Tag Archives: plot

WriteOwls

For our April “Learn to Write by Reading” challenge, we invited you to examine books in which the author used a non-linear plot structure. Now, apply what you learned to your own manuscript.

In a non-linear plot, chronological causation doesn’t determine the sequence of the narrative. Look at the book you read and determine what the author used, instead of time, as the causational chain. Brainstorm other elements that could be used to link one scene or segment to the next in your story. A linking element might be a character, a given setting, an inanimate object or maybe an event. Have fun as you play with the possibilities.

WriteOwls

For our April “Learn to Write by Reading” challenge, we invited you to examine books in which the author used a non-linear plot structure. Now, apply what you learned to your own manuscript.

Decide if re-ordering the sequence of scenes in your story would build the tension and drama better than using a linear approach. Notecards can be a fun way to test out this idea. Using one notecard per scene, write the title of each scene, along with a brief description of the scene’s major action, on the cards. Now lay the notecards out on your desk—or floor—arranging them based on increasing tension, rather than a linear progression. Can you make your story’s arc more dramatic that way? If the answer is yes, then a non-linear plot structure might be a better choice for your story.