⏰ Trapped in Time – 📝Writing Time Loops

I am a fan of books and films where characters get stuck in a time loop and are forced to relive the same moments.

My love of time loops probably stems from watching the movie Groundhog Day. I can still remember sitting on the sofa, shovelling popcorn into my mouth and watching that 1993 comedy with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It is a story of a man, Phil Connors, who lives the same day over and over again. Initially, he is a cynical and selfish weatherman, but by the end, after reliving the same day repeatedly, he begins to help and connect with others.

I love time loop stories because the characters get to learn from past mistakes, see the consequences of actions and immediately put that knowledge to good use.

Over the years I have read some great time loop stories:

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Every time Harry dies, he’s reborn into the same life.Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. The character relives the day of her death over and over again until she can rewrite her legacy. The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds. The character keeps reliving the moment his girlfriend dies.In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren.
Her character is stuck reliving the same Christmas holiday until she figures out what (and who) she really wants.

As I am in my speculative writing era, here are some things to think about if you are writing a time loop:

Time loops are not gimmicks. They are clever tools for character transformation. It took me a while to see this, but it is true. The time loop forces a character to change. The character isn’t in charge of the time loop and this is what makes it cool. The only control they have is their reaction to the loops and doing unpredictable things to find a way of breaking it. You need to think about what sort of transformation you want your character to have. Is the time loop a tool for helping your character process grief? Facing an emotional truth? Or fixing a broken relationship? Think about Groundhog Day and the transformation Phil Connors goes through.Make the repetition feel fresh. There is a real danger with time loops that readers will get bored of the repeated moments. Don’t replay full scenes unless something significant changes.Make your character relatable and interesting. The reader is going to go through a lot for this character.The stages of your character accepting they are in a time loop and getting out of it. 1. repetition / confusion. 2. Fun experimentation. 3. Frustration. 4. A new hope. 5. Resolution. Rules of the time loop are key. You need to establish these early on: when does the loop get reset (examples might include death, midnight, or a specific decision)? Who remembers the time loop? Is it just the main character, or are there others who also remember it? It’s all about the exit strategy. How does your character break the loop? This is so important. To break the loop do they need to have learned something about themselves? Have they decided to change themselves? Or have they decided to forgive? This goes back to the purpose of the time loop and the transformation it is giving to your character.

As a romance author here’s some of my thoughts on how we can use time loops:

Exploring -The One That Got Away.’ Fate gives your characters a second chance at a break up they never got over or a confession they need to have made. Love this! To let someone go. Think lost love or processing grief, perhaps. Yes please and I will bring my box of tissues. Forced proximity. Trapped with your ex in a time loop – yikes! This has great potential and the stakes are high if enemies to lovers. Choosing the wrong person. The time loop forces them to see the error of their ways. Yes, yes, yes!

Enjoy writing your time loops.