TECH: How to Tell Time (a moldy oldie!)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting Sept. 10, 2015

Writer's Digest, October 2002, on pages 18 and 19, had an article called How to Tell Time by Michael Orlofsky. The focus is on pacing, how the characters move through the plot, and the tempo of the plot. Unlike real life, in writing, time isn't really a straight line. We get to add peaks and troughs. In particular, those peaks are important, as little mini climaxes building up to the final one. But how do you control your time?

1. Scene and Narration. Scenes are one of the keys here. Scenes are basically "real-time" as far as the story goes. We get to watch the characters doing things in a setting, moment by moment. On the other hand, narration often condenses time and space, moving action and speech and information along.

2. Flashback versus linear flow. "One of the most used fiction techniques is the flashback." Jump out of the "present" of the story and into the past. Be aware that flashbacks delay the story line. Sometimes an overabundance of flashbacks means that you started the story in the wrong place, and you're having to rebuild the beginning through all these flashbacks. If it's really important for the character or the story, go back and start the story back then! Linear narratives, on the other hand, focus on the forward flow of a ticking clock.

3. Transition. "To me, the best approaches are the simplest ones -- short, introductory adverbial and prepositional phrases..." Meanwhile, in the summer, and so forth. White space, or sometimes *** or ###, also may indicate a scene or time change. Even the old ... can do the trick!

4. Verb tense. Past tense adds an obvious temporal distance to the story. Present tense makes things more immediate.

5. Sentence length. "Long, luxurious sentences and paragraphs slow the tempo of a passage. Conversely, short sentences quicken the pace and frequently produce a tense, staccato effect."... "Note the have been flow of the sentences: long ones to convey time passing; short ones for dramatic punch."

It's not in the article, but I was thinking that TV and movies often use the musical background to cue us in. A slow, violins playing romantic piece or perhaps a quick, bongo drumming background give us very different impressions. Similarly, our writing has a rhythm to it, built up of lots of little things. We need to pay attention to our pacing, to match the writing to the tension in the plot. Move quickly. Jump! Or just take our time and stroll along, enjoying the flowers in the sunshine?

Something to think about, anyway. And perhaps check during revision, to make sure the fast parts really are fast, and the slow ones take their time?