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GlassPistol Since: Nov, 2010
#1: Feb 18th 2015 at 2:03:58 PM

I'm writing something now developing an alchemist character from young childhood, but this is making necessary long periods of barely anything but her studying.

How do you make this kind of thing interesting? I don't want to just jump forward a decade and have a character the reader knows nothing about, but there's only so much drama that can happen to a character who should have their nose in a book...

Kazeto Elementalist from somewhere in Europe. Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
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#2: Feb 18th 2015 at 2:51:11 PM

Any incident that changes people is bound to be interesting unless you don't know how to write, and without anything of that sort happening people don't change. So write those incidents, and skip the boring parts.

GlassPistol Since: Nov, 2010
#3: Feb 18th 2015 at 4:16:17 PM

Well then, I suppose I'll just skip past a lot of book learning and get to the point.

ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#4: Feb 18th 2015 at 5:31:47 PM

It might also be worth including incidents that reveal somewhat about the character, especially if the incidentes interesting in their own right.

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SabresEdge Show an affirming flame from a defense-in-depth Since: Oct, 2010
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#5: Feb 18th 2015 at 7:16:49 PM

Skip through most events, show some key ones. If you need to, take a page from the big screen and montage it up.

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GlassPistol Since: Nov, 2010
#6: Feb 18th 2015 at 9:44:08 PM

I had also had the idea to take some time in between skips to introduce some of the characters that will be important later.

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#7: Feb 18th 2015 at 9:49:39 PM

If nothing happens, make something happen. Small challenges to overcome through learning. Maybe there's something that stumps them and they have to over come it. Maybe an accident happens half-way through which will set up a Chekov'sGun later on in the story.

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SabresEdge Show an affirming flame from a defense-in-depth Since: Oct, 2010
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#8: Feb 18th 2015 at 9:55:59 PM

[up][up]I'd have thought that would've went without saying.

I mean, you've already indicated that some of the things to happen to your character in that period will be important. In which case, show, don't tell. Meetings with other characters, lessons learned, all of that—it'd be stupid to skip over them if they're important to the story, unless you have plans to go back and revisit them later.

Charlie Stross's cheerful, optimistic predictions for 2017, part one of three.
DoctorDiabolical So pure. Since: Mar, 2010
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#9: Feb 18th 2015 at 10:00:34 PM

Write a small snippet or two from the segments you're skipping. You don't have to go in depth and tell about the whole "learning" years, but don't underestimate the significance a short scene can have on atmosphere or character-development.

edited 18th Feb '15 10:01:21 PM by DoctorDiabolical

imadinosaur Since: Oct, 2011
#10: Feb 19th 2015 at 3:36:49 AM

[up]That's good advice.

And, yeah, the character's not just going to be studying, surely? She'll have friends who bring her snacks after she's pulled an all-nighter and crushes on other students and disagreements with her teachers and all that. Just because she 'should' have her nose in a book doesn't mean that she always will.

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