So far, my world spans 4 or 5 different time periods, 2 separate timelines, has pocket dimensions, demons, vampires, mimics, wendigos, zombies, creepy killer mannequins, and has themes of contemporary suburbia, sci-fi, dieselpunk, post-apocalypse, and Lovecraftian horror. So does all this sound like too much? Like, it all makes sense to the plot. But I also worry about giving my readers metaphorical whiplash.
Constablewrites: Ultimately the only way to know how your readers will react to a story is to get it in front of them. Get thee some good beta readers, including at least one or two who know nothing about your story going in. Ask them specifically if there are things that confuse or overwhelm them.
I will say that you're probably not going to give equal weight to every element. For example, Sunshine by Robin McKinley has a grab bag of monsters, magic, and tech, but it mainly focuses on the vampires. (It also starts with a rather wicked infodump, which is a technique I would⌠not recommended for new writers.) Some pieces will be the things that drive and impact your characters, while others will be background flavor.
Also, be aware that the wendigo isn't quite the same as other monsters of folklore, and you'll want to do some significant research before attempting to use it. More here: https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/133355041681/so-basically-im-writing-a-supernatural-thriller
Feral: So, your question seems to be using âworldâ and âplotâ interchangeably. Are you asking whether your world, or in this case âmultiverse,â can contain all these elements? Then, the answer is yes, absolutely. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the best known work that I think is closest to what youâre looking for (particularly with the range of monsters or âbaddiesâ), but Doctor Who and the various Star Treks both have multiverses and time travel and a lot of disparate elements that theyâve managed to wrangle into a relatively consistent whole across the years. Youâll notice of course that these are series. So, if your question is instead, can you fit all of that into a cohesive 90,000 word novel? Well⌠I suppose you can. But in that case I would recommend following Constableâs advice and also taking a trip over to our friends @ScriptStructure because that is very much outside our realm of expertise.
Based on the ask youâve sent, it actually sounds like you feel quite confident in the worldbuilding itself, but I am mis-reading that, please feel free to come back with another ask regarding what specifically you need help with.
