Time and chronology

Event dates, elapsed time, overlapping action and nonlinear narration.

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• Your timeline doesn't add up

  The time claims conflict with one another; a consistent schedule can still allow too little time for an activity.

• The amount of time between events doesn't work

  An activity does not fit its allotted interval, even if all stated dates are mutually consistent.

• A character's age doesn't match the dates

  A time-dependent character fact needs arithmetic against a reference date, rather than a general profile discrepancy.

• Your reading order and chronological order are different

  The two orders differ intentionally or structurally; difference alone is not a contradictory timeline.

• Too many things are happening at the same time

  Overlapping activities need coordination across people and places, rather than a single interval being too short.

• Your fictional timeline has to fit around real dates

  External date anchors constrain the invented sequence; distinguish researched certainty from your own movable choices.