Writing Excuses 20.22: The Lens of Time
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Jun 1, 2025 Time serves as a dynamic lens in storytelling, shaping characters and narratives in profound ways. The discussion covers techniques like flashbacks and sensory shifts that enhance emotional impact. Listeners learn how timing influences character behavior, builds tension, and deepens engagement. Practical examples highlight the manipulation of time in action scenes and quieter moments alike. A creative writing exercise challenges writers to rethink time settings in their scenes, sparking fresh insights for their storytelling.
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Time as Emotional Lens
- Time shapes character perception and story tension beyond just plot movement.
- Anticipation and flashbacks enrich the narrative by reflecting a character's internal reckoning with past and future.
Magnified Moments in Scenes
- Magnifying moments like fight scenes lets readers experience seconds as intense, prolonged events.
- Slowing time through detailed sensation and memory deepens engagement and heightens emotional impact.
Slow Time with Sensory Detail
- Slow scenes by focusing on the character's sensory experiences and memories.
- Choose the single most meaningful detail to highlight in slow moments to avoid bogging down the reader.
