Interlacing in LotR and elsewhere - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 06-17-2002, 08:14 PM

Interlacing is what Tolkien does by having at least two different storylines going in one book. Frodo&Sam in one place while Merry&Pippin are captives while Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli are on the chase. This is tough to pull off. How do you think Tolkien did? What worked well, what didn't? Should such a technique be avoided by writers of serious fantasy? If not, what would be some guidelines for writing good interlace?

06-17-2002, 08:14 PM	#1
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Interlacing in LotR and elsewhere Interlacing is what Tolkien does by having at least two different storylines going in one book. Frodo&Sam in one place while Merry&Pippin are captives while Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli are on the chase. This is tough to pull off. How do you think Tolkien did? What worked well, what didn't? Should such a technique be avoided by writers of serious fantasy? If not, what would be some guidelines for writing good interlace?