Writing Magazine

THE TROUBLE WITH TIME TRAVEL

One of science-fiction’s most fascinating and enduring tropes has always been that of time travel. The concept that we could leap forwards or backwards in the chronology opens up an almost unlimited number of story possibilities. I remember my younger self reading Ray Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder and being fascinated with the idea even then, that tiny changes in the dim and distant past could bring deep and unpleasant consequences to the present.

With all that in mind, to say that writing about time travel is easy would be a pretty wild claim – scientists have long speculated about whether the idea could ever emerge into reality, and many theoretical discussions have occurred over the years. And if you’re plotting to have your characters navigating timelines to be or gone by, here are a few tips to help you plot your path.

Plotting is pivotal

And on that topic, the old ‘plotter vs pantster’ debate arises once again. Of course neither

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