As I’m working out the story of my second novel, I’m facing the challenge of describing too many of events in the life of my protagonist. Relationships take time to develop, and the overall story requires these relationships. Relationships, especially between men, are forged through experience. But the main plot doesn’t need the events, just the strength of the relationships. These events are the logs in the furnace forging these friendships.
So, how do I achieve the perception of these relationships without dragging the reader through the repetitive sequences? If this were a film, a simple montage to a hit 80s song would suffice. Action shots and close ups of laughing camaraderie.
In literary form, brief but clear statements can be used to summarize events and move the reader forward in the story.
A possible application would be to say:
“As his season continued, Harley [the rookie in the story] and his team played through several more games over the following months. Their record remained perfect, but they saw glimpses of weakness which may be challenged and cost them the championship.”
Story told. Team plays together, and friendships can be assumed afterwards. Where before, Harley just talked a little with Jones, he may now be hanging out with him on a nightly basis after practices.
Thoughts and comments appreciated!