Linear writing vs non-linear writing

Shon85

I am having a debate with a friend of mine. He writes chapter by chapter. 1, then 2, then 3, then 4 and so on. I did the same at the start of my novel, I wrote chapter 1, 2, then 3. Then I had an idea for a future scene, and it was writing itself in my head, so I wrote it, and the following couple of scenes as they came to me. These are scenes that will be in the last third of the story. My friend thinks that this will distract me from what will happen in chapter 4, 5, etc. He said that writing non-linearly (is that even a word, or did I make that up?) messes up the thought process. I argued that I wanted to get it written while it was so strong in my mind, and that I can go back to the bit I was working on when I'm ready, and cut and paste the new scenes in when I get there. This isn't a bad way to write, is it? I'm sure there are lots of linear writers, and lots of non-linear writers, and there are pros and cons to both.

heather

Indeed. Horses for courses. If it works for you, do it.

Carol

You do what works for you.

I'm generally linear, though I might write out the basic bits of a later scene, once it's done I go back to where I was.

Shon85

That's what I'm doing. I've just finished writing out those scenes, and am about to go back to where I was before starting them. If anything, I think it's helped, because I know my story must lead to those scenes, so it will help me decide what to write as I move forward.

Liz

Sometimes i write the last line or verse of a poem and work towards it.

snailmale

I have a rolling draft of my novel currently 20k + long. When I have written something that is self contained,makes reasonable sense and is chronologically accurate, I copy it in to a folder and give it a chapter number, to be tarted up when the muse is upon me .

The rolling draft contains possible future scenes, some in note form, others quite developed, which may or may not appear in the finished work. Nothing is discarded because the ideas may well be useful in other projects, and the original draft will remain for the delight of future scholars at such time that my True Worth as a writer is finally recognised

datco2014

I'm all over the place I find it frees up the imagination stops me getting stuck and contriving to get from one scene to the next and means I don't need to write much filler stuff.

Of course we're all different but I wrote 5000 words today across 4 different sections of my current project. If I was trying to write linearly I'd probably have managed about 500. Of course come my first rewrite I'll probably bin about half of them but that's writing!!

Lizy

For the first time in years, the novel I'm now working on has a plan from start to finish. Whether that will change as I progress remains to be seen.

Previous books I wrote in linear fashion, only to change things radically over several rewrites.

Therefore I clearly have a flibbertigibbet mind and no set pattern of working.

Which doesn't help you at all. I think the answer is that there is no 'bad' way of writing - do what you feel comfortable with.

dora

Hear hear, Lizy.

Doglover

Do whatever feels right for you. I once wrote in non-linear and wrote an emotional scene between my two characters that was later discarded as I continued to write the story. However, I'm tempted to write non-linear again as something that happens later in the story won't leave my brain. I know that at the moment my two characters are working towards this scene; however, I know they don't always do what I tell them to and it may change later.

Carol

Then write that scene out.

If something is making its presence so obvious, it's likely very important.

Once it's done you can go back to where you were- it may be that that scene will help you progress the story toward it.

I'm a firm believer in listening to what the creative part of your mind/brain is telling you. I've found that when I ignore it, I later find that was the mistake.

Shon85

That's what happened to me Doglover.

There is a scene that will definitely be happening in my novel, as it's the turning point around which the end hinges. The interaction between the protagonist and his wife after the scene started playing out in my head, so I wrote it down. I didn't want to ignore it, and wait until I reached that point in the novel, because I probably wouldn't have remembered it in the same way. This creativity is all new to me, but I'm loving it.