Pressing the fast-forward button...

Calamity_Jones · Oct 20, 2008

Okay, here's another question for ~~/b/~~ AW!

How do you skip time? Or do you simply not do it?

I've structured my story into having two sets of characters that take turns to do interesting stuff. So, for example, one group of characters are travelling somewhere, watching them do that isn't important, and my other group has just arrived at their destination as the first group sets off. This way I don't have to confuse the reader with chronology, and I keep the plot interesting.

I've tried to avoid making it seem contrived, but I like not skipping backwards and forwards constantly.

Now, I have to skip some time though, as none of my characters are doing anything particularly important, and since I'm not Robert Jordan, I'm not going to describe every single day of their dull lives in excruciating merciless detail.

I did a bit of rewinding at one point, using the "it was not how the day began, however" sort of line.

How would you fast-forward time?

I think I'm just going to give some vague reference to the past couple of weeks in the first paragraph, then move on.

Alpha Echo · Oct 20, 2008

Calamity_Jones said:
I think I'm just going to give some vague reference to the past couple of weeks in the first paragraph, then move on.

I think this is right. Though I don't have your specific situation in my own stories, when I do "fast-forward," I usually don't mention the passage of time unless it's necessary. I just keep track of the timeline myself.

Calamity_Jones · Oct 20, 2008

Thing is though, if you don't mention it either explicitly or subtly, the reader's just going to end up confused... I mean, I could add in something subtle further into the chapter, but then the reader would be wondering what time they're at until they reach that line. Or you use something uber obvious and hope it doesn't stand out too much. Hmmm...

Clair Dickson · Oct 20, 2008

I have trouble with timelines. I usually make some note as to the passing of time, though I have trouble skipping even days... but that's because I'm strange. I think some sort of reference or comment on how much time has passed is better than none.

I read a story that didn't include any references through most of the book, except it was "suddenly" spring. At least that's what it felt like to me.

Mr Flibble · Oct 20, 2008

A short tell should see you right, IMO.

'As the days ran on into weeks, there was still no sign of little Johnny and hope of finding him alive had begun to fade...'

'It had been a month of mindless tedium, and Sam was ready to gnaw through his own legs in frustration when...'

At least then you've given the reader the indication that he needs ( that X time has passed) without making a big deal out of it.

Telstar · Oct 20, 2008

I had to do it several times in my WIP, that spans over a large life arc.

I prefer to give the reader a quite accurate idea of the time passed, as I hate when, after a paragraph break i read about something that happens weeks or years ago without any clue -that pisses me and so I avoid it at all costs.

RJK · Oct 20, 2008

I'm not sure what your timeline is, but Idiot has the right answer. A leading sentence like,

The horses showed their weariness after three weeks on the trail. The group arrived at the gates in good spirits even though they had to shoot one of the mules that went lame.

a simpler transition might be:

Three unbearable weeks passed while Henry waited for Mable to decide whether she would marry him or Clyde.

Yes, terrible, I know.

Danthia · Oct 20, 2008

Just let readers know time has passed. A simple transition sentence workls great and readers are very used to the concept.

MsK · Oct 20, 2008

I agree; a simple transition sentence works and makes it less confusing.

A few days later...
For the next several months...

tehuti88 · Oct 20, 2008

Must agree with the others.

I can't think of specific examples from my own writing, but I usually use things such as "A few days later..." or "That winter" (when previously it was autumn), etc. Works for me, and is much better than not mentioning any transition of time at all.

Alpha Echo · Oct 20, 2008

Telstar said:
I prefer to give the reader a quite accurate idea of the time passed, as I hate when, after a paragraph break i read about something that happens weeks or years ago without any clue -that pisses me and so I avoid it at all costs.

I don't skip around paragraph to paragraph. I just...if a few days pass between each chapter, I don't see what the big deal is. I don't think you need to tell the reader if the timeline isn't from day one directly to day two. I think that the readers are pretty smart, and no one's had any trouble following my stories.

If it's been weeks or months, then I'll say something like:

For the next few weeks...

Or, Months passed...

But if it's a day or two, I don't bother mentioning it usually.

Lady Cat · Oct 20, 2008

I’m with the majority on this one. Things like: "Later that day . . .", "The next morning . . ." or "A few days later . . ." can indicate a passage of time without having to go into detail about it.

A longer break in time I'd probably at least do a break in the paragraphs.

"They started their journey with high hopes and light-hearted spirits.

Several weeks later the only thing high was their smell, as they had not found one inn along the way to overnight in."

Okay, not the greatest example, but I think you get the idea.

In one of my WIPs the story starts out when my main characters are teenagers and chapter two starts out ten years after this. I just start the chapter with "Ten years later . . ."

Selcaby · Oct 20, 2008

You can also skip time without a transition if you're prepared to insert a scene or chapter break where there'll be a physical gap in the text. It helps if there's some thematic continuity between the two.

Example: Mary bumps into her father-in-law in Borders, and they get to talking about her husband Samuel Williams. "Why does Sam hate the Irish so much?" she asks. Her father-in-law leads her to the travel section and points out a book about Ireland that he says ought to answer her question. As he leaves she notices the author's name: William Samuels.

==Scene break==

"Yes, that used to be my pen name," said Sam, "but I hoped you'd never find out." ... (This scene contains indications that Mary and Sam are eating dinner at home, so it's obviously some time after the last scene.)

Inarticulate Babbler · Oct 20, 2008

I've got a time-hop coming up in my WIP. I plan to end the chapter with a bang and make it the end to Part One. Part Two will begin after the time-hop.

FennelGiraffe · Oct 20, 2008

Time, location, and POV are things you want to establish early after a scene or chapter break. Not doing so implies there's no change: in the case of POV or location, no change at all; in the case of time, no change in the rate of advancement.

Something like "Two weeks later..." or "After ten days of..." is fine. If you have several time skips, though, you might want some variety.

One possibility: Before the break, mention some event that will be happening "next week". Then, after the break, mention that same event as having already happened.

ETA: Of course, starting a journey and then arriving at the destination serve the same purpose.

waylander · Oct 20, 2008

It was under a full moon that they arrived at [their destination], Jon recalled that the first sliver of the new moon had looked down on the start of their journey.

kuatolives · Oct 20, 2008

If the book does it a lot, you might want to consider just putting the date at the beginning of the chapter or subsection. Lots of spy novels do this.

Paris
October 20, 2008

Yeshanu · Oct 20, 2008

kuatolives said:
If the book does it a lot, you might want to consider just putting the date at the beginning of the chapter or subsection. Lots of spy novels do this.

Paris
October 20, 2008

I was going to mention this. A lot of romance novels, and a few fantasy novels, use this convention as well.

Bufty · Oct 20, 2008

Calamity - Are you honestly saying that out of all the books you've read you have never read one in which you have been aware that some time has passed - be it minutes, an hour, a day, a week, a year or whatever?

Fenika · Oct 20, 2008

FennelGiraffe said:
One possibility: Before the break, mention some event that will be happening "next week". Then, after the break, mention that same event as having already happened.

ETA: Of course, starting a journey and then arriving at the destination serve the same purpose.

waylander said:
It was under a full moon that they arrived at [their destination], Jon recalled that the first sliver of the new moon had looked down on the start of their journey.

What they said. If you can sync time changes with external events (moon cycle, seasons -The mild fall had turned into bitter winter in the course of 3 weeks, events, holidays, whatever.) you are good to go.

dawinsor · Oct 20, 2008

I actually think that readers and TV/movie watchers expect some time condensation. If you look at older TV shows, you see the cowboys leaving the ranch and riding into town. Now you'd just seen them leaving and arriving. That unimportant transition time is skipped.

Writers stretch and condense time all the time. We skip it (as in the great examples people have been giving you) and we also extend it, so that we take a paragraph to describe what a person probably take in with a quick glance. That kind of stretching and condensing is good for variation, I think.

Calamity_Jones · Oct 21, 2008

Bufty said:
Calamity - Are you honestly saying that out of all the books you've read you have never read one in which you have been aware that some time has passed - be it minutes, an hour, a day, a week, a year or whatever?

Of course I have, I just can't seem to find a way of doing it that sounds right...

TrickyFiction · Oct 21, 2008

Skipping days or years like that is the perfect time to use telling instead of showing, I think.

Telstar · Oct 21, 2008

Alpha Echo said:
I don't skip around paragraph to paragraph. I just...if a few days pass between each chapter, I don't see what the big deal is. I don't think you need to tell the reader if the timeline isn't from day one directly to day two. I think that the readers are pretty smart, and no one's had any trouble following my stories.

If it's been weeks or months, then I'll say something like:

For the next few weeks...

Or, Months passed...

But if it's a day or two, I don't bother mentioning it usually.

Yes, that's why I said paragraph not chapter. Few days after a chapter break makes complete sense and do not confuse any reader.

Telstar · Oct 21, 2008

TrickyFiction said:
Skipping days or years like that is the perfect time to use telling instead of showing, I think.

Absolutely. When you need to condense the time and low-importance events, you tell them.

Pressing the fast-forward button...

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Who?

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I create people