Writing Time skip after hiatus (and in general)?

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After coming back to my story after a long hiatus... I sort of feel like doing a time skip. Lots of reasons why. One part is just for the story itself I feel like it could benefit from just being jostling forward a little -- not a lot, since it's a story about someone's gradual and subtle growth over time, and I don't want to skip those aspects, but just like jumping ahead like a week or so -- and another part is because it's been a while since I worked on it at all because of depression and life issues, I feel a little disconnected from where I left off. I feel like a small timeskip will allow me to sort of eternally "soft reboot" my relationship and flow with the story. I also think for readers who were already reading the story, and went through the hiatus with me, a time skip might also offer that for them.

But thinking about the flow of the story as a binge experience, previously I was writing it with each progressive day being addressed. I did this intentionally, because "slow" is part of the story -- a slow life, slow progress, slow growth, etc. -- but also because it's a VRMMO story and I just think time on the internet, especially in games, is so compacted. A lot can happen and then you stop playing/step away from the computer and you realise, "oh that was only like two days of stuff". (Obvious example: how quickly people get worked up about and then move on from disc horses on the hell bird website :) ) So I feel like going from writing that way, then suddenly having a time skip might be jarring. IDK. :S

I guess as a general discussion point, how do you feel time skips should be utilised? Both dramatic time skips like the ones utilised in manga (Shippuden etc) where the time skip can almost be like a whole new "era" of the story, but also small time skips within the flow of the narrative like jumping forward days or weeks, or even months (thinking of Harry Potter, where, since each novel was a full calendar year, often times entire months would be skipped over). As writer, do you find yourself using time skips mostly as a writing tool to cope with "story lulls", or do you try to be very intentional with them? Or use them as "montage" devices? As a reader, how do you feel about them?

For myself, working under the assumption it's actually done well -- I understand why the TS in Naruto happened, for instance, but I found it jarring and wasn't a fan for more or less the same reasons I'm hesitant to implement one myself (the story had a certain pace and sense of chronology, and then it propelled forward in a way that felt sudden). I prefer stories that set a kind of flow and precedent for TS, like the aforementioned Harry Potter where the bulk of the story is just school and classes and it flows very naturally between "the big story events" and then handwaves the rest of the empty time.

As a personal discussion point, I guess I'd just like some thoughts and opinions.
 

Kotohood

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For me personally, I think time skips are okay but only after a satisfying conclusion of an ongoing arc or story. It's not something that should be use willy nilly.

In the context of Naruto, this would be the conclusion of Naruto's and Sasuke's childhood and the end to their rivalry arc. It was at this point where Naruto and the other cast learn that they have to grow up. And what do you get in shippuden? A grown teenager Naruto who is more competent than before.

This is accompanied with the fact that during this passage of time, things other than Naruto himself has changed. Things were different than before, characters have experience great growth(the konoha eleven and the village in general), but they remain mostly the same characters, just grown up. Naruto for me is a very good example of a well done time skip.

There are also the kind of time skips where things just gloss over. Example, One week later, one year later, during the past three months, etc etc. But these are not time skips per say imo but rather a fast forward of time. These are just to get past the boring parts or to.show that time is progressing within the story.

As a reader, I'm fine with time skips in general, but it needs to be within context and not come out of nowhere. There is also a need to make sure things are different but yet, remain the same. Cast need to show growth without being totally foreign to readers. This makes things very jarring for me as I need to re-adjust to the characters once more.

Sure you can show someone being totally different after a time skip, but it needs to make sense. It turns me away if things doesn't make sense.

These are just my two cents.
 

Phantomheart

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Time skips are completely fine, especially if the story is starting to feel dry on your end as the author. Usually, like how Koto remarked, it is best to place at the end of an arc. Subtle time skips over a period of chapters is great too, especially if you're like me and make an entire arc take place in a day and you have no idea what to do next. Taking time to also give your character's 'off time' or time to establish their skills of plans are great ways to implement time skips as well. Everyone likes that training arc!

But the most important thing is that you feel like you can still write the story. So if you feel as if the story can continue on with a time skip rather than ending the story on an unfinished note, then go for it! I probably should be considering the same for my pile of hiatus stories (whoops)

As a reader I rather enjoy subtle time skips with a quick explanation of what the character did during that time, even if it's just "nothing, I got nothing done" because honestly that is a mood.
 

Arkus86

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This is just my personal opinion as a reader, take from it what you will.
To me, I find that reading a slow paced novel like this, that describes each and every day, can get a bit tedious to read. Even if a lot happens in each day, when you realise how little time has actually passed, it feels like the story is not really going anywhere.
Of course it also depends on the particular novel, but generally I think that a time skip of a few days/weeks at most every now and then when appropriate is a good thing. As for longer time skips, I feel those should be used sparingly and only with a good reason, and include a recount the events of the time skipped, whether it be in a hinsight or as a fast-forward sequence.
 

Yiphen

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So I'm imagining this as "soft" time-skips and "hard" time skips.

"Soft" time skips are to skip over the mundane aspects of the story, and can be used whenever you feel like there isn't anything worthwhile currently happening. Aka no one wants to read the main character eat, sleep, use the restroom, walk, practice, etc unless it's adding something to the story.

"Hard" time skips are used to skip past a possibly important event and should be used in moderation, and only when there isn't any better way to do it. Like, if your character is about to fight someone but your story doesn't really focus on fighting, you can skip to the results. Basically, whenever the reader feels the interaction could be important, that time-skip I would consider "hard."

Note: Just skipping ahead a period of time I would not consider a "Hard" time-skip. As long as no events occur for the duration, that implies it was peaceful. There's no reason against them having a bit of "me time" to themselves. Time shouldn't even matter that much in a story. If you make a time skip and miss being able to develop a character, the readers won't know that. Only you would know that. You could probably skip ahead for multiple millennia as long as the context is right.
 
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