StoryFlint is here to give you story templates and guides to plan your plot, characters, and world—so you can stop second-guessing and start writing. 👉 Articles, guides, Notion templates, and curated tools/resources for storytellers.
Stop Writing Every Scene (Most of Them Don’t Matter)
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​ Time Jumps: The Secret Weapon for Story PacingYour story isn’t a security camera. Stop recording every boring moment and start skipping ahead with purpose. Let’s talk about time jumps. They’re not just for sci-fi or shows with confusing timelines and string boards. They’re one of the best tools you have to tighten pacing, add emotional weight, and actually make your story readable. Too many writers feel stuck writing every breakfast, every walk, every Tuesday morning that adds absolutely nothing. Spoiler: Your audience doesn’t care what your protagonist had for lunch. A time jump is your permission slip to skip the fluff and get to the good stuff. But here’s the thing: A lazy time jump will break your story just as fast as overwriting will. So if you’re going to skip ahead, skip with style. What’s a Time Jump, Really?A time jump is simply moving forward in your story without showing every second that happened in between. It can be 30 minutes. It can be 30 years. The goal is to land on the next moment that actually matters. Used well, time jumps help you:
They’re not an excuse to dodge hard scenes—but they are how you avoid turning your story into a slow crawl through the mundane. Time Jump Rulebook1. Start Late, End EarlyDon’t ease into a scene. Don’t linger too long. Drop us in right before the punch. Leave right after the sting. Think the prologue in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The movie opens mid-chaos. You catch up fast because the action is already moving. Then the time jump happens before lingering too long in the past. 2. Drop a Clue Before You JumpLet your audience know a jump is coming. A line like “We’ll meet again next year” or a quiet moment packing a suitcase goes a long way. You’re setting an expectation that time will pass. That little prep makes the jump feel natural, not jarring. 3. Reorient After the JumpOnce you skip time, help the audience get their bearings:
One line of visual or emotional context is all you need: “The house looked smaller than he remembered.” That one sentence anchors us in both space and time. 4. Carry the Emotion ForwardThis is where most writers screw it up. Don’t end on heartbreak and jump to brunch. Whatever emotional weight existed before the jump—make sure it shows up after the jump. That’s what gives time skips impact. That’s what earns trust. Smart Ways to Show Time PassedForget “Three years later…” Try this instead:
Use your world to tell time. The more subtle it is, the more rewarding it is for your audience. What Not to Do
Get the Full Drill Down:Want to master time jumps without confusing your audience or breaking your plot? ​Read the full guide and examples here​ ​ – Kevin from StoryFlint ​ Check out these Recommended Creators:​ ​ |
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StoryFlint is here to give you story templates and guides to plan your plot, characters, and world—so you can stop second-guessing and start writing. 👉 Articles, guides, Notion templates, and curated tools/resources for storytellers.
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