Two or more storylines that run alongside each other, connected by theme, character, or eventual convergence.
A parallel narrative tells two or more distinct storylines that unfold simultaneously, often alternating between them chapter by chapter or section by section. The storylines may share characters, themes, or a time period, and they typically illuminate each other through contrast or comparison. The real power of parallel narrative is the meaning that emerges in the space between the stories, the connections readers draw that neither storyline could create alone.
Parallel narratives let you explore a theme from multiple angles without being heavy-handed about it. Instead of telling the reader 'grief looks different for everyone,' you can show three characters processing the same loss in three different ways. This structure also naturally creates suspense, because readers are always eager to return to the storyline you just left.
Three parallel storylines across three decades, each following a woman whose life intersects with 'Mrs Dalloway,' building a meditation on art, depression, and the choices women make.
Pre- and post-pandemic storylines weave through multiple characters, gradually revealing how they're all connected to a single performance of King Lear.
The parallel worlds of London and Paris during the French Revolution, with characters moving between them and mirroring each other's arcs.
If readers only care about one of your parallel plots and skim the other, something's off. Each storyline needs its own stakes, its own tension, and its own reason to exist.
Even thematic parallels need some payoff that justifies the structure. The reader should feel that these stories needed to be told together.
Two or three parallel threads are manageable. More than that risks fragmenting reader attention. If you need more, consider a braided structure with clearer connections.
Write two very short scenes (200 words each) about two strangers experiencing the same rainstorm in different parts of the same city. Give one character a reason to celebrate the rain and the other a reason to dread it. Now alternate the scenes paragraph by paragraph. Notice how the juxtaposition creates meaning that neither scene had on its own.