How to write a story that spans decades
I'm looking for techniques to write a fantasy story (A song of ice and fire style) but the problem is the duration of the story :
The first three years there are lot of plots, and betrayals.
After that a good lord rules the kingdom, in his reign nothing special happens, the plots against the king stop and everything is ok.
After his death the plots and betrayals resume
So the question is how can I skip the twenty years of his reign, mentioning just the important stuff without confusing readers?
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Start the thing in medias res, in mid-action. Then flash back. At least, that's what Aristotle advised in his Poetics. Although it is more than 2000 years old, it still has great advice for writers today.
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Use the first three years for Part I. Part II begins with the notation: Twenty years later...
Then use "flashback" scenes in Part II to catch the odd event of note that might have taken place between the two parts.
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Skip the peaceful period. If there's no conflict, there's nothing to write about. Go to "Part II" of your book.
Open with the characters having a party to celebrate two decades of peace. In the middle of the celebratory dinner, the bad guy drops a piano on the king, and the war is back on.
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