Dating your scenes?

ellisnation · Feb 1, 2009

I have a question about dates. I am going back and forth on this, so maybe someone can help. My WIP flashes back from present to past...alot. We start in the midst of the conflict and periodically flash into a memory that tells the history of the MC's and where the conflict began. This is told over a period of several years. Should I include a header with the date to make the transitions from present to past, and past back to present smoother for the reader?

Think The Notebook by Sparks.... the present is the smaller aspect of the story, very large portions of the past being retold, and then they come together in the end.

Thanks!

scarletpeaches · Feb 1, 2009

If it were me I'd probably do something masochistic like write the 'now' in present tense and the 'then' in past.

A simpler idea would be sectioning off each time zone in its own chapter and having "Chapter Fifteen: 1935" as the heading, or similar.

Eldritch · Feb 1, 2009

I'm glad you asked this question. I'm attempting to create a tale with a fair amount of family history that needs to be revealed. I'll be watching this thread to see what others suggest.

As a reader, I prefer the simple "put a date on it" method. That keeps things nice and clear for me.

MetalDog · Feb 1, 2009

I've done it like this:

Four
Sahara Desert, 1861

Five
M6, Wreay

If I was hopping about more, I'd put the date in the second indicator, but as it stands it's enough to let folks know they're back in the present. The reason I've avoided dating the present is because it was 2007 when I started the damn thing and I don't want to have to keep updating the year =D

Fullback · Feb 1, 2009

I would say that you can never be too clear or too obvious about time changes. Some readers will get lost no matter what you do.

I can appreciate what's going through your mind about it. I wrote something that had two stories, old and new, that connected at the ending. I decided on alternating chapters with clever segues, but I learned that no matter what you do, time changes are hard for writers and readers.

What time is it now?

funidream · Feb 1, 2009

If you think the dating the chapters adds to the readers understanding of the story, then why not just do it?

Stunted · Feb 1, 2009

To be honest, whenever I read a date, unless it's in the future, I just skip over it. Especially if it's fiction. So a reader like me might have a little trouble reading your story if the dates were absolutely essential. But if you can put them in such that people with a head for dates can appreciate them and stupid people like me don't have to worry about them, then that would be good.

MumblingSage · Feb 1, 2009

I've fallen in love with my WIPs before, but isn't that a little...much? And I don't suppose you can Dutch Treat, since most novels don't have deep wallets...

In all seriousness, dating at the beginning of the chapter (or section, if you must) is probably best. Clear, doesn't make up much space, and it also seems to be the method I've seen most authors do when hopping between times. Sometimes it pays to go with the crowd on things where reader understanding is important.

FennelGiraffe · Feb 1, 2009

Putting dates in headers is fine. It's helpful. But it doesn't remove the necessity for making the chronology clear in the text.

tehuti88 · Feb 1, 2009

I don't tend to switch back and forth in time in my stories, but since my prologues have often happened many years before the main story, I'll put the year at the top of the prologue (e. g., "September 1975"), then the year/date at the beginning of the first chapter (e. g., "July 1989" or "Present day"). Just seems easiest.

ellisnation · Feb 1, 2009

Thanks for all the feedback. I will go with the dates then. Maybe I can write it out like this, nineteen forty four, so it'll help my word count, hehe. J/K.

Dating your scenes?

ellisnation

Rhiannon Ellis

scarletpeaches

Eldritch

MetalDog

Woof!

Fullback

funidream

Stunted

Ich heiße Superphantastisch!

MumblingSage

Inarticulate Herb

FennelGiraffe

It's green they say

tehuti88

Mackinac Island Fanatic

ellisnation

Rhiannon Ellis