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Can any writers out there answer a question for me?

How do I go about transitioning from telling about a past event to telling about a more recent one in personal narritives? Can I simply use a transition like "Years later" and tell the experience/event?

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SerenitiesScars · 31-35, M

Honestly I simply believe that it's important to develop your own style... There's no such thing as proper/improper...

If all writers are the same then there's no point to studying/reading other styles...

Have your own. As long as your plot isn't horrifically stupid you should be good.

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SerenitiesScars · 31-35, M

Being a writer means it's up to your creativity... Just think of what feels like the story.. That's my specific writing style... I don't really write what I "Want" to write... Or what "Others" want to read... I write for the stories sake.. Whatever the story is.. It just comes to me.. I don't second guess it.. Don't question it...

However that doesn't mean I don't spend time thinking about it.. For instance in your case it's a perfect example. You know what you want.. And maybe it's not just coming to you right away.. So then I spend time thinking and thinking about it until it naturally does fit...

So I'd keep writing it next to what you got so far.. Different ways it could be said or done.. Until it just clicks with you and you know it's the one..

Cooper802Forever · 22-25, M

@SerenitiesScars yeah you're right, it's just this is due by the end of class tomorrow and ive been struggling Quite a bit

SerenitiesScars · 31-35, M

If it's something as simple as a class project then I wouldn't put too much thought into it..

IntenseCookie · 26-30, F

I'm not really an author but there's probably only so many ways to avoid "years later". I guess you could include dates or years at the beginning of the chapters to indicate when they happened.

Or at least find a creative way to say "years later". Like, "Thirteen* years had passed since whatever" or "That was thirteen years ago."

Maybe dialog between other characters. "Why are you making that face?"
"Oh, I was thinking about that thing from elementary school."

And hey, if it's obvious that there's a time lapse you might not need to clarify that at all? Butidunmo

Whatever flows best with your story. I wouldn't stress too much. You can always go back and fix it 😊

Cooper802Forever · 22-25, M

@IntenseCookie thanks, it's just this story's due tomorrow I just needed some help getting me started a bit. 😁

reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

I'm no writer but I'm thinking you could say "but that was a long time ago, now..."

SW-User

Could you give an example?

Cooper802Forever · 22-25, M

@SW-User well in my personal Narritive that I'm writing for a class im writing about the death of a friend. So i started out writing about an event happening prior to his death, it was a kinda cool moment i experienced when i was younger. And I'm done with it and I kinda just want to move to the day I heard of his death and everything.

SW-User

@Cooper802Forever How did you begin talking about this event? Could you provide the sentence that led to it?

nothingman · M

How about ,the river of time kept flowing until?

SteelHands · 61-69, M

Many dark and stormy nights later. ..

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