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strangetomatoFrom chapter 28 onwards, I started to play around with timelines in Strangetown, Here We Come, first flashing forwards for a chapter, and then presenting several characters in their own storylines separately (I even polled the audience to determine the order: Frances, then Tank, then JRO, then Jaxy Rai). These stories all run concurrently during the final year at LFT for the original Strangetown teens. The effect, though helpful for me in getting me through the telling of the story and presenting those storylines in unbroken sections, was confusing.
I've outlined events into a timeline for anyone that wanted to review the order they all take place in. I've included a note on which chapter the event is shown in.
Jaxy Rai overdoses. (Ch. 33)
... (several days later)
Ripp and Zoe visit Jaxy at the hospital. (Ch. 33)
... (weeks later)
Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia spend the spring break in Three Lakes. (Ch. 31, parts 2-3)
Bottom and Vidcund spend the spring break in Veronaville. (Ch. 35, parts 2-4)
... (several days later)
Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia return to La Fiesta Tech. (Ch. 31, part 3)
Bottom and Vidcund spend the night in Faerie. (Ch. 35, parts 3-4)
Buck and Jill have dinner with Lucy, Beau, and Frances. (not shown, mentioned in (Ch. 31.5)
Mortimer Goth dies. (Ch. 35, part 4)
... (the very next day)
Buck wakes up early with a bad feeling about the day. (Ch. 31.5)
Ripp and Tank spend the day in Sim City together. (Ch. 30, part 2)
Mortimer's death is in the paper. Circe gives Don Lothario a head's up and he goes to get Bella and leaves for Belladonna Cove. (Ch. 28)
Pascal learns of Mortimer's death and finally clues in to who Bella is. (Ch. 28)
Pascal goes to see Bella, but she is already gone. (Ch. 28)
Pascal gets fired. (Ch. 28)
Pascal gets a call from Jenny about P.T.'s impending death. (Ch. 28)
Vidcund gets a call from Pascal in Veronaville about P.T.'s impending death. (Ch. 35, part 4)
Jenny calls Jill about P.T.'s impending death. (Ch. 31.5)
Frances comes out at his sister's wedding. (Ch. 28, part 3)
Ripp initializes Sugar Tits. (Ch. 30, part 2)
Jenny calls Johnny about P.T.'s impending death. (Ch. 31, part 3)
Ripp and Ophelia comfort Johnny. (Ch. 31, part 3)
... (the very next day)
Johnny leaves for home in the morning. (not shown, end of Ch. 30, part 3, just before Ch. 33 begins)
Stella learns of PT's impending death and prepares to leave Sim Earth. (Ch. 33)
Jayne calls to speak to Johnny, but gets Ripp instead. (Ch. 33)
Ripp chases down Stella to say goodbye and plead with her re: Johnny. (Ch. 33)
Jayne goes back to Strangetown. (Ch. 33)
There are reports of increased abductions and hybrid-related violence on the news. (Ch. 33)
Jayne visits Johnny at the Smith household. (Ch. 33)
... (the very next day)
???? (This is where we pick up in Chapters 36-38)
...
Flash forward by about a month (Ch. 28)
...
Buck reflecting back on the day they learned of P.T.'s impending death from far into the future. (Ch. 31.5)
...
If there's a plot event that I've left out that of this timeline and you're curious about where it fits in, please mention it in the comments below and I will fit it in.
I made a couple of continuity errors in the last chapter. Chapter 35 part 4 shows Vidcund getting a call from Pascal at the end, telling him to come home because P.T. is dying, while Bottom is shown hanging out with Ophelia on that very same day back at LFT (Ch. 31, part 3), and speaks about the trip she just got back from. There's no way they would have gotten back that quickly, and also Bottom obviously would have known about P.T.'s illness if she had been there when Vidcund got the call.
Also, Dina tells Nina where Don has gone with Bella (Ch. 35 part 4), but he doesn't actually leave until the next day (Ch. 28). In this case, it is possible that Circe told Dina he'd be going, having suggested the plan to him herself, but it's still a mistake. If Nina had been given that much of a head's up, she would have caught Don before he left.
Oh well. They're not huge mistakes. Considering the amount of time between updates there, I would have been shocked if I didn't mix something up, even with careful reviewing of the story. I only noticed these after several readings. Also, ending chapter 35 with a dramatic phone call served to lead back into the main action in Strangetown, so it worked well as part of the story. Maybe Bottom got home quickly with some help from her mother? Haha. It still wouldn't explain her memory loss. Best to just ignore that one, I'm afraid.
I've outlined events into a timeline for anyone that wanted to review the order they all take place in. I've included a note on which chapter the event is shown in.
Jaxy Rai overdoses. (Ch. 33)
... (several days later)
Ripp and Zoe visit Jaxy at the hospital. (Ch. 33)
... (weeks later)
Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia spend the spring break in Three Lakes. (Ch. 31, parts 2-3)
Bottom and Vidcund spend the spring break in Veronaville. (Ch. 35, parts 2-4)
... (several days later)
Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia return to La Fiesta Tech. (Ch. 31, part 3)
Bottom and Vidcund spend the night in Faerie. (Ch. 35, parts 3-4)
Buck and Jill have dinner with Lucy, Beau, and Frances. (not shown, mentioned in (Ch. 31.5)
Mortimer Goth dies. (Ch. 35, part 4)
... (the very next day)
Buck wakes up early with a bad feeling about the day. (Ch. 31.5)
Ripp and Tank spend the day in Sim City together. (Ch. 30, part 2)
Mortimer's death is in the paper. Circe gives Don Lothario a head's up and he goes to get Bella and leaves for Belladonna Cove. (Ch. 28)
Pascal learns of Mortimer's death and finally clues in to who Bella is. (Ch. 28)
Pascal goes to see Bella, but she is already gone. (Ch. 28)
Pascal gets fired. (Ch. 28)
Pascal gets a call from Jenny about P.T.'s impending death. (Ch. 28)
Vidcund gets a call from Pascal in Veronaville about P.T.'s impending death. (Ch. 35, part 4)
Jenny calls Jill about P.T.'s impending death. (Ch. 31.5)
Frances comes out at his sister's wedding. (Ch. 28, part 3)
Ripp initializes Sugar Tits. (Ch. 30, part 2)
Jenny calls Johnny about P.T.'s impending death. (Ch. 31, part 3)
Ripp and Ophelia comfort Johnny. (Ch. 31, part 3)
... (the very next day)
Johnny leaves for home in the morning. (not shown, end of Ch. 30, part 3, just before Ch. 33 begins)
Stella learns of PT's impending death and prepares to leave Sim Earth. (Ch. 33)
Jayne calls to speak to Johnny, but gets Ripp instead. (Ch. 33)
Ripp chases down Stella to say goodbye and plead with her re: Johnny. (Ch. 33)
Jayne goes back to Strangetown. (Ch. 33)
There are reports of increased abductions and hybrid-related violence on the news. (Ch. 33)
Jayne visits Johnny at the Smith household. (Ch. 33)
... (the very next day)
???? (This is where we pick up in Chapters 36-38)
...
Flash forward by about a month (Ch. 28)
...
Buck reflecting back on the day they learned of P.T.'s impending death from far into the future. (Ch. 31.5)
...
If there's a plot event that I've left out that of this timeline and you're curious about where it fits in, please mention it in the comments below and I will fit it in.
I made a couple of continuity errors in the last chapter. Chapter 35 part 4 shows Vidcund getting a call from Pascal at the end, telling him to come home because P.T. is dying, while Bottom is shown hanging out with Ophelia on that very same day back at LFT (Ch. 31, part 3), and speaks about the trip she just got back from. There's no way they would have gotten back that quickly, and also Bottom obviously would have known about P.T.'s illness if she had been there when Vidcund got the call.
Also, Dina tells Nina where Don has gone with Bella (Ch. 35 part 4), but he doesn't actually leave until the next day (Ch. 28). In this case, it is possible that Circe told Dina he'd be going, having suggested the plan to him herself, but it's still a mistake. If Nina had been given that much of a head's up, she would have caught Don before he left.
Oh well. They're not huge mistakes. Considering the amount of time between updates there, I would have been shocked if I didn't mix something up, even with careful reviewing of the story. I only noticed these after several readings. Also, ending chapter 35 with a dramatic phone call served to lead back into the main action in Strangetown, so it worked well as part of the story. Maybe Bottom got home quickly with some help from her mother? Haha. It still wouldn't explain her memory loss. Best to just ignore that one, I'm afraid.
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no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 06:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 07:04 pm (UTC)I did like focusing on each storyline on its own that way, but it is way too confusing. I'll be sticking with good ol' chronological order from here on out.
I'm glad it was useful. Please let me know if you catch anything else that doesn't make sense or line up in the timeline. Or if there's anything else I should add in here. I didn't bother throwing in the stuff with the Cordials, for example, because I don't think it was really necessary. That's a little separate from most of this action.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-22 01:37 am (UTC)That's great. :) Thank you. I will be out of town, without access to my simming computer (so images will have to wait a while), but I will have internet access. This should be a good time for me to finish up the text portion of the chapter.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-22 06:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-27 12:22 pm (UTC)