Timelines and Continuity

To ensure the events in our manuscript unfold in a way that makes sense and our characters evolve realistically, we’re developing a timeline that captures dates, key plot points, and pivotal character interactions.

The following exchange is one Ms. Lee and I had recently, and it helped us realize that while we had a general timeline in our head for our characters and their backstories, we probably needed to get a better handle on the specifics.

Ms. Melissa: How old is Liam again?

Ms. Lee: Molly’s Dad? I think he’s around 27?

Ms. Melissa: So if Molly is 15…

[I’m not a mental math girlie, so sadly out came the calculator]

…that means that Liam was 12 when he and his wife had her?

[Cue us laughing]

Ms. Lee: Uh oh, that’s not gonna work.

Ms. Melissa: Maybe we should switch the birth order of the siblings.

Ms. Lee: Yeah, we’ll need to do that. That could work well actually. I can see Ella as the youngest sibling.

Since this conversation, we’ve developed a date-driven timeline, one that we both update to keep current. This document is incredibly useful, and we now regularly check it to avoid continuity issues and ensure that our characters are developing in ways that make sense.

We also use this tool to help organize our plot. As past events are referenced and current events unfold in our manuscript, we want a way to check that the timing of these events makes sense. We want to be consistent with which characters know what information when and keep in mind past character interactions that will affect the story as it progresses.

Additionally, we’ve also started dating the notes from our many phone conversations. We found that as our story is evolving and we make changes to our plot and the characters’ arcs, it's easy to forget which of our discussions occurred most recently and, therefore, superseded previous ones. Dated notes keep our thinking current and our story timeline accurate.

Right now our timeline isn’t complicated; it’s just a Google doc with key events and details ordered by ascending date. It begins in 1906 and continues to the present. It includes dates for when characters are born or died, major milestones like marriages, flashback timing, and cornerstone plot points.

As we progress though, we’ll see if we need to adjust our format to more easily isolate dates related to specific characters or plot elements. We may also expand to incorporate more information about the history of our fictional world.

If other writers out there have effective tools for developing their timelines and ensuring manuscript continuity, please consider sharing them in the comments.

Regardless of format, our timeline is a definite must-have for our collaborative writing process.