What are the common techniques for advancing time in a story?
A common technique is the use of flashbacks and flash - forwards. Flashbacks take the reader to an earlier time, which then when you return to the present, gives the sense of time having moved forward. Flash - forwards do the opposite, showing a future time briefly and then coming back to the current time in the story. Another is the passage of day and night. Repeated mentions of the sun setting and rising can show the progression of time.
Using a calendar or timekeeping device within the story can be a good way to advance time. For example, if the story mentions that a character checks their calendar and sees that a month has passed. Environmental changes are also a technique. A forest that was once full of greenery but is now covered in snow can imply the passage of seasons and thus time. And of course, character relationships can show time advancing. If two characters who were once enemies are now friends, it may mean a significant amount of time has passed for their relationship to change.
One technique is to have characters age. This can be a gradual process shown over the course of the story. For example, a character's hair turning grey over time. Another is to have the culture or society in the story change. If the story begins with a very traditional society and then later there are modern inventions and ideas, it means time has advanced. Also, using time - related phrases like 'in the days to come' or 'as time went by' can help in advancing time in a story.
