Rachael Eyre's Blog - Posts Tagged "time-and-place"
Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...
Over the years I've gobbled many books. Good, bad and indifferent; modern and classic; gentle comedy and gory horror. I've loved some and hated others, but they've all helped me to understand what constitutes great writing. Rich characters, snappy dialogue and original plots depend upon one crucial thing: the ability to successfully convey to your reader what the heck is going on.
I don't know if this is a recent development, or if it's no longer being taught on creative writing courses, but I've noticed a rash of novels that leave you stranded amidst the where, when and who. Let's have a quick look at how this can be avoided.
You Are Here
I had an unsettling out of body experience recently. Don't call Mulder and Scully; I was reading the newest instalment in a long running series. Ambling along, I thought the ragtag crew of militia and dragons were in one place - only to be rudely informed that they were now mid flight, and somewhere else entirely!
I skipped back a page. Had I dozed off during this not-very-exciting episode? Nope: no matter how often I read it, there was nothing to indicate the characters were on the move, not even a throwaway reference.
Be fair to your readers. Just as you wouldn't dump a party guest in the middle of nowhere wearing a blindfold, don't leave your audience groping for a sense of place. Signpost every change of scene. You don't need lavish backdrops and yodelling extras every time; a simple "They walked to the station" or "He stopped by the office" will suffice.
Without these prompts, your reader will assume that Dave is still in the queue at the building society, so they will be justifiably startled if seconds later he's on board a cruise ship sipping a piña colada.
Hijacked by the Tardis
One of the biggest bonuses of writing is the unlimited budget. You can whisk readers away to exotic climes and use special effects that would reduce Spielberg to tears. Best of all, a book of four hundred pages can span as many years.
Unfortunately some authors are so engrossed in the story, they forget to throw such an important lifeline. We're not talking about Roman centurions high fiving, though that's bad enough. This is when a chapter begins in January and, without a word of notice, lurches into July; when the likeable side character you hoped would stick around dies tragically between chapters, with only a cursory mention.
If your story spans many years or, still more confusingly, see saws back and forth in time, have the courtesy to acknowledge the fact. Use stars, regardless of unsightliness, or head chapters with the year they take place. Don't be vague: "several months later" doesn't give the picture, while "five months to the day" does. You may have the timeline for your novel on your computer somewhere, but your reader isn't privy to such information.
Who's who
Creating a fictional world is a thrilling experience, and you can't blame an author for wanting to populate it with interesting people. Though a large cast of characters undoubtedly enhances a story, the writer can occasionally bite off more than they can chew.
If a story opens with a young girl beginning her freshman year at college, you don't expect the action to inexplicably switch to an African warlord, or an extreme sports fanatic in Iceland. Though there may be a common factor linking these disparate characters, this won't be immediately obvious to the reader. You need to show why these characters are here, and why they should care. Too many shifts will give them whiplash.
Another issue I've noticed: if a character has been introduced by one name, use that name throughout unless he has a reason to adopt an alias. Changing names mid story or using a previously unknown nickname confuses the reader. Have your character say, "My name's Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie," or something similar. Not only is this a defining trait (the tomboyish Charlie despises her "prissy" name), it can tip the reader off when something's not quite right (why is she suddenly answering to Charlotte when we know she hates it?)
I don't know if this is a recent development, or if it's no longer being taught on creative writing courses, but I've noticed a rash of novels that leave you stranded amidst the where, when and who. Let's have a quick look at how this can be avoided.
You Are Here
I had an unsettling out of body experience recently. Don't call Mulder and Scully; I was reading the newest instalment in a long running series. Ambling along, I thought the ragtag crew of militia and dragons were in one place - only to be rudely informed that they were now mid flight, and somewhere else entirely!
I skipped back a page. Had I dozed off during this not-very-exciting episode? Nope: no matter how often I read it, there was nothing to indicate the characters were on the move, not even a throwaway reference.
Be fair to your readers. Just as you wouldn't dump a party guest in the middle of nowhere wearing a blindfold, don't leave your audience groping for a sense of place. Signpost every change of scene. You don't need lavish backdrops and yodelling extras every time; a simple "They walked to the station" or "He stopped by the office" will suffice.
Without these prompts, your reader will assume that Dave is still in the queue at the building society, so they will be justifiably startled if seconds later he's on board a cruise ship sipping a piña colada.
Hijacked by the Tardis
One of the biggest bonuses of writing is the unlimited budget. You can whisk readers away to exotic climes and use special effects that would reduce Spielberg to tears. Best of all, a book of four hundred pages can span as many years.
Unfortunately some authors are so engrossed in the story, they forget to throw such an important lifeline. We're not talking about Roman centurions high fiving, though that's bad enough. This is when a chapter begins in January and, without a word of notice, lurches into July; when the likeable side character you hoped would stick around dies tragically between chapters, with only a cursory mention.
If your story spans many years or, still more confusingly, see saws back and forth in time, have the courtesy to acknowledge the fact. Use stars, regardless of unsightliness, or head chapters with the year they take place. Don't be vague: "several months later" doesn't give the picture, while "five months to the day" does. You may have the timeline for your novel on your computer somewhere, but your reader isn't privy to such information.
Who's who
Creating a fictional world is a thrilling experience, and you can't blame an author for wanting to populate it with interesting people. Though a large cast of characters undoubtedly enhances a story, the writer can occasionally bite off more than they can chew.
If a story opens with a young girl beginning her freshman year at college, you don't expect the action to inexplicably switch to an African warlord, or an extreme sports fanatic in Iceland. Though there may be a common factor linking these disparate characters, this won't be immediately obvious to the reader. You need to show why these characters are here, and why they should care. Too many shifts will give them whiplash.
Another issue I've noticed: if a character has been introduced by one name, use that name throughout unless he has a reason to adopt an alias. Changing names mid story or using a previously unknown nickname confuses the reader. Have your character say, "My name's Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie," or something similar. Not only is this a defining trait (the tomboyish Charlie despises her "prissy" name), it can tip the reader off when something's not quite right (why is she suddenly answering to Charlotte when we know she hates it?)
