- (Photo credit: SelenaAnne)
Basically, you can write a story in two ways: you can write front to
back (linear) or you can skip around (nonlinear). Both approaches have
their advantages and disadvantages.
The linear approach is probably what
first comes to mind for a writing strategy since you read a book in a
linear fashion. It may be necessary to write your scenes in order if
you are going without an outline. This approach can be a wonderful
way to let your story initially unfold.
Unfortunately, I think linear writers
are more prone to get stuck when they do not know what happens
next. Another drawback of linear writing is that when the story
takes a life of it own, the new characters or events or back story do
not have a foundation. It is important to remember that linear drafts
are not set in granite.
Nonlinear writers, when faced with the
dilemma of not knowing what comes next, are free to write a different
scene, earlier or later in the sequence of events. Nonlinear writers
also have an easier time rearranging scenes since they are less
susceptible to the belief that their scenes are set in stone.
On the other hand, scenes written out
of sequence are more likely to be out of harmony with one another
since the writer's perception may have changed drastically between
Scene 1 and Scene 2. And massive tweaks are still needed. Some
writers might find it even more difficult to go back and lay the
foundation for future developments because maybe not all the
foundation scenes are written yet.
You just need to find what works for
you.
