How to Master the Passage of Time in Fiction

We’re continuing our look at manipulating time in fiction. Be sure to read the other posts on the topic, beginning with this one.

Scene structure is an essential concept writers must grasp in order to construct solid, fluid novels. I chose that word fluid because I feel readers want something akin to a smooth read. And a smooth read is dependent on a masterful handling of the passage of time in fiction.

I don’t mean specifically a linear story in which every moment passes in time the same way. I mean the story being told is easy to follow because the scenes string together in a clear flow of time, each giving the sense of real time passing, right here, right now.

This may be a tricky concept for you to grasp, so bear with me a bit.

Novelists have to use creative ways of wording to show the tweaking of time. But scenes, essentially, are all about showing significant action happening in real time—the way time passes for us as we go through our lives.

The variable, however, is linked to the POV character who is experiencing and showing the scene through her eyes.

Time is All about Perception

Now, let’s take this whole concept and think about scene construction. Take a look at this definition of a scene that my author friend, Jordan Rosenfeld, gives in her book Make a Scene: “Scenes are capsules in which compelling characters undertake significant actions in a vivid and memorable way that allows the events to feel as though they are happening in real time.”

Did you notice her use of the phrase “real time”? Just what the heck is real time? Real to whom? I’ll explain in a moment.

In each scene in your novel, you cover a specific period of time. There is a starting point in time when the scene begins and a point when the scene ends. That scene might last for one minute or one hour of what I call “screen time.” If your character looked at his watch at the start of the scene, and then at the end, that’s the total screen time for him.

Why might it vary so much? Because whatever needs to take place in that scene does so via the perception of the POV character.

Let’s say you have a scene in which your hero is dangling by a rope over a cliff. The bad guys have shot him, and he’s bleeding profusely. The whole scene is his struggle to pull himself up onto the ledge and to safety.

You may feel as if that isn’t a whole scene. It certainly can be, if it has a beginning, middle, and end (which can, literally, be a cliffhanger). If you are not aware that your scenes need to be like mini novels, this is a good thing to learn. So long as a scene accomplishes its goal—to reveal an important element that moves the plot forward in a specific way—it doesn’t matter how much “actual” time passes in that scene. Actual, meaning “screen time” for your character.

It may take you more or less time than that to read the scene, but it’s not about you. It’s about the character.

And don’t put him in an elevator in space to foray into Einstein’s theory of relativity. Let’s just stay put on Earth for the moment.

So, you could have a rich, compelling scene that might even take ten long pages to show your hero pulling himself up onto a ledge covering maybe three minutes of real time. In another scene, three minutes may pass in the blink of an eye. It’s all about the character’s perception and what is happening to him.

However, it is very hard to create an efficient, effective scene if too much time passes and too many things happen that are not clearly built as a high moment. Scenes like that will feel pointless and will usually drag.

String Those Capsules Together

Playing with the sense of time passing is one of my favorite things to do in a novel. I love the way time flows and ebbs and stalls and rushes in my life. Time takes us on a wild ride, an erratic adventure through the ups and downs of existence. Time should be that way for your characters—and readers—as well.

But with that said, scenes need to be strung together as capsules of time, like a string of pearls, each unfolding the story and providing meaningful—important—information to help push the plot and characters forward in a compelling way.

It’s all about showing a scene playing out in real time. Readers do not want to be told what happens to the characters. They don’t want story summaries in the guise of scenes. They want to watch, in real time, what is happening to the character—but through the POV character’s eyes and perception. Once you really get that, you will discover how fun it is to manipulate time as you play out your plot.

Read novels by authors who really have this technique down and study just how they do it. Examine their scenes. Figure out just how much time seems to pass in each scene and whether it feels as if time is moving quickly or slowly. If you come across powerful scenes that really work, tear them apart and see why they work. Don’t just assume scenes will write themselves; trust me—they won’t.

Adjust the Pacing of Your Novel So It Reflects Real Life

What factors come into play when making decisions about time?  Genre plays a part, as does the position of a scene in a novel.

Fast-action suspense scenes speed up the closer they get to the climax. But you could have a suspenseful survival story, perhaps about someone cresting Mt. Everest or trying to tread water in a hurricane, that slows down to a grueling crawl in the scenes leading to the climax, but one that’s full of great tension.

Just because actual time is moving slowly to your character in a scene, that doesn’t mean the pacing or novel itself is dragging. Don’t get confused about that. Suspense and pacing are all tied up with the reader caring—worrying—about what will happen next to their beloved protagonist. That is what creates suspense, for the most part.

State of Mind Affects Perception

When we keep in mind that each scene in a novel is being experienced by a POV character from their perspective, the question to ask is, just what is her state of mind?

In true Rashamon style, we all witness the world around us differently. We could be on a street corner observing an accident alongside ten others, but we all might notice different things.

It reminds me of the joke about a group of people asked to look through various holes in a fence and describe what they see on the other side. Up against the fence is an elephant, but because each only sees a small portion of the elephant, the descriptions are completely different. One sees something long and wiggly like a hose and another sees a massive haunch the size of a door, and so on. What we see is determined by how we see.

And beyond that, when asked to interpret the intentions or meanings of things we see, we all color our interpretations of events through our personal experience and knowledge. A child seeing a man talking to another man on a street might think it a friendly conversation, whereas a woman from a dangerous neighborhood might immediately recognize a shakedown and bristle.

We bring with us our past and our baggage to every situation in life. A man who feels as if he’s been a victim his entire life is going to see everything with a victim mentality. His interpretation of a genuine kindness might be pity.

Time can be deliberately manipulated to bring out the perspective of the POV character and enhance the type of mood you the writer might want to achieve. But don’t randomly manipulate time. Choose the appropriate mind-set for your character for each scene.

So think about your characters. Are there moments in your novel when someone is waiting expectantly for something important to arrive or happen? Are there situations in which your character is slammed by an event that leaves him reeling, unable to process what is going on around him?

Look for those moments in your scenes, and play with the character’s perception of time.

Remember: slowing down time for a character does not equate to slowing down the novel’s pacing. Slowed time, when done well, adds tremendous tension, which keeps readers turning pages as fast as they can to find out how this tense situation will resolve.

Featured Photo by Djim Loic on Unsplash

Upcoming Master Classes!

Take your writing to a higher level by participating in an intimate master class (less than 10 writers). I’ve taught hundreds of writers online via Zoom in these intensive workshops. Here are some that will be coming up soon. If interested, click on the link to fill out an interest form. I’ll be in touch as dates and times get locked in. You’ll be submitting and critiquing and learning!

But first … a special event! Writing coach and author Katja Kaine and I will be teaching a 90-minute master class in character creation. If you think you know everything about crafting great fictional characters, you may be surprised! This is a deep and challenging skill to learn! Class will be held on March 26 at 9 a.m. Pacific, and all enrolled will get lifetime access to the recording. See event details and sign up HERE on Eventbrite.

Short-Story Master Class: This 5-week class will help you ramp up your writing mastery. Even if you don’t usually (or ever) write short stories, this short form is going to greatly help your long form (novella, novel). You’ll workshop a story the entire five weeks until it’s perfect (and learn what “perfect” looks like!). Fill out the interest form HERE.

Masterful Scene Writing and Revision: I’ll be offering this course again late spring (a bunch of writers just completed this course last month and it was terrific). You may be a good writer. Even a great one. But if you don’t know how to effectively revise your scenes, you won’t become the scene master you need to be for success! You’ll be submitting one scene for critique and then you’ll share your revision. You’ll learn a lot from your fellow writers by seeing both their comments and how they revise their own scenes! Fill out the interest form HERE.

There is still tiime to commit to one or more writing intensives in South Lake Tahoe this September. We will only book this if we get enough people and soon (before the house availability slips away!). There is nothing like writing at Lake Tahoe, with hands-on help. Here’s the form for that!

Hope to see you in one or more of these writing intensives!