Different writing formats requires various methods of allowing the reader/viewer to understand time passed.
One of the quickest ways to show time is or has passed is with transitional words such as meanwhile, after, soon, and later – this is only a small list.
Jim and I went fishing, later Jim worked at ...
Betty and Barb went shopping, meanwhile their husbands ...
Billy and Annie went to the movie then afterwards went to ...
Poetry can also use the transitional words as mentioned above.
Another quick way to transport your reader to a new time is to use "* * *" to separate your paragraphs. This can also be used to show scene changes. Of course, a chapter break is always a good indicator of time passage, also.
Screenplays and television scripts are a slightly different breed. Not being a screenwriter I can only rely on what I've been told.
Jill opens oven and slides a cake into it.
LATER
Angle in on the oven door and show smoke rolling out of it.
Another good way to demonstrate the passage of time is to use nature itself – the sun, for instance. There is sunrise, morning, daybreak, sunset, eventide, dusk and night, to name a few. For longer stretches of time, you could use moon phases, seasons, or months and weeks, even weather.
Gone was the snow, now small green sprouts ...
Last week had been terrible but I knew ...
Day was done, the rain had ended, the flowers had closed ...
Sometimes you can use a date/time stamp. We have all seen or heard Captain Kirk of "Star Trek" fame enter 'star date entries' into his Captain's Log. The same method can be used for your writing.
June 1, Tuesday. Detective Jones entered ...
2010.02.01:1225hrs. B'Nalcorth waited ...
Saturday. Judith knew ...
Even a speech can denote time–
Four score and seven years ago...
What are some of your ways to denote the passage of time?
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