This is K.M. Wyland and you are listening to the Helping Writers Podcast. I hope you enjoyed this

week's episode 14 tips for dealing with the passage of time in a story.

The passage of time in your story is in some ways what fiction is all about.

But for most authors in most stories, the passage of time won't necessarily be an

explicit consideration. If I asked you right now how much time it passes in

your latest story would you know off the top of your head?

Some of you well, particularly if your character is under a deadline of some sort.

But for many of us, if we know at all, we either have to consult our notes or tally it up on our fingers.

The story, as they say, simply takes as long as it takes.

In most stories, the passage of time won't be a major concern,

especially if your story's plot is tight and your scene structuring is cohesive,

readers will never stop to really consider what

dated is for your characters or exactly how many hours, days, months, or years have passed

since the beginning of the book. Even still, most authors will

eventually run into story situations in which a lengthy passage of time

needs to be indicated, dramatized, or skipped in order to keep the story

cogent and moving. Specifically, these are segments of the story in which the single most important factor is the passage of time.

The events that take place during this time may not be strictly necessary for moving the plot forward.

Indeed, little to nothing may happen during this time to entertain readers.

And yet, presumably, the fact that a certain amount of time has passed is crucial for both the realism of the plot and the development of the character.

Now, there are as many different... and the development of the character.

Now, there are as many different ways

...