Lrs35 - Crying About Fictional Characters

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Guide: How to Skip Time in Your Story

Few stories take place during a short, unbroken chunk of time. Most stories take place in small chunks spread out over days, weeks, months, or years, which means there will be whole chunks of time not covered. So, how do you skip the time between those chunks?

Scenes and Chapters

With the exception of some very short fiction, most stories are broken into scenes, each of which encapsulates a particular moment or event. In longer fiction, like novellas and novels, related scenes can be grouped together into chapters, though sometimes a chapter contains only one scene. Either way, because scenes and chapters focus on particular moments or events, or a related group of moments or events, starting a new scene or chapter is a natural way to represent the passage of time in your story. In fact, unless otherwise stated, readers will naturally assume that time has passed between scenes and chapters–which doesn’t mean you don’t still have to make the transition between them.

The key to skipping time between scenes or chapters is to make the transition by doing two things:

1) Set up the time skip at the end of the scene or chapter by hinting at what is to come. For example:

As I gazed out the window at January’s first falling snow, I couldn’t help but wonder what the new year would bring.

2) Clarify time, place and (if necessary) POV at the beginning of the new scene or chapter, playing off of the set up from the previous scene or chapter.

The first week of January was over in a blink, and then I found myself back at school, dealing with all the problems I’d left behind during Christmas Break.

Notice how the set up at the end of the previous scene/chapter flows seamlessly into the scene transition at the beginning of the new scene/chapter?

Because the passage of time is expected between scenes and chapters, it’s not always necessary to be direct about how much time has passed. Especially if the amount of time passing is unimportant or already implied.

Direct:

Melinda finally dragged herself out of bed, painfully aware that her entire career hinged on her ability to pull this meeting off without a hitch. She hated the uncertainty of what lay ahead, hating even more the only thing she did know for certain: it was going to be one hell of a shitty day.

# # #

Two hours later, Melinda stood in front of the board, coffee in hand, trying to exude confidence she in no way truly felt. The tired, stoic faces of eleven other men and women gazed back at her, plainly ready for whatever it was she was about to unleash upon them. She only wished she felt as ready as they appeared to be.

Less Direct:

Melinda finally dragged herself out of bed, painfully aware that her entire career hinged on her ability to pull this meeting off without a hitch. She hated the uncertainty of what lay ahead, hating even more the only thing she did know for certain: it was going to be one hell of a shitty day.

# # #

All eleven faces of the other board members gazed back at Melinda, stoic and tired as she stood before them, coffee in hand, trying to exude a confidence she in now way truly felt. It was clear they were prepared for whatever she was about to unleash upon them, and she could only wish she was equally prepared.

In the second example, even though you don’t specifically say “two hours later,” it’s clear right away from the context that the time and place have changed. No one is going to read “all eleven faces of the other board members” and assume that they’re waiting for her in her bathroom as she goes in to brush her teeth the next morning. As often as possible, try to reserve the “two hours later” and “when she got back to the office” transitions for when the context would otherwise be unclear, or when those specific details (how much time has passed, a specific location) is immediately important. 

And, if no time is passing between two scenes or two chapters, you can make that clear via context. For example, if one scene ends with Melinda falling asleep and then being woken up by a loud knock at her door, the next scene could continue with something like “Heart pounding from the shock, Melinda jumped out of bed to see who was at her door.” Now it’s clear no time passed in the next scene. But, since a new situation is beginning, it still warrants being its own scene.

Expository Time Skip

Sometimes you need to show a quick glimpse of something that happened but which doesn’t really warrant its own scene or chapter. In this case, you may need to illustrate the time skip using exposition within the scene. It may look something like this:

The first week of January was over in a blink, and then I found myself back at school, dealing with all the problems I’d left behind during Christmas Break. Not the least of which was the newly formed rift between me and Kristina, who was glaring at me from across the hallway as I spun the combination on my locker that first day back. I’d done my best to ignore her, shoveling my million textbooks out of my book bag, doing a quick check of my hair–which somehow managed to be both wet and frizzy with static–before grabbing my biology books and hurrying off under Kristina’s cold glare.

Later that day, at lunch, Michelina and I decided to eat lunch outside, even though it was thirty degrees and still snowing. Despite the wintry chill, it was warmer than the cafeteria with Kristina’s angry gaze constantly searching us out.

Terms such as: later that day, two hours later, the next afternoon, the following day, by the time the bell rang, when it was time to close, etc., allow you to show that time has passed without transitioning to a new scene or chapter. This allows you to cover smaller moments/events that don’t warrant their own space.

Whether you use a scene transition between two scenes or two chapters to show the passing of time, or whether you clarify the time skip through exposition, just pay attention to where you leave your readers before the transition/clarification, and where you take them. Make sure it’s clear, flows well, and wouldn’t leave anyone confused. Do that and you should be in good shape. :)

rhinoplasty this buccal fat removal that for godssake watch a film produced in a country that isn’t the united states of america read a book read non-fiction learn to sew go to a pottery class go on a walk talk to old people look at medieval manuscripts do something interesting stop looking in the mirror so much someone will fuck you someone will love you and if not it doesn’t even matter that much but do something you don’t need botox you need to build muscle before you’re old and take care of your bones and take max 3 pictures of yourself per year

Some More Aesthetic Playlists for Writing

For when you’re running through the streets of a steampunk city

For when you’re gettin’ lit and plunderin’ ships with your rowdy pirate crew

For when you’re exploring the surface of a new planet

For when you’re in a southern, mystical Wuthering Heights™️ situation

For when you’re roaming the fog ridden streets of Victorian London

For when you’re traveling Europe by train with your college friends in the 1900s alternatively light academia

For when you’re on a space adventure with a fearless band of friends

For when you’re wandering through the palace gardens awaiting an arraigned marriage

For when you’re sailing on the high seas and your crew is singing some shanties to keep the spirits up

For when you’re walking through the streets of a big city and you can’t help feeling like there’s something magical running through your veins

For when you’re experiencing the Highs and lows of aristocratic life

For when you’re chilling with your cyborg friends at an android jazz club

For when you’re monster hunting in a small woodland town

For when you’re making your way through a bustling town and trying to take in the beauty and splendor

ok i saw ur why remus loves sirius post snd im gna need u to pretty pls do a why sirius loves remus post if u havent already <3 the longer the better <3 thank u for ur service

hi babe! thank you! sorry it took me a bit of time to get to this <3

breaking it down the way i broke down my answer abt sirius (as in, starting with when they're young)...i like to think that he was like. in love with remus by the time the train arrived on the first journey in 1971, but that sort of love at first sight is admittedly hard to defend/explain. however, i do think that remus was one of the first genuinely nice people sirius ever met in his life. james is a wonderful friend and peter is sweet but remus is a truly good person in a way that takes sirius aback a bit. also, i reckon remus being so quiet and reserved at first draws him (and platonically, james) in a bit. as in, remus seems like a nice boy. and sirius would like to hear him say more than about ten words maybe.

obviously as they become friends sirius finds that he is smart and brilliant and very funny without having to be a bit of an arse, like he and james are when they're young. he enjoys talking to him he enjoys spending time with him. and he really does think remus is sooo pretty and attractive too. he's kind of not but sirius doesnt know that. he likes remus' hair he likes his voice he wants to tell jokes to make remus smile. remus is attractive in a comfortable, familiar sort of way.

i also think sirius is at his best around remus, really. of course there are bits of him that become angry and jealous and overreact because of his feelings towards remus too, but especially when theyre young remus brings out a gentle, kind side of sirius that he really likes. and after they find out abt remus' condition that sort of serves to illuminate to sirius the fact that he would probably actually do anything for remus. he would do anything to help him or to make him smile or to make sure he's happy. not least because of how much he trusts remus + how remus is there for him concerning issues with his family and all that.

by about...age fifteen, perhaps? he adores remus. like its simple as that. all the things that might be sort of. uhhhh. lame or dull or a bit loserish about him...sirius finds soo endearing. there is nobody like him (you could walk outside and spot like six guys like him in roughly 30 seconds but again sirius doesn't get that). that partially fuels the sort of jealousy and anger that sirius can get a bit caught up in, but that's only because i think he is sooo constantly worried that remus will get fed up with him. i've said this b4 but he definitely thinks remus can do better and find someone a bit more emotionally mature. there comes a point strangely early on in their relationship where he just. wouldnt really know what he'd do without remus (considering he's already had a brief trial of that after the prank). it's like i said on the post about remus loving sirius...they are best friends. sirius has only had eyes for him since he was genuinely. eleven years old. he will always want to be around him. making remus smile is just as rewarding when he's twenty one or thirty six as it is when he's twelve. they keep each other together they're just absolutely unhinged that's just the bottom line :-(

guys it turns out if you wanna have fun and be a fun and interesting person you like have to fill your day with fun things and not just rotting in your room …… need a moment to process

i am a lover. but underneath that i'm a hater. and then underneath that i'm a lover again

scream it literally just occured to me that ronan didnt know about blue's kissing curse so imagine his reaction when he was literally getting murdered by the demon and gansey just. starts sucking face with blue

Mitski for Pitchfork // Richard Siken for TinHouse