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Time management in books
Aug. 23rd, 2009 12:29 pmOne thing that throws me out of books consistently is the inappropriate passage of time. Often it happens over food, like a meal where a conversation starts, there are few lines of dialogue which are clearly continuous and could only take few minutes, yet suddenly the meal (tea, coffee, whatever) is consumed and over. It doesn't take much to smooth it over ("They finished the meal in silence," "She got up, leaving her coffee untouched,"), but some writers just don't bother or can't envision it.
In the most recent case, in Flora's Dare by Ysabeau Wilce, the main character is at a nightclub, bemoaning the fact that the main band won't even come on stage before she has to be home for her curfew. The front band has just come on, so she's goes to the restroom where there's a bit of excitement with a squid tentacle, yet clearly not more than 10 minutes worth. Then she comes out and lo, the main band has started playing. Say what?!
Maybe she's going to explain the time discrepancy eventually, but I doubt it. I'll keep reading because it's sufficiently diverting, despite various annoyances, but it's another black mark.
In the most recent case, in Flora's Dare by Ysabeau Wilce, the main character is at a nightclub, bemoaning the fact that the main band won't even come on stage before she has to be home for her curfew. The front band has just come on, so she's goes to the restroom where there's a bit of excitement with a squid tentacle, yet clearly not more than 10 minutes worth. Then she comes out and lo, the main band has started playing. Say what?!
Maybe she's going to explain the time discrepancy eventually, but I doubt it. I'll keep reading because it's sufficiently diverting, despite various annoyances, but it's another black mark.
