While writing a book, there are many decisions that need to be made. One such decision is the time frame of the scenes and the story as a whole in the book. How long should each scene take and what amount of time should have passed between the scenes and by the end of the book? The answer to this question solely lies with the author. Different books have different time frames and it all depends on what the author wants to accomplish in the end.

Still, there are a few guiding factors that could help any author determine specific periods in every part. The most important factor to be considered is usually the type of story the author wants to write.

For short stories, the time frame cannot be too long since this may make the story feel rushed especially when important details are left out. Most short stories usually contain very few scenes and only occur within a short period. However, when creatively done, a short story can highlight important scenes over a long period when leaving out any unnecessary details. Ultimately, it all comes back to the reason for the story and the impact the author wants it to have in the end.

Biographies and autobiographies usually tell life stories of people and hence cover longer time spans. This can be either an obstacle or a blessing depending on how the author wants to write the book. The obstacle, in this case, is the crucial decision of choosing what to pick and include in the book and what to leave out. If the author wants to concentrate more on the main character’s career, they should slow the pace when they get to this part. Parts including the character’s family life or childhood should, therefore, contain lesser details and more attention should be given to work life. This means that the pace will slow down at the point where the author starts writing about the person’s career life.

While writing about other parts of the person’s life, there should be a connection and the minor parts should tie to the main parts. For instance, when writing about a business mogul consider including events and characteristics from childhood that helped the person become who they are. If every part is important and the author does not intend that one part should stand out more than others, then all aspects of the main character’s life should be included and developed equally.

In novels, the plot should seem natural and should cover every question the reader might have about the story. Scenes should be long enough to develop the story yet the writing should be focused to avoid lengthy and monotonous events that eventually result in the lack of engagement by the reader. Read as you write and see whether the story makes sense. You can always change what does not fit. Otherwise, you can have someone read the text for you and provide their opinion. Pace should always feel natural and the plot should fill all the gaps present in the book.