5 Tips on Writing Time Travel That Works
Before I set out to write a time travel novel for young adults, I’d mostly written literary nonfiction and fiction for adults. So I had a lot to learn. Here are some of the considerations I had to take into account while making the transition:
1. To outline or not to outline
It seemed logical to outline my story meticulously—after all, multiple timelines can make things complicated. But in my early drafts, I wanted to just see where the story took me, letting it take unexpected turns.
Initially, I envisioned a story about teen protagonist Elizabeth, struggling with gymnastics skills and questions about her heritage, finding in the past answers to her questions and dilemmas, then returning to the present with new confidence. But in the process of writing, my subconscious inserted a twist I didn’t see coming: Elizabeth’s time machine is stolen, leaving her stranded in 1929 and lending more suspense to my story—and forcing me to figure out how she was going to overcome this obstacle.
Following unplanned twists meant that I had a lot of work to do at the back end, but by then I was so committed to my story that it felt less like a chore. Here the search-and-replace feature on Word came in handy, allowing me to thoroughly and efficiently search for every reference to time travel and ensure consistency.
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2. Researching the historical backdrop
In historical writing, thorough research is essential for creating authentic detail and characters who embody the mindsets of that period. But one advantage of time travel is that characters from the present can bring a contemporary lens to history without committing the sin of anachronism.
While authenticity is important, the time travel writer’s research may therefore be less comprehensive than that of a writer recreating the point of view of a historical figure. A time traveling protagonist from the present will always react to his or her surroundings as an outsider, leaving room for imaginative takes on the past.
3. Finding appropriate sources
While biographies and historical tomes can be useful, I found that internet searches for advertisements, photographs, news articles, lists of slang, and fashion drawings were more helpful in recreating the time period. Sources like Wikipedia and Google, forbidden for more academic projects, became useful and relevant.
I also raided my daughter’s library for gymnast biographies, books about gymnastics history and female roles in science and sports across time periods, and other works pitched to young readers and/or non-specialist audiences.
4. Beginning the story
I tried different openings: en media res, beginning with Elizabeth’s first time jump; a mysterious prologue about her birth. These beginnings felt too disorienting. After reading multiple time travel stories, I noticed that it often took 50 to 100 pages to engage the reader in character and conflict and set up the time travel. Following this example allowed me to keep Elizabeth’s growth front and center rather than letting time travel take over the whole story.
5. Keeping the focus on the character arc
Initially, I allowed myself to go down rabbit holes of historical details, knowing I could rein those up and pick up the pace during the revision process. During that process, I focused on sharpening up structural elements, the conflicts, the rising action, the climax/turning points that highlight Elizabeth’s discoveries, growth, and change.
Writing my book was a long process—but it was also a lot of fun. What I learned will make the process of writing a sequel/spinoff easier—but I still lean toward exploring as I go and addressing in the revision process any issues that arise.
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