles with PTSD and has flashbacks to his military experience in Afghanistan. Even this episodic timeline shift has required notable research. Your guidance is very helpful. 😊

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    • I’m so glad you’re finding the series helpful, Gwen.
      My first forays with dual timelines started by writing flashback scenes. Even then, I was doing research dives, so I can fully relate to your experience with your WIP. Happy writing—and research! 🙂

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  21. Pingback: Elements of a Dual Timeline Novel: Timeframes and Settings | Legends of Windemere

    • For the most part I’ve always gone back centuries as well, Harmony. Setting The Keeping Place just decades earlier was a new experiment for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but will always favor the 1880s as my “go-to” era, LOL!

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  24. Fascinating post, thank you, Mae. I used Tudor times and the 21st century in one book, and the research was fascinating.
    May I add a warning, though. I have just struggled to finish a book – the author has lost a potential fan – where the difference was ten years. Both were well drawn, but she swapped from one to the other far too often. Sometimes, within the same chapter. One piece, the murder scene, was repeated word for word with a new paragraph on the end revealing whodunit and that the protagonist had known all along… Or not; I finished the book uncertain of anything.

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    • Ugh! That sounds like a rather sloppy mess of a book you just finished reading, Sarah. When you’re working with time frames that are close like that, I think it’s even more important to be sure there is clear separation between the two—at least a chapter. That’s terrible about the murder scene. That should have been one of the strongest sections of the book, not the most confusing.
      Thanks for your input on this, Sarah!

      Tudor times! What a fantastic time period. I have never attempted diving into that era, but I bet the research was every bit as fascinating as you said. I have read several historical novels set in that era and have always enjoyed them.

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    • Hi, Beth! I’m so glad you found the post helpful.
      I will admit, at times it’s difficult to keep all those characters and plot threads straight. When I write dual timeline novels, I frequently have a “story bible” I refer to wherein I cram all the details—both major and minor! 🙂

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  28. This post is chuck full of great advice. As I too enjoy writing historical pieces, the advice on choosing a period that interests you as you’d enjoy doing the research is helpful. There are many websites and free historical research documentary’s and lectures available to assist. 👏👏

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    • Hi, there! Isn’t it great that there are so many free resources available for research? I remember the “old days” of needing to trek to a library when I wanted to research a topic. The internet has certainly changed that dynamic.
      When I find a time period I love (late 1800s and early 1900s are among my favorite), I also stock up on reference books I frequently return to again and again.

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and stopped to comment. It’s wonderful to meet someone else who enjoys writing historical pieces!

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      • I do absolute enjoy researching, and placing myself in that space in time. There is so much research, that once you’ve fully immersed yourself in the research, telling the story becomes easy. Staying in character becomes a little difficult sometimes, but it is always so much fun.

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