What is the best way to develop a romantic relationship while skipping significant amounts of time?

[MasterValkyrie]

I never really ask for help, but this dilemma really has me stuck. My main character at the start of the story is twelve years old. During this time, she meets the person that will become her girlfriend in the future. The thing is, the story doesn't really progress until they turn 17, so I didn't want to spend a lot of time with them as kids.

Keep in mind, this story is branded as Fantasy/Action. So spending 20+ episodes on developing the romance between two characters just doesn't seem right. One idea I had was to skip a year every two chapters, so having them go from 12 to 17 in 10 or so chapters sounded about right.

What do y'all think? What type of things can I show to progress the relationship in such little time? Do y'all have better ideas for this type of situation?

[ninjashira]

A properly-done montage sequence of the two characters growing up together and interacting with each other (in both good and bad ways) can be a very effective way of indicating a growing and changing relationship and a passage of time.

[SleepingPoppy]

Is there anything important going on during the 12-17 years besides the development of the relationship? What's significant about any given period of time?

Frankly, if this isn't a romance story, and things don't "start" with the story until they're already dating at 17, why don't you just start wit them already together? You could also include short flash backs to some important moments (like meeting at 12), and otherwise, just show why they're a couple in the present.

The more the romance ties in with whatever the fantasy/action stuff is, the better, I think?

[thedude3445]

The rule of three. Show them in three significant moments, and show snapshots of their romantic progression in these three scenes. Audiences will be able to understand what has happened in the gap through context clues, and it'll work to develop them very well. You don't even have to make these scenes the crux of the episodes, either. Depending on the story you can probably show the entire 12-17 gap in just one or two episodes through selected scenes.

[glennsworldcomicz]

I agree with alot of the statements above mine.

You can also montage it through a page if you really want some kind of rapid progression. What I mean is:

• One page, four panels across, 16 panels in total
• every panel shows the progression of situations, either all the same or increasingly difficult for a journey.
• SAME: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, 4 different situations | TOP TO BOTTOM: show how trust develops differently over time.
• INCREASING DIFFICULTY: A journey of situations from simple to more trust inducing from the first panel to the last. - At first the characters CAN ignore one another but as you move further down the page, teamwork and trust must be forced a bit more.

Boom.... Montague trust sequence.

SKETCHFro!

[MasterValkyrie]

Overall, these are some really great ideas. I will have to do some storyboarding for each of these suggestions. I'll try and figure out what I think is best.

Frankly, if this isn't a romance story, and things don't "start" with the story until they're already dating at 17, why don't you just start with them already together?

Actually, the story starts with the main character in her hometown. It's raided by an enemy army and she is turned into a slave. Then she meets her love interest, who was a slave since birth. The whole raid lasts about 5 chapters in total. So the story has already started but it's slowed down once she's captured.

Is there anything important going on during the 12-17 years besides the development of the relationship? What's significant about any given period of time?

The characters are being taught the basics of the story's power system by a guard at the slave plantation. Other than that, nothing significant is really going on.

[glennsworldcomicz]

Then, sound like within each chapter you can introduce pages of "DEVELOPMENT" that can be OBSERVATIONS the reader will see and make the assumption that 'SOMETHING IS HAPPENING!!"

[SleepingPoppy]

The characters are being taught the basics of the story's power system by a guard at the slave plantation. Other than that, nothing significant is really going on.

Sounds like there should be opportunity to weave in some nice romance stuff along side the world building. Over all story boarding your ideas and seeing what works best sounds like a good plan!

It's hard to suggest specific examples of "moments" since it depends on the relationship and dynamics, but since the love interest has been there longer, theres at least an opportunity for a little "showing the ropes" stuff that might help establish an early connection.

Sounds like an interesting story!

[Kaydreamer]

A well-crafted montage would work, you could dedicate an episode to a few mini sequences of various things they got up to in their youth, which bought them closer together, leading up to the first kiss or something.

That said though, even if it's a fantasy/action, you don't need to shy away from romance. At all! For me, the depth of character interactions like that are what take an interesting story from being merely interesting, to being properly compelling.

I'm not going to shy off romance in my series, and it's sci-fi/fantasy/action. I'm just going to sprinkle it in all over the place, working it around the plot so that the people there for the action don't get bored.

[skyfarron]

Love is in the moment! Start wherever you want, just make sure to show how much they love one another.

[MasterValkyrie]

Then, sound like within each chapter you can introduce pages of "DEVELOPMENT" that can be OBSERVATIONS the reader will see and make the assumption that 'SOMETHING IS HAPPENING!!"

I see. I'll give it a shot.

theres at least an opportunity for a little "showing the ropes" stuff that might help establish an early connection.

I actually never thought about that type of situation. Orginally it was the guard's role to do that. But having the love interest do it, is a way better idea.