Post by devilinthedetails on Aug 13, 2020 2:06:45 GMT 10
Lately I've found myself experimenting with the passage of time in my stories. This includes both flashbacks and memories of the past as well as large jumps into the future. Toying with time in this way has helped me expand the scope of my stories by allowing me to increase the space and the distance that one story can span, but it does require some different strategies with their own strengths and weaknesses to write. I thought it might be useful to have a thread for writers to share their strategies for moving stories forward and backward in time as needed.
Some strategies I've experimented in my own writing include:
-Framing flashbacks by neatly sandwiching them between two pieces of present action. This allows the story to flashback to the past to convey needed information or backstory but also keeps the story rooted in the present, but on the down side it can perhaps feel a bit formulaic and not every story lends itself to this framing technique. It is probably best when there is a clearcut beginning and end to the flashback, which lends itself to a sort of episodic telling of the flashback.
-Signaling a slip into a past event or memory with phrases like "he/she remembered" or "he/she recalled." I think the big advantages of this device are that it is straightforward and takes up very little narrative space with these sort of simple statements. The biggest risk I've found is that it can be a bit repetitious if those signal phrases are used too much in one story and it starts to seem as if that is only way the author knows how to communicate that an event took place in the past.
-Shifting tense to indicate that an event took place in the past or the future. I do like this technique because it can be subtle and smooth when done right, but I suppose the big risk is when done wrong it can be kind of clunky and awkward in its construction.
-Using transitions like "years later" and "long ago" to move the story forward or backward in time. Used effectively, I think these can be swift and straightforward ways to move the story forward or backward in time as needed. My big fear with these is only depending on them too much and beginning to make the story feel rushed or as if I'm too lazy to indicate the passage of time in any other way.
Ultimately, I suppose a balance between all these different techniques is helpful to me and trying to consider the merits of each one based on the story that I want to tell is the best path to success. However, I remain open to learning more techniques for conveying the passage of time in stories.
What are your thoughts on these type of strategies? Do you use them a lot in your own writing? Have you noticed any strengths and weaknesses with them? Do you have any other techniques that you have used before?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Some strategies I've experimented in my own writing include:
-Framing flashbacks by neatly sandwiching them between two pieces of present action. This allows the story to flashback to the past to convey needed information or backstory but also keeps the story rooted in the present, but on the down side it can perhaps feel a bit formulaic and not every story lends itself to this framing technique. It is probably best when there is a clearcut beginning and end to the flashback, which lends itself to a sort of episodic telling of the flashback.
-Signaling a slip into a past event or memory with phrases like "he/she remembered" or "he/she recalled." I think the big advantages of this device are that it is straightforward and takes up very little narrative space with these sort of simple statements. The biggest risk I've found is that it can be a bit repetitious if those signal phrases are used too much in one story and it starts to seem as if that is only way the author knows how to communicate that an event took place in the past.
-Shifting tense to indicate that an event took place in the past or the future. I do like this technique because it can be subtle and smooth when done right, but I suppose the big risk is when done wrong it can be kind of clunky and awkward in its construction.
-Using transitions like "years later" and "long ago" to move the story forward or backward in time. Used effectively, I think these can be swift and straightforward ways to move the story forward or backward in time as needed. My big fear with these is only depending on them too much and beginning to make the story feel rushed or as if I'm too lazy to indicate the passage of time in any other way.
Ultimately, I suppose a balance between all these different techniques is helpful to me and trying to consider the merits of each one based on the story that I want to tell is the best path to success. However, I remain open to learning more techniques for conveying the passage of time in stories.
What are your thoughts on these type of strategies? Do you use them a lot in your own writing? Have you noticed any strengths and weaknesses with them? Do you have any other techniques that you have used before?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!