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How do I fill time in my story?
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I am writing a short story, and I have some gaps in time I have to fill. In my story, a girl wants to go to a party later in the day, but there are a few hours in between the events. What could I put into the story so that I'm not just skipping through time?
plot
edited Aug 21 at 16:12
Craig Sefton
10.5k12252
asked Aug 21 at 16:01
user32795
8613
add a comment |Â
up vote
14
down vote
favorite
I am writing a short story, and I have some gaps in time I have to fill. In my story, a girl wants to go to a party later in the day, but there are a few hours in between the events. What could I put into the story so that I'm not just skipping through time?
plot
edited Aug 21 at 16:12
Craig Sefton
10.5k12252
asked Aug 21 at 16:01
user32795
8613
3
I recently read a book which was like “he got up, they talked for half a page about something that can be explained in an hour, suddenly it was becoming late so they went to bed.“ whatever you do, don't do that
– DonQuiKong
Aug 22 at 14:06
7
Stub in placeholders for the parts of your story where you feel like you need to stall for time. Write the rest of the story until you like it. Then just delete all the placeholders. I'm being a little silly, but this trick actually works! I've heard writers talk about put placeholders for scenes they're not interested in writing, and when they come back at the end of the first draft, they realize they don't need anything in most of the placeholders to begin with. But putting in placeholders let them move on with the story without feeling guilty.
– Kevin
Aug 22 at 17:49
add a comment |Â
up vote
14
down vote
favorite
up vote
14
down vote
favorite
I am writing a short story, and I have some gaps in time I have to fill. In my story, a girl wants to go to a party later in the day, but there are a few hours in between the events. What could I put into the story so that I'm not just skipping through time?
plot
edited Aug 21 at 16:12
Craig Sefton
10.5k12252
asked Aug 21 at 16:01
user32795
8613
I am writing a short story, and I have some gaps in time I have to fill. In my story, a girl wants to go to a party later in the day, but there are a few hours in between the events. What could I put into the story so that I'm not just skipping through time?
plot
edited Aug 21 at 16:12
Craig Sefton
10.5k12252
asked Aug 21 at 16:01
user32795
8613
edited Aug 21 at 16:12
Craig Sefton
10.5k12252
edited Aug 21 at 16:12
Craig Sefton
10.5k12252
edited Aug 21 at 16:12
Craig Sefton
10.5k12252
10.5k12252
asked Aug 21 at 16:01
user32795
8613
asked Aug 21 at 16:01
user32795
8613
asked Aug 21 at 16:01
user32795
8613
8613
3
I recently read a book which was like “he got up, they talked for half a page about something that can be explained in an hour, suddenly it was becoming late so they went to bed.“ whatever you do, don't do that
– DonQuiKong
Aug 22 at 14:06
7
Stub in placeholders for the parts of your story where you feel like you need to stall for time. Write the rest of the story until you like it. Then just delete all the placeholders. I'm being a little silly, but this trick actually works! I've heard writers talk about put placeholders for scenes they're not interested in writing, and when they come back at the end of the first draft, they realize they don't need anything in most of the placeholders to begin with. But putting in placeholders let them move on with the story without feeling guilty.
– Kevin
Aug 22 at 17:49
add a comment |Â
3
I recently read a book which was like “he got up, they talked for half a page about something that can be explained in an hour, suddenly it was becoming late so they went to bed.“ whatever you do, don't do that
– DonQuiKong
Aug 22 at 14:06
7
Stub in placeholders for the parts of your story where you feel like you need to stall for time. Write the rest of the story until you like it. Then just delete all the placeholders. I'm being a little silly, but this trick actually works! I've heard writers talk about put placeholders for scenes they're not interested in writing, and when they come back at the end of the first draft, they realize they don't need anything in most of the placeholders to begin with. But putting in placeholders let them move on with the story without feeling guilty.
– Kevin
Aug 22 at 17:49
3
3
I recently read a book which was like “he got up, they talked for half a page about something that can be explained in an hour, suddenly it was becoming late so they went to bed.“ whatever you do, don't do that
– DonQuiKong
Aug 22 at 14:06
I recently read a book which was like “he got up, they talked for half a page about something that can be explained in an hour, suddenly it was becoming late so they went to bed.“ whatever you do, don't do that
– DonQuiKong
Aug 22 at 14:06
7
7
Stub in placeholders for the parts of your story where you feel like you need to stall for time. Write the rest of the story until you like it. Then just delete all the placeholders. I'm being a little silly, but this trick actually works! I've heard writers talk about put placeholders for scenes they're not interested in writing, and when they come back at the end of the first draft, they realize they don't need anything in most of the placeholders to begin with. But putting in placeholders let them move on with the story without feeling guilty.
– Kevin
Aug 22 at 17:49
Stub in placeholders for the parts of your story where you feel like you need to stall for time. Write the rest of the story until you like it. Then just delete all the placeholders. I'm being a little silly, but this trick actually works! I've heard writers talk about put placeholders for scenes they're not interested in writing, and when they come back at the end of the first draft, they realize they don't need anything in most of the placeholders to begin with. But putting in placeholders let them move on with the story without feeling guilty.
– Kevin
Aug 22 at 17:49
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
up vote
40
down vote
Skipping through time is totally legitimate, and often the best choice.
You can just leap there:
"At 7:15--her mother's advice regarding the precise definition of "fashionably late"--she knocked on the door."
You can summarize the time:
"The rest of the day was filled with preparation, from an appointment with her mother's hairdresser to a near-tantrum at Macy's when the skirt that she had been eyeing for six weeks was suddenly sold out. But finally, at 7:15--her mother's...."
Or you could take an event from elsewhere in the story and insert it in the day, if that seems to work.
answered Aug 21 at 16:21
RamblingChicken
62615
2
I'll also go with summarizing the time. Not only you fill the gap without looking "cheap", but it can also help the reader notice how important is this party for the girl -if it's any important at all, i.e. -"She spent the next hours combining outfits, making her hair in as many different ways she could, putting on and rermoving makeup - everything had to be perfect that night"; or straight to the other way -"She spent the next hours stumbling around her bedroom, boring. She knew she had to be ready, but was it really worth it?".
– Josh Part
Aug 22 at 23:45
add a comment |Â
up vote
30
down vote
If it's not developing characters, or setting up a plot via foreshadowing or simple detail establishment, if there's nothing of interest to note and you yourself, the writer, think it's filler, don't include it.
Time skipping is better than time wasting
answered Aug 21 at 16:20
Matthew Dave
2,684425
add a comment |Â
up vote
10
down vote
You can use the time to point up how bored and/or nervous your protagonist is, but really you're torturing yourself writing boredom in detail and you're really torturing your readers by expecting them to read it. Skipping a large chunk of time and still showing the reader that it was torturous for the protagonist is simple:
"Something, something, not important.
'* * *'
"Six excruciatingly dull hours later [your character here] couldn't wait any longer..."
Or you can do some detail work about her preparations but again with the torturing thing.
answered Aug 21 at 18:28
Ash
3,246327
add a comment |Â
up vote
9
down vote
Why would you want to fill the gap? Either you have something interesting to say or you don't. But don't write something just for the sake of writting someting, it will be boring.
If you are looking for transition, just write something like: "The time to go to the party had arrived, ..." or "Five hours later, ...".
If you want to show that the time is passing slowly for the character, you can say that and then describe the attempts that the girl make it pass faster. I would recommand something like:
3h before the party, Girl decided to empty the trash.
2h55 before the party, the trash is empty, Girl decide to clean her room.
2h30 before the party, the room is clean. Girl is bored.
2h20 before the party, Girl notice a fly is buzzing around.
etc...
answered Aug 21 at 16:25
Noon
57518
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
40
down vote
Skipping through time is totally legitimate, and often the best choice.
You can just leap there:
"At 7:15--her mother's advice regarding the precise definition of "fashionably late"--she knocked on the door."
You can summarize the time:
"The rest of the day was filled with preparation, from an appointment with her mother's hairdresser to a near-tantrum at Macy's when the skirt that she had been eyeing for six weeks was suddenly sold out. But finally, at 7:15--her mother's...."
Or you could take an event from elsewhere in the story and insert it in the day, if that seems to work.
answered Aug 21 at 16:21
RamblingChicken
62615
2
I'll also go with summarizing the time. Not only you fill the gap without looking "cheap", but it can also help the reader notice how important is this party for the girl -if it's any important at all, i.e. -"She spent the next hours combining outfits, making her hair in as many different ways she could, putting on and rermoving makeup - everything had to be perfect that night"; or straight to the other way -"She spent the next hours stumbling around her bedroom, boring. She knew she had to be ready, but was it really worth it?".
– Josh Part
Aug 22 at 23:45
add a comment |Â
up vote
40
down vote
Skipping through time is totally legitimate, and often the best choice.
You can just leap there:
"At 7:15--her mother's advice regarding the precise definition of "fashionably late"--she knocked on the door."
You can summarize the time:
"The rest of the day was filled with preparation, from an appointment with her mother's hairdresser to a near-tantrum at Macy's when the skirt that she had been eyeing for six weeks was suddenly sold out. But finally, at 7:15--her mother's...."
Or you could take an event from elsewhere in the story and insert it in the day, if that seems to work.
answered Aug 21 at 16:21
RamblingChicken
62615
2
I'll also go with summarizing the time. Not only you fill the gap without looking "cheap", but it can also help the reader notice how important is this party for the girl -if it's any important at all, i.e. -"She spent the next hours combining outfits, making her hair in as many different ways she could, putting on and rermoving makeup - everything had to be perfect that night"; or straight to the other way -"She spent the next hours stumbling around her bedroom, boring. She knew she had to be ready, but was it really worth it?".
– Josh Part
Aug 22 at 23:45
add a comment |Â
up vote
40
down vote
up vote
40
down vote
Skipping through time is totally legitimate, and often the best choice.
You can just leap there:
"At 7:15--her mother's advice regarding the precise definition of "fashionably late"--she knocked on the door."
You can summarize the time:
"The rest of the day was filled with preparation, from an appointment with her mother's hairdresser to a near-tantrum at Macy's when the skirt that she had been eyeing for six weeks was suddenly sold out. But finally, at 7:15--her mother's...."
Or you could take an event from elsewhere in the story and insert it in the day, if that seems to work.
answered Aug 21 at 16:21
RamblingChicken
62615
Skipping through time is totally legitimate, and often the best choice.
You can just leap there:
"At 7:15--her mother's advice regarding the precise definition of "fashionably late"--she knocked on the door."
You can summarize the time:
"The rest of the day was filled with preparation, from an appointment with her mother's hairdresser to a near-tantrum at Macy's when the skirt that she had been eyeing for six weeks was suddenly sold out. But finally, at 7:15--her mother's...."
Or you could take an event from elsewhere in the story and insert it in the day, if that seems to work.
answered Aug 21 at 16:21
RamblingChicken
62615
answered Aug 21 at 16:21
RamblingChicken
62615
answered Aug 21 at 16:21
RamblingChicken
62615
answered Aug 21 at 16:21
RamblingChicken
62615
62615
2
I'll also go with summarizing the time. Not only you fill the gap without looking "cheap", but it can also help the reader notice how important is this party for the girl -if it's any important at all, i.e. -"She spent the next hours combining outfits, making her hair in as many different ways she could, putting on and rermoving makeup - everything had to be perfect that night"; or straight to the other way -"She spent the next hours stumbling around her bedroom, boring. She knew she had to be ready, but was it really worth it?".
– Josh Part
Aug 22 at 23:45
add a comment |Â
2
I'll also go with summarizing the time. Not only you fill the gap without looking "cheap", but it can also help the reader notice how important is this party for the girl -if it's any important at all, i.e. -"She spent the next hours combining outfits, making her hair in as many different ways she could, putting on and rermoving makeup - everything had to be perfect that night"; or straight to the other way -"She spent the next hours stumbling around her bedroom, boring. She knew she had to be ready, but was it really worth it?".
– Josh Part
Aug 22 at 23:45
2
2
I'll also go with summarizing the time. Not only you fill the gap without looking "cheap", but it can also help the reader notice how important is this party for the girl -if it's any important at all, i.e. -"She spent the next hours combining outfits, making her hair in as many different ways she could, putting on and rermoving makeup - everything had to be perfect that night"; or straight to the other way -"She spent the next hours stumbling around her bedroom, boring. She knew she had to be ready, but was it really worth it?".
– Josh Part
Aug 22 at 23:45
I'll also go with summarizing the time. Not only you fill the gap without looking "cheap", but it can also help the reader notice how important is this party for the girl -if it's any important at all, i.e. -"She spent the next hours combining outfits, making her hair in as many different ways she could, putting on and rermoving makeup - everything had to be perfect that night"; or straight to the other way -"She spent the next hours stumbling around her bedroom, boring. She knew she had to be ready, but was it really worth it?".
– Josh Part
Aug 22 at 23:45
add a comment |Â
up vote
30
down vote
If it's not developing characters, or setting up a plot via foreshadowing or simple detail establishment, if there's nothing of interest to note and you yourself, the writer, think it's filler, don't include it.
Time skipping is better than time wasting
answered Aug 21 at 16:20
Matthew Dave
2,684425
add a comment |Â
up vote
30
down vote
If it's not developing characters, or setting up a plot via foreshadowing or simple detail establishment, if there's nothing of interest to note and you yourself, the writer, think it's filler, don't include it.
Time skipping is better than time wasting
answered Aug 21 at 16:20
Matthew Dave
2,684425
add a comment |Â
up vote
30
down vote
up vote
30
down vote
If it's not developing characters, or setting up a plot via foreshadowing or simple detail establishment, if there's nothing of interest to note and you yourself, the writer, think it's filler, don't include it.
Time skipping is better than time wasting
answered Aug 21 at 16:20
Matthew Dave
2,684425
If it's not developing characters, or setting up a plot via foreshadowing or simple detail establishment, if there's nothing of interest to note and you yourself, the writer, think it's filler, don't include it.
Time skipping is better than time wasting
answered Aug 21 at 16:20
Matthew Dave
2,684425
answered Aug 21 at 16:20
Matthew Dave
2,684425
answered Aug 21 at 16:20
Matthew Dave
2,684425
answered Aug 21 at 16:20
Matthew Dave
2,684425
2,684425
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
10
down vote
You can use the time to point up how bored and/or nervous your protagonist is, but really you're torturing yourself writing boredom in detail and you're really torturing your readers by expecting them to read it. Skipping a large chunk of time and still showing the reader that it was torturous for the protagonist is simple:
"Something, something, not important.
'* * *'
"Six excruciatingly dull hours later [your character here] couldn't wait any longer..."
Or you can do some detail work about her preparations but again with the torturing thing.
answered Aug 21 at 18:28
Ash
3,246327
add a comment |Â
up vote
10
down vote
You can use the time to point up how bored and/or nervous your protagonist is, but really you're torturing yourself writing boredom in detail and you're really torturing your readers by expecting them to read it. Skipping a large chunk of time and still showing the reader that it was torturous for the protagonist is simple:
"Something, something, not important.
'* * *'
"Six excruciatingly dull hours later [your character here] couldn't wait any longer..."
Or you can do some detail work about her preparations but again with the torturing thing.
answered Aug 21 at 18:28
Ash
3,246327
add a comment |Â
up vote
10
down vote
up vote
10
down vote
You can use the time to point up how bored and/or nervous your protagonist is, but really you're torturing yourself writing boredom in detail and you're really torturing your readers by expecting them to read it. Skipping a large chunk of time and still showing the reader that it was torturous for the protagonist is simple:
"Something, something, not important.
'* * *'
"Six excruciatingly dull hours later [your character here] couldn't wait any longer..."
Or you can do some detail work about her preparations but again with the torturing thing.
answered Aug 21 at 18:28
Ash
3,246327
You can use the time to point up how bored and/or nervous your protagonist is, but really you're torturing yourself writing boredom in detail and you're really torturing your readers by expecting them to read it. Skipping a large chunk of time and still showing the reader that it was torturous for the protagonist is simple:
"Something, something, not important.
'* * *'
"Six excruciatingly dull hours later [your character here] couldn't wait any longer..."
Or you can do some detail work about her preparations but again with the torturing thing.
answered Aug 21 at 18:28
Ash
3,246327
answered Aug 21 at 18:28
Ash
3,246327
answered Aug 21 at 18:28
Ash
3,246327
answered Aug 21 at 18:28
Ash
3,246327
3,246327
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
9
down vote
Why would you want to fill the gap? Either you have something interesting to say or you don't. But don't write something just for the sake of writting someting, it will be boring.
If you are looking for transition, just write something like: "The time to go to the party had arrived, ..." or "Five hours later, ...".
If you want to show that the time is passing slowly for the character, you can say that and then describe the attempts that the girl make it pass faster. I would recommand something like:
3h before the party, Girl decided to empty the trash.
2h55 before the party, the trash is empty, Girl decide to clean her room.
2h30 before the party, the room is clean. Girl is bored.
2h20 before the party, Girl notice a fly is buzzing around.
etc...
answered Aug 21 at 16:25
Noon
57518
add a comment |Â
up vote
9
down vote
Why would you want to fill the gap? Either you have something interesting to say or you don't. But don't write something just for the sake of writting someting, it will be boring.
If you are looking for transition, just write something like: "The time to go to the party had arrived, ..." or "Five hours later, ...".
If you want to show that the time is passing slowly for the character, you can say that and then describe the attempts that the girl make it pass faster. I would recommand something like:
3h before the party, Girl decided to empty the trash.
2h55 before the party, the trash is empty, Girl decide to clean her room.
2h30 before the party, the room is clean. Girl is bored.
2h20 before the party, Girl notice a fly is buzzing around.
etc...
answered Aug 21 at 16:25
Noon
57518
add a comment |Â
up vote
9
down vote
up vote
9
down vote
Why would you want to fill the gap? Either you have something interesting to say or you don't. But don't write something just for the sake of writting someting, it will be boring.
If you are looking for transition, just write something like: "The time to go to the party had arrived, ..." or "Five hours later, ...".
If you want to show that the time is passing slowly for the character, you can say that and then describe the attempts that the girl make it pass faster. I would recommand something like:
3h before the party, Girl decided to empty the trash.
2h55 before the party, the trash is empty, Girl decide to clean her room.
2h30 before the party, the room is clean. Girl is bored.
2h20 before the party, Girl notice a fly is buzzing around.
etc...
answered Aug 21 at 16:25
Noon
57518
Why would you want to fill the gap? Either you have something interesting to say or you don't. But don't write something just for the sake of writting someting, it will be boring.
If you are looking for transition, just write something like: "The time to go to the party had arrived, ..." or "Five hours later, ...".
If you want to show that the time is passing slowly for the character, you can say that and then describe the attempts that the girl make it pass faster. I would recommand something like:
3h before the party, Girl decided to empty the trash.
2h55 before the party, the trash is empty, Girl decide to clean her room.
2h30 before the party, the room is clean. Girl is bored.
2h20 before the party, Girl notice a fly is buzzing around.
etc...
answered Aug 21 at 16:25
Noon
57518
answered Aug 21 at 16:25
Noon
57518
answered Aug 21 at 16:25
Noon
57518
answered Aug 21 at 16:25
Noon
57518
57518
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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3
I recently read a book which was like “he got up, they talked for half a page about something that can be explained in an hour, suddenly it was becoming late so they went to bed.“ whatever you do, don't do that
– DonQuiKong
Aug 22 at 14:06
7
Stub in placeholders for the parts of your story where you feel like you need to stall for time. Write the rest of the story until you like it. Then just delete all the placeholders. I'm being a little silly, but this trick actually works! I've heard writers talk about put placeholders for scenes they're not interested in writing, and when they come back at the end of the first draft, they realize they don't need anything in most of the placeholders to begin with. But putting in placeholders let them move on with the story without feeling guilty.
– Kevin
Aug 22 at 17:49