You may be wondering what a paraquel even is! To be brief, think of a paraquel as a parallel story. It occurs at the same time as another story, with the same—or at least some of the same—characters. How would a story be different if it was told from this character's point of view instead of the protagonist's? What was going on behind the scenes that was only hinted at in the main story? Questions like these could be answered in a paraquel.
Many writers would avoid creating this type of work for fear that it would be slow and boring. And there can be some truth to this (imagine knowing all of the twists and dialogue before they happen), but a paraquel can also feel fresh and exciting. How? Well, let me show you. Here are my top tips for writing a paraquel that not only enhances your original tale but also creates a story of its own.
Choose a new protagonist(s) that isn't one of the main characters in the original story. I know, I know, readers fall in love with the main character (and their way of seeing the world) and want to continue following that character's story. But, readers also love to learn more about side characters, and if you've created a world full of rich characters, you'll be able to choose a new protagonist that readers are already familiar with and (hopefully) already like. Why do this? Because it's impossible—or next to impossible—to craft a compelling paraquel that doesn't feel like old hat when your protagonist can only do the same things he/she did in the first story.
2. Use vague phrases to show the passing of time. One reason why paraquels are so challenging is that you have to align the timelines of both stories together in a way that makes sense. Phrases like "the next day" or "two days later" limit you more than writing "a little while later," or "it wasn't long before."
3. Avoid repeating scenes from the original story unless they add depth to the second story. If you include too many of the same events, readers are going to feel like they're just reading the same story over again. And who wants to pay for something twice? The more you can include new content—new dialogue, new motivation, new characters—the fresher the story will feel. This will also help you not get bored while you're writing it.
4. Create new out of the old. I know I just told you in the last step to avoid repeating scenes, but part of the magic of writing a paraquel well is to take a scene you've already written in the first story and flip it to reveal something new in the second story. Let me give you an example. Here are two excerpts from my books (the first is from The Secret of Drulea Cottage, and the second is from The Heart of Everton Inn):
The Secret of Drulea Cottage
“And was that how yer brother broke his leg?”
“Aye, one of the masts broke, and he was right underneath it. After all that happened, I’m honestly surprised he wasn’t hurt worse.”
“So you were on yer way to Norway? I’ve never been there either. What has yer brother told you about it?”
The woman paused for a moment, and Briony thought her face seemed a little paler than before. “He—”
But then someone appeared beside them, and whatever the woman had been about to say was lost.
“Good morneen, ladies. I don’ think we’ve been properly introduced. Mistress Fairborn, would you do the honors?” John Burgess stood by their chairs with a polite grin, looking to Briony expectantly.
Briony sprang to her feet. “O’ course, Mr. Burgess. Mistress Mendes, may I present Mr. John Burgess. And Mr. Burgess, this is Mistress—”
“Lucia, please. The pleasure is all mine,” she twittered.
“Charmed. I hope yer stay here is very restful and relaxing, fer both you and yer brother. My apologies fer his accident,” he said, his voice full of warmth.
Briony’s lips turned up at the corners. That was one of the things she liked about Mr. Burgess: he was incredibly kind. She was sure he knew of her illegitimacy, but for reasons she couldn’t fathom, he didn’t treat her differently for it. ’Tis too bad he’ll have to go back home to Hollandstoun eventually. Everton needs more people like him.
“Thank you, sir.” Mistress Mendes’s smile was so large it looked painful.
“I’ll let you get back to yer discussion now. Excuse me.” Mr. Burgess nodded at both of them and went on his way.
The Heart of Everton Inn
“And was that how yer brother broke his leg?” the midwife asked.
“Aye, one of the masts broke, and he was right underneath it. After all that happened, I’m honestly surprised he wasn’t hurt worse.”
The last part of what the woman said hit John like a ton of bricks. Surprised he wasn’ hurt worse? She doesn’ mean . . .
Mistress Fairborn started to ask about the ship’s destination, but that didn’t matter to John. What he needed to know now was if this woman recognized him. Because, if she recognized him, she would also recognize William.
The farmer stepped into the room and strolled toward the two women with a smile. He took in the stranger’s features as he approached them, for he’d only seen her from a distance up until now.
She was a young woman, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old, with long blond hair and full lips. She was very pretty, but the thing that struck John the most upon seeing her was how sad she seemed.
To be in a place so far from home must be hard, John thought, his heart swelling with compassion.
But then the woman’s eyes met his.
John’s pulse quickened with anxiety. Does she know?
The farmer waited for her expression to turn fearful, but, to his surprise, the woman’s mouth curved into a smirk, and rather than recognition sparking in her eyes, John saw only . . . interest. Blatant interest.
“Good morneen, ladies,” John said as he reached them. “I don’ think we’ve been properly introduced. Mistress Fairborn, would you do the honors?”
John turned to the midwife, who seemed a bit startled to see him.
“O’ course, Mr. Burgess. Mistress Mendes, may I present Mr. John Burgess. And Mr. Burgess, this is Mistress—”
“Lucia, please. The pleasure is all mine,” the other woman interrupted, batting her eyelashes.
She’s . . . She’s flirting with me, John realized. There was no hesitation, no nervousness in her voice as she gazed at him in a way that bordered on predatory. She wore her beauty confidently, and John got the distinct impression she knew how to use that beauty to get what she wanted.
The only problem was she wasn’t anywhere close to the type of woman he wanted. Or rather, the woman he wanted.
“Charmed,” John lied. “I hope yer stay here is very restful and relaxing, fer both you and yer brother. My apologies fer his accident.”
“Thank you, sir,” Lucia said, continuing to watch him in a manner she probably thought was flattering.
But all John felt was mildly repulsed.
“I’ll let you get back to yer discussion now. Excuse me,” John said, eager to get away from this woman as quickly as possible.
Surprise and disappointment came over Lucia’s face, but John was quick to nod and escape to the hallway before she could say anything more.
In the first text, Briony interprets John Burgess's interaction with Lucia as friendly and kind, but in the second text, we discover that John had another motive for introducing himself to Lucia. This is one of the wonders of writing a paraquel—finding hidden treasures lurking within something you're already familiar with.
So, there you have it: four tips for creating a solid paraquel. I hope these have been helpful for you, and be sure to check out my other posts for more writing tips.