Timelines

[shadowgod]

Just an question on timelines and pacing of a story. How far is it ok to safely jump the timeline of a story ahead 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months? I ask becuase I am currently rewriting an older project (Failure of the Heart availible in sneek peaks) I always start the story when the characters first meet if by chance or what not . Then I have a bad habit of progress a story (if by force) through several months often with just one or two paragraphs explaining the advancement.

 

Is this bad? Should I use a full chapter to run through the missing time untill the drama of the story begins to unfold? Is there really any viable information missing in the missing time or do readers want to read about random events that happen in the missing months?

 

Any direction would be extremely helpfull

 

Steve

[Graeme]

With my first story, it was an almost a "wake-up to bed" account of each day for a period of time. The way I skipped ahead was to start a new chapter, and make a reference very quickly to the fact that there was missing time (eg. indicating that they'd had a quiet day and it was now time to get back to school).

 

I've got a similar situation with my current story. I need to jump forward at least a couple of months at some point to keep the story flowing. I'll almost certainly do the same thing as I describe above -- start a new chapter.

 

Within a single chapter, you can still quite happily jump ahead in time as long as it's clear to the reader that a break has occurred. It can be done narratively ("They spent the next two weeks just getting to know each other, doing the things that every new couple do as they learn more about this person that is fascinating them.") or with a section break (whatever convention you use) and a short comment indicating that time has past.

 

As long as it's clear to the reader, you won't have a problem. It's when you hide the jump by not making it clear (somehow) that you'll confuse people.

[DomLuka]

Go where the action is.

[dkstories]

Go where the action is.

 

Succinct and perfect advice!

[shadowgod]

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

I completely understand about making the time shift at the begining of a chapter. in an earlier version I had it in the middle of a chapter and it was messing everything up severly. I ended up cutting the chapter in two and hashing both halves into their own full fledged chapters.

 

Once again Thanks!

 

Steve