Episode Description

In this episode, Leslie and Clark critique the opening pages of Ceanmohrlass’s Me and My Bacon, a published YA novel. They discuss the passage of time, setting as it relates to the characters, and the characteristic moment.

Listen Now

Show Notes

“People are almost always aware of time in their daily lives—time of day or month or year; time in relation to a job or task that needs to be completed; time in terms of religious holidays or seasons; stages of life such as infancy or teenage years, school years, years of fertility, and old age; era, such as the Roaring Twenties or Regency England or the frontier years on Mordant Five; or time as it relates to anticipation of either a dreaded or an eagerly anticipated event. Readers stepping into a story world should also step into the time reality and expectations of that world, at least the reality of the major characters. At least of the viewpoint character.”

— Beth Hill

Editorial Mission - It's About Time!

Think about the different aspects of time in your story. Consider the setting: the year, time of year, time of day in which your story is set. Is this clear to the reader at the outset? How could you make it more evident without telling? What details could you use? How much time passes over the course of your story? Within individual scenes? Have you conveyed this through your view point character? Track it on a calendar to be sure it all makes sense.

Do you want editorial missions sent directly to your inbox?
Sign up below to join the podcast club and you'll never miss an episode—or an editorial mission—from the Writership Podcast!