Hi... hatrackers... I didn't know what to put as a subject, so I just left it pretty broad. Sorry. Anyways. The questions is sort of relative to the story, so I will try to fill you in as best I can, while keeping it short.
In my story, between part I and Part II, there is a 7 year jump. The reason; nothing happens for 7 years, but where it start is relevant. I'll explain. In the begining, a seven year old girl is doing magic, sort of discovering it for herself, and by a mistake... or a lot of them put together, her dad dies as an result (a consequence... get it?) So she is traumatized, cuz she thinks it's her fault and doesn't do anything for the next 7 years until she is forced (sort of) into doing magic again, and thats where the story picks up again, just before she has to do that. But in that seven year gap, she just stays at home all the time, helps with the house work, but doesnt say much, all her siblings left to live lives as their own... but you see? So, if I break the story there, put in a blank page that says "Part II or story II" or something... is that okay? I've not really come across something like that in the books that I have read, so I didnt know if it was... you know, kosher... do-able. So given the limited story I've told you, what do you guys think of that? Am I ok to do it? Thanksss in advance for all your help.
-leaf
[This message has been edited by Leaf II (edited October 17, 2005).]
Posted by BuffySquirrel (Member # 2780) on :
For me, a lot would depend on the length of the story. This kind of thing is, in my opinion, more doable in a novel-length piece than in a short.
Personally, I'd be tempted to start the story with the girl being forced to do magic at the age of fourteen, and work in the reasons why she's reluctant to do so as backstory. But your way would probably work well enough in a novel. Not, for me, in a short story.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
As long as you close the action in your first section/chapter/whatever, and nothing changes the status quo we've come to expect from that conclusion, then you're okay with skipping over any length of time.
By closing with her decision to never work magic again, you're pretty well preparing us for the time jump to when something happens to make her change her mind.
Posted by Leaf II (Member # 2924) on :
"As long as you close the action in your first section/chapter/whatever, and nothing changes the status quo we've come to expect from that conclusion, then you're okay with skipping over any length of time. By closing with her decision to never work magic again, you're pretty well preparing us for the time jump to when something happens to make her change her mind."
So what your saying is, as long as nothing significant happens, and she does no magic, and learns nothing about it in the 7 year gap, then you think it's all right. Am I right? Cuz I didn't completely understand.
and Yes, this is will be a novel. I'm not sure how long, but It will be a decent length, so...
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
My first question is:
How much time do you spend on the first section?
The reason I ask is that if that section amounts to little more than a chapter, perhaps it would work better as a prologue (whether a prologue is a good idea is another thread, and one that someone else already has going ), or should perhaps be woven into the story. This could be used to build conflict, especially if she feels responsible.
If the first part is a longer section, "Part I", "Part II", labels might be appropriate.
Posted by Leaf II (Member # 2924) on :
No, no, I think it is definately the story. Um... the first part is about 7 chapters, 15,000 words. There are other things that happen, in the begining when she is young, that are relevant and important. So that's the deal. I think, based on your non threatening replies, that it's not such a horrible thing to do. So... cool cool
Posted by Miriel (Member # 2719) on :
I'd also be sure, if you do this jump, to make the audience care very much about the MC in the first half, and to still have her be the same character in the second half. There's nothing more frustrating than getting into a story, and then feel like you're "starting over." A few weeks ago, I tried to read the book "Wicked." It did a somewhat similar thing -- spending a large chunk of time and then skipping ahead. I eventually stopped reading it. I felt like there was no plot, just incidents, and little from the first segment carried onto the second. Try to bind the two together as much as you can. Have other characters besides the MC be present in the second half. Have things that happen in the first half (besides the death of her father) also be significant and important later on. This will help the reader feel it was worth reading the first half, and worth the transition.
Posted by Leaf II (Member # 2924) on :
yay yay... Ok great, because that totally is what I was already doing, all the things you just said. So thats good. Thanks for all the help everyone. -___---leaf
edit: I just realized the book I'm currently reading does this, what I was asking about. It's called "Seventh Son" (and just fyi... this is like the 5th time I'm reading it, I'm not new to it) I just forgot.... So between chapter 5 and 6, theres like a 5 or 6 year gap where alvin grows from a baby to a young kid. So my story is kinda like that, although, of course different, because I am not writing seventh son pt. II ...but cool that I noticed that just now.
[This message has been edited by Leaf II (edited October 17, 2005).]
Posted by whiteboy (Member # 2652) on :
The problem I have with what you're saying is that nothing happens in seven years. Seven years is a long time. Something is going to happen. Whichever way her character changes, she needs to be developed in those seven years. She's not going to be the same person. The preteens are when children start to define themselves.
[This message has been edited by whiteboy (edited October 17, 2005).]
Posted by Leaf II (Member # 2924) on :
Shes traumatized though, she isn't doing anything. Just chores and housework. Sure she's doing stuff, living. But nothing relevant to the story. And I know you say don't start a story unless its at the point that things start to happen. It has to be there, the part I wrote so far. When it picks up again, the action happens seven years later.... she uses her magic again, her real parents come back, a real threat presents itself to the world, ect... But not for 7 years after the begining of the book happens. So....
Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :
For what it's worth, I just got done reading Stephen King's "On Writing." He talked about a story where the MC had trauma in his life and spent a year and a half doing not much. He had described that period in the MC's life for 2-3 pages. His wife read it and told him, "You don't need all this." He told her, "Yeah, but there was a year and a half of this guy's life that happened! He had to be doing SOMEthing!" She says back to him, "Yes, but you don't need to bore me with it, do you?"
Thus, the moral of the story is, you can sum up 7 years in a paragraph or so if need be. Keep your focus on the parts of her life that matter to the story. Don't bore the reader with the day-to-day stuff.
Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :
Precisely.
Keep your focus on the parts that matter to the story.
Posted by Leaf II (Member # 2924) on :
Thanks guys, for real.
-Leaf
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
Just to clarify, the most important thing is that "you close the action in your first section/chapter/whatever" before skipping time. That's a lot more important than any of the other things I mentioned.
By seeming to close the story somehow ("She swore on her father's grave that she'd never cast another spell.") you clearly signal that there will be a significant break of some kind in the narrative, that some major event will be required to restart the story. By doing it at the end of a narrative segment (like a chapter, or "book"), you signal that you will begin the next chapter with the event that resumes the story.
This doesn't force a time skip, it only means that the reader will be expecting the next chapter to begin with the reversal of the event that closed the story rather than with events immediately subsequent, which is the more usual expectation.
), or should perhaps be woven into the story. This could be used to build conflict, especially if she feels responsible.