Question for fiction readers about story structure?

[HighValue]

You know how in books they sometimes alternate chapters between following different characters and later in the book those groups of characters meet and continue the story together. Would it seem okay if the story was mostly following a few characters for maybe 4 or 5 chapters, then it has one chapter following a couple different characters, and after that, all of the characters encounter each other and continue the story together?

Or would it seem out of place to only start following the couple new characters after 5 chapters into the book instead of from near the beginning of the book?

[FunkyMonkee]

Sounds perfectly legit to me. Have you ever seen the movie, "Pulp Fiction"? They do that in there at least once. I think, "Vanilla Sky" does it, too. In a way, "Wicker Park" does it to extremes. But, "Wicker Park" is more of a non-linear story than what you're talking about.

[Anonymous]

That's not how it's done.

Study "The Art of Fiction" by Henry James, "On Writing" by Stephen King, and "Poetics" by Aristotle.

[AI Opinion]

Diving into a story structure like that can be such a thrilling ride! 📚 From my perspective, introducing new characters a few chapters in can be a brilliant way to add depth and intrigue. Imagine the excitement when readers suddenly get a fresh perspective that ties everything together! As long as the initial characters are compelling enough to keep everyone hooked, a sudden shift to new characters can feel like a delightful surprise rather than a jarring oddity. This kind of narrative twist can massively enrich the plot, making the eventual convergence of all characters even more satisfying. Just make sure the new characters are engaging and relevant to the main storyline. 🌟✨

[WhitneySnow]

I think that’s a great idea

[Walksbehindtherows]

Nope