by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Keeping a timeline straight in a mystery can be a challenge. You have suspects giving alibis, victims being murdered, and other assorted chaos.
But timeline continuity is important for any writer. It’s easy to start out a chapter saying it’s Saturday and then twenty pages later, comment that the character, a banker, is at work the next day.
Careful reading during the editing process weeds this stuff out, but when you’re also trying to look out for other errors, it can be tedious.
As far as tips go, this is a pretty simple one, but it’s made a big difference for me. I go online and print out a blank calendar, like this one: https://www.wiki-calendar.com/blank-calendar.html . I like the ones that aren’t specific to year. Then I just jot things down on it as I go: Jim died on Monday. His funeral is the following Monday (preventing Jim from being buried the next day despite being a murder victim, which I’ve written in a draft before).
The nice thing is that it helps eliminate continuity errors as you’re working your way through the document.
If you’re one of those writers who’d rather not stop and make notations as you write, this also helps keep your timeline straight after your first draft is finished. Just print it out and fill it in as you read through the document.
Do you have any tips you’ve come across to make your writing life easier?
A Simple Tool to Prevent Timeline Continuity Errors: Share on XPhoto credit: Scouse Smurf on VisualHunt.com
Buried the next day would be a problem.
I’ve never created a timeline. Probably because I have no idea what my science fiction world uses to mark time!
That’s a good reason not to!
Hi Elizabeth – I can see the necessity of keeping a record … excellent tip. I always think of the children’s rhyme ‘Solomon Grundy’ – seems to come to mind too often! Cheers Hilary
Oh my goodness! I’d forgotten all about Solomon Grundy!! That just sent me on an amazing flashback…thank you.
Those are great tips on keeping a timeline straight. I write an outline of my chapters as I write and include the day of the week when the chapter takes place to keep my timeline straight.
That is a *very* organized way of doing it! I should note it on my own outline, but I don’t.
That’s a really good idea, Elizabeth! And it’s one I wouldn’t have thought of before. In fact, I could have used that with my most recent story. For some reason, the timeline was harder than it usually is, and a calendar would’ve helped. I’ll have to keep that in mind for next time!
Mysteries have such tricky timelines!
That’s a great idea! I could use all the help I can get. I’ve inadvertently changed seasons in a day during a story. Same for hair color, minor character names and traits…point is, I’m a train wreck. I can use all the tips and organization aids that I can get.
It’s easy to do! Hope it helps, Elizabeth. :)