Introduction: Three Authors, Three Approaches

"The next morning, I went home."

"It was 11:59 PM when the alarm sounded."

"By spring, everything had changed."

Three different ways to transition time. Three different levels of precision. All from bestselling, award-winning authors.

The question: How do you know which approach is right for your novel?

To answer this, let's examine three mega-bestsellers that handle time very differently: Patricia Briggs' Moon Called (urban fantasy), Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain (thriller), and Neil Gaiman's American Gods (literary fantasy).

Each spans a different timeframe. Each uses different techniques. And each offers valuable lessons for your own writing.

The Spectrum of Time-Keeping in Fiction

Before we dive into specifics, understand that time-keeping in novels exists on a spectrum:

CASUAL ←→ STRICT

1. Casual: Time is tracked but not obsessively; hours and minutes aren't critical
2. Moderate: Time matters and is noted regularly but not constantly
3. Strict: Every scene is time-stamped; the clock is a story mechanism

Where your novel falls on this spectrum depends on:

1. Genre conventions (thrillers need precision; literary fiction can be loose)
2. Story timeline (days vs. months vs. years)
3. Plot mechanics (is there a ticking clock? A deadline?)
4. Narrative voice (close first-person vs. omniscient narrator)

Let's see how three masters handle this.

Patricia Briggs: The Casual Approach

Book: Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Timeline: Several days

POV: First-person, close

Approach: Casual time-keeping with narrator-announced transitions

Key Technique #1: Explicit Time Statements at Chapter Openings

Briggs' narrator, Mercy, explicitly states when time changes, almost always at the beginning of chapters.

Example pattern:

1. End of Chapter 5: Mercy falls asleep at a friend's house
2. Beginning of Chapter 6: "The next morning, I went home."

Why this works:

1. Clear and unambiguous
2. Matches the first-person voice (Mercy naturally thinks about time)
3. Keeps readers oriented without being intrusive
4. Feels conversational, not mechanical

Key Technique #2: Chapter Breaks Serve as the Transition

Briggs doesn't do anything special or elaborate. The chapter break itself is the transition.

Example:

What's happening:

1. Time has passed (sleep happened)
2. Location has changed (now she's on the street)
3. New action begins (getting food)
4. No elaborate transition needed—the chapter break does the work

The lesson: Don't overthink it. Sometimes a simple chapter break is all you need.

Key Technique #3: Time Precision When It Suits the Story

Briggs grounds readers in exact time when it matters, but lets time pass quickly when it doesn't.

Example (paraphrased from the novel):

"It was 7:30 when I arrived at the complex. The moon was already high in the navy sky, wreathed in smoky clouds."

[2,000-3,000 words of narrative, dialogue, and action]

"Two hours later, I sat at the edge of a loading bay. Dimitri hadn't arrived yet. The moon had turned pale."

What's happening here:

1. 7:30 was important - The author wanted us to know the specific time (probably for tracking the overall timeline)
2. The two hours weren't important - We didn't need to see those two hours play out; they're just narrative context
3. The transition happened casually - No section break, no chapter break, just "two hours later" embedded in the narrative

This is a casual transition. The story follows the character closely, told over her shoulder in first person. Time is important but flexible—tracked when useful, glossed over when not.

When to Use Briggs' Casual Approach:

✅ First-person or close third-person narratives

✅ Character-driven stories where the character's experience matters more than precise timing

✅ Stories spanning days to weeks

✅ Urban fantasy, contemporary fiction, romance - genres where exact time isn't a plot mechanism

✅ When you want a conversational, intimate feel

Michael Crichton: The Strict Approach

Book: The Andromeda Strain

Genre: Science Thriller

Timeline: Several days (but feels like hours)

Structure: Organized by days (Day 1, Day 2, etc.)

Approach: Regimented, precise time-keeping

Key Technique #1: Announce Time at the Beginning of Every Chapter or Section

For the first 60% of The Andromeda Strain, Crichton lets you know exactly what time it is, usually in the first sentence.

Why the first 60%? The setup and rising action involve a race against time. Once the immediate crisis is resolved, time becomes less critical and Crichton relaxes his precision.

Example pattern:

1. Chapter 12: "At 8:47 PM, Dr. Stone entered the lab..."
2. Chapter 13: "By 9:15 PM, the culture samples showed..."
3. Chapter 14: "At 9:52 PM, the alarm sounded..."

Every chapter or section = time stamp.

Key Technique #2: Fast-Follow Time with Setting Description

Crichton doesn't just announce the time—he immediately grounds you in the scene with sensory details.

The pattern:

1. Announce the time
2. Describe what the reader should see/feel/experience

Example (constructed from the novel's style):

"It was 8:30 PM. The moon was pale in the desert sky, casting long shadows across the military compound. Inside the lab, fluorescent lights hummed with a steady, mechanical drone."

Why this matters:

1. Announcing time alone isn't enough - You also need to ground the reader in the environment
2. Sensory details reinforce the time - Pale moon = nighttime, fluorescent lights = indoor workspace
3. The five senses create immersion - The reader isn't just told the time, they experience the moment

This is the pattern all three authors followed: Time announcement → Setting description

Key Technique #3: Chapter/Section Breaks Mark Significant Time Changes

When time shifts significantly—especially across the midnight boundary from one day to the next—Crichton uses structural breaks.

Example:

1. Chapter ends: 11:59 PM (Day 1)
2. [CHAPTER BREAK OR SECTION BREAK]
3. Next chapter begins: 12:01 AM (Day 2)

Even though only two minutes have passed, crossing into a new day gets a structural break because it's organizationally significant—the book is structured by days.

The Structured-by-Days Framework

The Andromeda Strain uses high-level day divisions:

Why this works for thrillers:

1. Creates urgency - "Day Four" implies time is running out
2. Helps readers track progress - We know how much time has passed overall
3. Builds tension - Each new day raises stakes
4. Organizes complex timelines - Multiple plot threads stay coordinated

When to Use Crichton's Strict Approach:

✅ Thrillers and suspense novels with ticking clocks

✅ Stories where time is a plot mechanism (deadline, countdown, race against time)

✅ Multiple POV with simultaneous action - precision prevents confusion

✅ Science fiction with technical complexity - clear time stamps help readers follow intricate plots

✅ When you want to create urgency and tension through time pressure

Neil Gaiman: The Epic Scope Approach

Book: American Gods

Genre: Literary Fantasy

Timeline: Several months

Approach: Broad strokes with seasonal/monthly markers

Key Technique #1: Chapter Breaks Mark Major Time Passages

When the story jumps from December to January—a full month—Gaiman uses a chapter break.

Example pattern:

1. Chapter 8 ends: Events in December
2. [CHAPTER BREAK]
3. Chapter 9 begins: "January came with freezing rain..."

What's significant: Even though Gaiman's time scale is much larger (months instead of hours), he uses the same technique as Briggs and Crichton: chapter breaks signal time transitions.

The lesson: The technique works regardless of scale. Whether you're jumping two hours or two months, chapter breaks effectively signal "time has passed."

Key Technique #2: Time Markers at Chapter Beginnings

Like Briggs and Crichton, Gaiman always lets you know when you are, usually near the beginning of chapters.

The difference: Instead of "It was 7:30 PM," Gaiman uses broader markers:

1. "It was Christmas Day when..."
2. "The day after Christmas..."
3. "By the time spring arrived..."
4. "Three weeks later..."

Why this works for epic scope stories:

1. Clock time is irrelevant - Does it matter if it's 3 PM or 5 PM? Not really.
2. Calendar time matters - Seasons, months, holidays provide context
3. Emotional/thematic time matters - "The longest night" carries more weight than "11:47 PM"
4. The journey is more important than the hour - We're following a character over months; specific times would feel pedantic

Key Technique #3: Consistent Pattern Across Long Timelines

Even though American Gods spans months, Gaiman maintains the same discipline:

1. Always orient the reader (we know when we are)
2. Use structural breaks for major time shifts (chapter breaks = time jumps)
3. Fast-follow time with setting/atmosphere (seasonal descriptions, weather, environmental changes)

Example (paraphrased):

"It was late January, and the snow had turned to gray slush on the streets of Wisconsin. Shadow walked with his hands deep in his pockets, his breath fogging in the frigid air."

Time + Setting = Reader orientation

When to Use Gaiman's Epic Scope Approach:

✅ Stories spanning months or years

✅ Literary fiction where atmosphere and theme matter more than precision

✅ Epic fantasy with grand timelines

✅ Character journeys that emphasize transformation over specific events

✅ When seasonal or cyclical time matters thematically

The Common Patterns: What All Three Do

Despite their different approaches, Briggs, Crichton, and Gaiman share fundamental techniques:

Universal Pattern #1: Always Announce Time When It Changes

Every single one of these bestselling authors lets readers know when time has changed, usually at or near the beginning of the new chapter or section.

The variations:

1. Crichton: "At 8:47 PM..."
2. Briggs: "The next morning..."
3. Gaiman: "By January..."

The principle: Keep readers oriented. They should never have to wonder or guess what time it is.

Universal Pattern #2: Chapter/Section Breaks = Time Transitions

All three use structural breaks (chapters or sections) to mark time passages.

The rule holds regardless of:

1. How much time passes (two hours or two months)
2. What genre you're writing
3. What POV you're using
4. How strict or casual your time-keeping is

Chapter breaks are the universal signal for: "Time has changed."

Universal Pattern #3: Fast-Follow Time with Setting Description

After announcing the time, all three authors immediately describe the setting.

The formula:

1. Time announcement
2. One to two sentences of setting description using sensory details

Why both elements matter:

1. Time alone = Abstract information
2. Setting alone = Pretty but unanchored
3. Time + Setting = Grounded, immersive scene opening

Example of just time: "It was 8:30 PM."

[Then what? Where are we? What does it look like?]

Example of just setting: "The moon was pale in the sky."

[Okay, but what time is it? Night, obviously, but when in the story?]

Example of time + setting: "It was 8:30 PM. The moon was pale in the desert sky, casting long shadows across the compound."

[Perfect. We know when and where we are. We're grounded.]

Choosing Your Approach: Which Author Should You Emulate?

Ask yourself these questions:

Question 1: What's Your Story Timeline?

1. Hours to days? → Consider Crichton's strict approach
2. Days to weeks? → Consider Briggs' casual approach
3. Weeks to months/years? → Consider Gaiman's epic approach

Question 2: Is Time a Plot Mechanism?

1. Yes, there's a ticking clock/deadline → Use strict time-keeping (Crichton)
2. No, but time progression matters → Use casual time-keeping (Briggs)
3. Time is thematic, not mechanical → Use broad time markers (Gaiman)

Question 3: What's Your Genre?

1. Thriller/Suspense → Strict (every minute counts)
2. Mystery → Moderate to strict (timeline matters for alibis, clues)
3. Urban Fantasy/Contemporary → Casual to moderate
4. Epic Fantasy/Literary → Casual to broad
5. Romance → Casual (unless there's a time-specific plot element)

Question 4: What's Your POV?

1. Close first-person → Casual (Briggs style) feels natural
2. Third-person limited → Flexible; can go casual or strict
3. Multiple POV → Strict helps coordinate timelines
4. Omniscient → Broad strokes work well

Practical Exercise: Analyze Your Manuscript's Time Approach

Open your work-in-progress and evaluate:

Step 1: Identify Your Current Approach

Go through your first 5 chapters and note:

1. How often do you mention specific times?
2. Do you use exact times (8:30 PM) or general times (morning, evening)?
3. How much time passes between chapters?
4. Do you announce time changes explicitly?

Step 2: Match Your Approach to Your Story

Ask:

1. Does my time-keeping match my genre?
2. Is my precision level consistent throughout?
3. Am I too vague? (Readers confused about when things happen)
4. Am I too precise? (Constant time-stamps feel mechanical)

Step 3: Pick Your Model

Based on your answers:

1. If you need strict precision → Study Crichton's technique
2. If you need casual flexibility → Study Briggs' technique
3. If you need broad scope → Study Gaiman's technique

Step 4: Apply the Universal Patterns

Regardless of which approach you choose, implement:

1. ✅ Always announce time when it changes
2. ✅ Use chapter/section breaks for transitions
3. ✅ Fast-follow time with setting description

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Mixing Approaches Inconsistently

Problem: Chapter 1 is super precise ("8:42 AM"), Chapter 2 is vague ("sometime that afternoon"), Chapter 3 is back to precise.

Solution: Pick an approach and stick with it. Readers learn your pattern and trust it.

Mistake 2: No Time Announcements

Problem: Readers lose track of when events are happening.

Solution: Even in casual time-keeping, mark major time shifts. "The next day..." "That evening..." "Three hours later..."

Mistake 3: Time Announcements Without Setting

Problem: "It was 9 PM." [Then immediate dialogue with no grounding]

Solution: Always fast-follow with setting. "It was 9 PM. The office was dark except for Sarah's desk lamp."

Mistake 4: Wrong Approach for Your Genre

Problem: Writing a thriller with Gaiman's broad approach, or writing literary fiction with Crichton's precision.

Solution: Match your time-keeping to genre expectations and story needs.

Conclusion: Three Paths to the Same Goal

Briggs, Crichton, and Gaiman use different levels of precision, but they share the same goal: Keep readers oriented without pulling them out of the story.

1. Crichton says: "It's 8:47 PM—every second counts."
2. Briggs says: "It's morning—let's keep moving."
3. Gaiman says: "It's January—seasons are changing."

All three work. All three are "correct." The question isn't which is better, but which is right for your story.

The non-negotiables:

1. Always keep readers oriented
2. Announce time changes early in chapters/sections
3. Use structural breaks for transitions
4. Follow time with setting description
5. Be consistent in your approach

Master these principles, and your transitions will be seamless—whether you're tracking hours or years.

Coming up next: The Essential Rules for Writing Seamless Scene Transitions - where we'll break down the practical, step-by-step techniques for implementing what these masters do naturally.