Question about making the reader aware of timeline

[DeathAndTaxes]

So the story I'm working on now has a brief prologue that takes place 10 years before the events of the main plot line.

Do you think it's "cheating" to insert a line at the beginning of the prologue that says something like:

[City], [Country], [Year]

[Prologue text...]​

And then have another similar notation at the beginning of the story proper?

Or would it be preferable to just let the reader figure things out for themselves as other details are revealed by which they could deduce the current year and chronology of events? I mean, those details are going to come out later in the story anyway, but the reader won't have them right away otherwise, so it may take them a while to put the pieces together and understand that the prologue was 10 years earlier. This particular prologue is meant to be a teaser so that the reader will get to figure out as they go how it ties in to the rest of the plot.

Somehow I feel like this type of line denoting locale and date is a device used in movies, but I don't know if I like it for a story. What do you guys think?

 

[sr71plt]

The notation would be fine.

 

[xelliebabex]

I like being given a time stamp so to speak. As most of the other authors will say, its your story write it the way you envision it, Don't worry about anyone else.

 

[slyc_willie]

I've seen it used in quite a few novels and stories, mainly as a quick and easy way to place the setting in the mind of the reader. For instance, if you include a simple

Part One: Dallas, Texas
November, 1963

at the beginning of a story, it instantly tells the reader where and when the story takes place as well as providing a possible clue as to its content.

The same thing could be handled more creatively within the text of the story itself, of course. I've done it both ways. It works particularly well for me if I have a noteworthy event happen in the past that impacts the main story, which takes place in "our time."

 

[Saxon_Hart]

Another way might be to write your prologue, then when the main body starts, open with "Ten Years later..."

 

[patientlee]

Do whatever you need to do to keep the reader from having to backtrack to figure out what is going on.

 

[slyc_willie]

Another thought occurs to me, in that, how necessary is knowledge of the timeline to the reader? Obviously, we want things to flow linearly within a story, with one scene leading into the next. But some storytelling is done with an emphasis on the timeline. The Kiefer Sutherland show "24," for instance, keeps viewers on the edge of their seats by focusing constantly on the timeline. Same with "Helix" on the Sci-Fi channel, which keeps a sense of urgency by telling the audience, at the beginning of each episode, how many days have passed since the outbreak of a deadly virus.

I can't think of a literary work that has done the same, but if handled well, it could work out pretty nicely, I think.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I've seen it used in quite a few novels and stories, mainly as a quick and easy way to place the setting in the mind of the reader. For instance, if you include a simple

Part One: Dallas, Texas
November, 1963

at the beginning of a story, it instantly tells the reader where and when the story takes place as well as providing a possible clue as to its content.

The same thing could be handled more creatively within the text of the story itself, of course. I've done it both ways. It works particularly well for me if I have a noteworthy event happen in the past that impacts the main story, which takes place in "our time."

This works for me.

 

[PennLady]

It's not cheating. If you just wrote "It was 1963, in Dallas, Texas..." no one would think that was cheating. So I don't see why putting a time or setting notation would be. Go for it.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I've seen it used in quite a few novels and stories, mainly as a quick and easy way to place the setting in the mind of the reader. For instance, if you include a simple

Part One: Dallas, Texas
November, 1963

at the beginning of a story, it instantly tells the reader where and when the story takes place as well as providing a possible clue as to its content.

The same thing could be handled more creatively within the text of the story itself, of course. I've done it both ways. It works particularly well for me if I have a noteworthy event happen in the past that impacts the main story, which takes place in "our time."

Or on the other hand...

Prologue - Dallas, 1963

Prologue text...

* * Chicago, 1973 * *

Story text...

 

[slyc_willie]

Or on the other hand...

Prologue - Dallas, 1963

Prologue text...

* * Chicago, 1973 * *

Story text...

Yeah, I'm sure there are a dozen and more ways to do it. I wouldn't think it matters how it's done as long as similar delineations in the story followed the same format.

 

[Hypoxia]

I tried subtlety in long-time-span stories but I was TOO subtle. An editor pointed this out to me. Now I insert date stamps as needed.

 

[HeyAll]

Personally, I go with "10 years later" with the start of the story, and I don't label the prologue at the beginning.

In other words: I just do the prologue (if I use one), then in the next scene, it will begin by saying "10 years later."

But of course, there's no correct way. It's just a matter of opinion in the way that the format looks. As long as the reader clearly understands, the job is done.

Do you think it's "cheating" to insert a line at the beginning of the prologue that says something like:

[City], [Country], [Year]

[Prologue text...]

If you use the route of clearly labeling the scene, there's nothing cheating about it. Even big name quality movies do that. Big name authors do that too. Whatever works.

 

[DeathAndTaxes]

Hey thanks for so many responses so quickly! It really helps!

I think I may go with the time notation based in this feedback. I think you're right about not wanting to make the reader have to backtrack to figure anything out, or making them have to try too hard to figure it out based on clues in the narrative.

Appreciate the help!

 

[JKendallDane]

I've found that rather than a formal prologue, I prefer having a main character using a flashback memory to introduce an important earlier plot point to kick off a story.

Whatever method you decide on to bring up the past, it's important so you don't have readers going "WTF?" and trying to sort out timelines later along.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I started one story with "five years ago, the lady stepped out into the Tokyo nightlife."

I ditched the story, but I did like that first line

 

[Bramblethorn]

So the story I'm working on now has a brief prologue that takes place 10 years before the events of the main plot line.

Do you think it's "cheating" to insert a line at the beginning of the prologue that says something like:

[City], [Country], [Year]

[Prologue text...]​

And then have another similar notation at the beginning of the story proper?

Or would it be preferable to just let the reader figure things out for themselves as other details are revealed by which they could deduce the current year and chronology of events? I mean, those details are going to come out later in the story anyway, but the reader won't have them right away otherwise, so it may take them a while to put the pieces together and understand that the prologue was 10 years earlier.

Sometimes that's a good thing. Depending on the sort of story you're trying to tell, knowing the time and place may give your readers information that you don't want them to have.

For instance, I remember one show about WWI where the characters are about to go over the top to certain death, and then suddenly the guns stop. They start talking - is it a ceasefire? Is the war finally over? And only then does the dialogue establish that it's only 1917.

But unless you're aiming for that sort of effect, I think method #1 is fine.

 

[robertreams]

That's what I was thinkng. "Ten Years later:" But if you went the other way, with the date stamp, I think it would work better if you had several date stamps thoroughout rather than only on the prologue. Kind of use the date stamp to set the tone for the story.

 

[Hypoxia]

I think it would work better if you had several date stamps thoroughout rather than only on the prologue. Kind of use the date stamp to set the tone for the story.

Date- and location-stamping give a story an air of being reportorial, a narrative account of events, rather than 'mere' fiction. The author must decide if that's an effect they want.

 

[PennLady]

Date- and location-stamping give a story an air of being reportorial, a narrative account of events, rather than 'mere' fiction. The author must decide if that's an effect they want.

Now, see, I'd have to disagree with that, but perhaps it's just a personal thing. If I see a time/date stamp in a story, it doesn't strike me as particularly authoritative or non-fictional, just a cue for the reader. I wish I could cite something, but I know I've read stories that give that information and I just take it along with the rest.

And it depends, as so much does, on the story. If time and date are important to the plot, then the stamps would be a good way to keep the reader on track.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I've found that rather than a formal prologue, I prefer having a main character using a flashback memory to introduce an important earlier plot point to kick off a story.

Whatever method you decide on to bring up the past, it's important so you don't have readers going "WTF?" and trying to sort out timelines later along.

I forgot the first time I read this thread, but I've done it like this also. I have one story that takes place at three different points in time. I started in the present, then flashed back to the earliest incident. I then juxtaposed the first point against the second, and then returned to the present to conclude the story.

 

[DeeZire]

A creative way to time-stamp a story is with the scene details: iPhone 5s versus looking for a phone booth. Or the Miley Cyrus hit "Wrecking Ball" versus "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" had just reached number one on the charts, or G W Bush had just won the White House in a squeaker with Al Gore.

 

[Hypoxia]

A creative way to time-stamp a story is with the scene details: iPhone 5s versus looking for a phone booth.

I tried that in BRIDE OF KONG 03 where I used a Nokia 3g (2001) vs an iPhone (2014) as date indicators. My editor said that was just too subtle, and I agreed. So I date-stamped the whole series, which inhabits the period 1968-2014. Subtlety is fine for literature but not for erotica. Hit'em over the head or they just won't notice.

Or the Miley Cyrus hit "Wrecking Ball" versus "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" had just reached number one on the charts, or G W Bush had just won the White House in a squeaker with Al Gore.

Incorporating public events in period stories is good for setting atmosphere etc but again, maybe too subtle for many readers, especially younger ones, to make good time marks on their own. Why? Because many readers just won't know enough history for the references to mean anything by themselves. There's a whole generation that never knew MTV to play music videos.

 

[49greg]

I think there's several valid (IMHO) suggestions. So because I can't keep my yap shut or my hands off the keyboard I'll just butt in with my repetition of the suggestions from more knowledgeable people along with my useless opinion.

I like a timestamp, Nov 22, 1963, Dallas Tx. yadayada. Then: Present day. Yes it's in the movies but in books also.

I think the timestamp is more valuable if you skip around in time several times. If it's just the Prologue you could just start with the prologue and, as someone else suggested, start the main part with 'Present Day' or whatever.

I've used flashbacks - start out with a certain situation, have the main character thinking back to how he got there, then if it there is action beyond that you can take it further if you need to. Of course in that situation, with a character remembering back, you should probably be in first person. Which might not be ideal. I can't remember how I did it. And the continuing on has to be handled properly.