Definition
Narrative time is the time span the story covers on the page, which may differ from story time (how long events would take in the fictional world). Scenes slow narrative time; summary speeds it up.
Example
A novel may cover twenty years of story time while spending fifty pages on a single afternoon through slow scene treatment.
Related terms
Common mistakes
- Confusing a fast-reading chapter with fast story time; they are not the same thing.
- Letting months pass in one sentence and then treating the next hour like a full day without signaling the shift.