The Passage of Time

Flapdoodle · Feb 7, 2006

Hi folks,

How do you "skip time" in your stories? I want to jump two days or so...

What's the best way to start the passage after the two days jump?

"Two days later..."
"After two days of wibbling..."

Is it worth summarising the "two days" (I find this a bit journalistic, a bit naff.)

NeuroFizz · Feb 7, 2006

To me, it's best to work it into the story somehow.

"Two days, and the pain in Jimmy's head hadn't let up a bit."

The real danger of using a narrator to give a sterile time jump is making it sound like, "Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . ."

maestrowork · Feb 7, 2006

Either way is fine, just be brief and quick.

If those two days are not interesting, then don't mention it. A novel is not a journal, and even journals don't cover every day or minute of your life.

Other ways to note the passage of time:

"On Wednesday, Marcia decided to visit the bank again...."

"The days went by quickly..."

"The last forty-eight hours were a torture, but thank God it was Friday."

TheIT · Feb 7, 2006

The way I understand it, if nothing important happens story wise in those two days, don't describe them in detail. It'll bore the reader. UJ's usual example describes years passing in a sentence. The characters have lives outside the story. It's assumed they'll continue to do so.

Flapdoodle · Feb 7, 2006

maestrowork said:
Either way is fine, just be brief and quick.

If those two days are not interesting, then don't mention it. A novel is not a journal, and even journals don't cover every day or minute of your life.

Other ways to note the passage of time:

"On Wednesday, Marcia decided to visit the bank again...."

"The days went by quickly..."

"The last forty-eight hours were a torture, but thank God it was Friday."

Thanks (Both replies so far). I had a horrible moment when it all seemed totally wrong. Now you've convinced me it's OK to do what I've done!
Thanks again.

Shadow_Ferret · Feb 7, 2006

I've always liked,

A minute passed. After another minute, a minute passed. After another minute, another minute passed.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I just use phrases like:

The following morning...

That afternoon...

When he arrived at work...

When he arrived at his destination...

My writing's full of it. er, that, full of that kind of stuff.

badducky · Feb 7, 2006

A page break traditionally delineates a break in time, or at least an extra space in the manuscript. If you wish to type that into the manuscript, slap an extra space in there, and pretend like it's a new scene (since it is).Editors "lay-out" of books. Writers handle the copy, i.e. "lay-out" of manuscripts.

Manuscript grammar is a useful tool when we as writer's don't know the answer.

The Passage of Time

Flapdoodle

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Flapdoodle

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

badducky

No Time For Chitchat, Kemosabe.