Understanding the Timeline pt 2 - Series Spacing
Assuming you’ve read the first one, this Understanding the Timeline post will make things a little bit easier to understand. So the first thing I want address in this post is the canon spacing between the series/arcs.
They’re disgustingly short.
For how close the arcs are to each other, there’s hardly any sense that they happen right after another. For example: Skyclan was forced to leave the forest only twenty-six years before The Prophecy Begins. The average housecat lives about twenty years. Tallstar was ten years old when he died, Bluestar was almost eight, and Yellowfang was seven. Granted they were considered relatively old, however considering the age of the elders in the newest arc, aging and what is considered old is inconsistent. (Mistystar is sixteen, y’all. Tawnypelt are eleven and still just warriors.)
I will be fixing the aging as I’ve explained in the previous Understanding the Timeline post. However even ignoring this, Bluestar’s grandparents would’ve been around to witness Skyclan’s leaving, even if they were extremely young. So for none of the clans to have even heard of Skyclan is a bit ridiculous. Not to mention some major events of prequel books are never even mentioned as gossip. Which I understand that these prequels were written after, but at least spread out how long ago they happened. Mapleshade was around Pinestar’s father was leader. And for Pinestar to never even have some hatred towards Riverclan for the precised murder of his brother is absurd.
So next we come to what I plan to do in correction of these oddities.
What I have planned is a bit extreme, however it will fix the timeline without fail. And that is spreading everything out over the course of five hundred years. Yes this is a long time. No, I will not be filling every year with some sort of event. The most simple and furthest explanation I can give at the moment is that DOtC takes place several hundred years before the main arcs. Some of the prequel novellas will being taking place about one hundred years before the main arcs and most of the prequel super editions will take place twenty years before the first arc.
At this point, I’m not finished with the timeline. What I’m doing is making a complex - almost Sparknotes-like - year-by-year account of what happens. Some years will have no events while others will have some. Most births and deaths will be documented. Once I am finished with the timeline, I will post it. However I wouldn’t expect for a least a few weeks. The timeline is not the only thing I have and will be working on. Please be patient with me and I will continue with updates on my progress.
At always, asks are open and I will answer them to the best of my abilities without spoiling anything too major. ;)
Thank you for following development!
- panic