Blog Post One
The title “Blog Post One” gives me that super important feeling about this post, like it carries the burden of getting the message out there, similar to some form of Jumbo jet or something.
WordPress has been hosting my webpage for some time now, but I couldn’t get a nice page with little effort, so here I go; stepping into a Squarespace account to quickly make a professional-looking website.
I don’t plan on rehashing writing tips that others have provided, but if they helped me, they might also help you.
Certain events have happened to me over the last few months that have given me a little kick forward, so I’m getting busy now, writing the next trilogy as one giant book. I have to do it this way because the ramifications of time travel are causing a few headaches, and here’s why.
Time travel is one of the most fascinating and challenging elements to write in fiction. It opens up endless possibilities for plot twists, character arcs, and thematic depth but also presents a labyrinth of potential pitfalls. Crafting a coherent narrative that spans across different times requires a sharp imagination but also attention to detail, especially during the editing phase. Characters' motivations and decisions ripple across timelines. A single change in one scene can demand edits across the entire manuscript to align motivations, events, and outcomes.
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Why Editing is a Time Travel Writer's Best Friend
When writing time travel, your first draft is likely to resemble a tangled web of events and possibilities. Here's why editing becomes essential:
1. Reconciling Timelines
Mapping out every event chronologically, including how it changes in different iterations, helps ensure consistency. This process might involve creating a visual timeline or even multiple timelines if alternate realities are part of the story.
2. Closing Plot Holes
Did a character accidentally contradict themselves? Did a change in the past magically resolve a problem without proper explanation? Editing is your chance to smooth over these gaps.
3. Strengthening Rules of Time Travel
Readers may struggle to follow the story if your time travel mechanism is unclear. During edits, refine how the rules work. For example:
Can characters create new timelines, or is everything predestined?
How do changes to the timeline affect memories and records in the present or future?
4. Balancing Complexity
A good time travel story is complex enough to intrigue readers but not so convoluted that they lose interest. Use editing to simplify overly complicated plotlines or clarify key points.
5. Weaving Emotional Resonance
Beyond the mechanics of time travel, what emotional toll does it take on your characters? Editing allows you to highlight these moments—whether it's the heartbreak of losing someone across time or the joy of a second chance.
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Tips for Editing Time Travel Stories
1. Outline Every Timeline:
Before diving into edits, create an outline that tracks all events in every timeline. Use colours, charts, or software to keep it visual.
2. Start from the End:
If your ending hinges on specific events in the past, ensure the story logically builds toward them.
3. Beta Readers Are Key:
Time travel can make perfect sense in your head but confuse someone else. Fresh eyes can catch inconsistencies or moments that need more clarity.
4. Embrace Paradoxes (or Avoid Them Entirely):
Decide early if your story thrives on paradoxes or avoids them. If you embrace them, make them a central theme and not just plot holes disguised as clever twists.
5. Think Like a Reader:
Put yourself in the shoes of someone encountering the story for the first time. Does every twist land? Are the rules clear without over-explaining?
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The Reward of Getting It Right
Time travel stories are a challenge, but they're worth the effort. When done right, they can captivate readers with their blend of intellectual complexity and emotional depth. Editing timelines might feel like rewriting history (because it is!), but it's also a chance to shape a story that feels as timeless as the concept itself.
So, whether you're resolving paradoxes, polishing timelines, or making sure your characters don't accidentally undo their own existence, take heart: every minute spent perfecting your time travel story is an investment in creating a narrative readers won't soon forget.
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Even with all these points, the whole story is what I want to tell. So here goes…
