Time

It's May.

That's new.

So I thought I'd do something I've never done before. For the entire month of May, I'll be focusing on a single word per post: a word that I believe helps to create a writer.

Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I do. *wink*

Today's word?

Time

For very many reasons, writers need to have time. We need to have the time to sit down and get the words down on the page, and we need to have an understanding of multiple forms of time in which to write.

Here, three forms of time every writer needs to know, have, and understand:

1. Linear Time

This, essentially, is the flow of your story. It's the easy one. It's the time from chapter one to chapter fifty, the order in which the story will flow.

You probably see where I'm going here, but it is extremely vital that writers know how to construct linear time, and how to do it in a way that keeps the reader interested. We need to know what scenes will gain interest, what scenes will be boring and need chopping, and what order to list all of those scenes in.

The best way to do that? Well, that will be explained later on in the series. 

2. Chronological Time

Yes, this is different from linear time -- but not always. In many stories, the linear time and chronological time are the exact same thing. However, in many other stories, linear time does not follow the chronological pattern.

For instance, chapter one might be in the 1700's, but chapter two might then be in present day. They're not chronologically arranged, but they're set up for linear time.

In the mind of the writer, we have to keep these two things separated (especially when working with multiple timelines). We have to make sure everything flows both chronologically and linearly, because there will be readers out there who will go back and read only one timeline, and read it chronologically even if it wasn't linearly listed that way. 

3. Physical Time

This one is probably the most important. If you're going to write, you need to have the time to do so. If it's something that you're passionate about, something that you've been gifted with, then it is your God-given right to sit down and put something on paper. It's a privilege that we've been given, and it's important that we find enough physical time to sit down and cultivate it.


I sincerely hope that you will.

[love]

{Rani Divine}