# Linear or non-linear plotline! Which is your preferred method for writing? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Chatters\ **Tags:** chat, question, discussion, writing\ **Created:** [November 22, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904 "2025-11-22T18:17:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qualeshia12](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/qualeshia12/32/63136_2.png) [@Qualeshia12](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/Qualeshia12)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/1 "2025-11-22T18:17:35Z")
My Turn: Honestly, it’s more like what works best for me because that is all I know. I’ve never written in nonlinear before and I don’t even know how to do it. I’ve always written in a linear plot structure. People would often tell me a while back to write out of order, but I get confused because I don’t know how. I just write from beginning, middle to the end and that is all I know how to do. What about you guys? Thoughts and feelings? @Akje @JojoDahlia @TheTigerWriter @CoffeebyNight @copyedit @Churro @NotARussianBot @alenatenjo @thatstheway ---
**Author:** ![CoffeebyNight](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/coffeebynight/32/62352_2.png) [@CoffeebyNight](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/CoffeebyNight)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/2 "2025-11-22T18:31:07Z")
I write whatever takes my fancy. Because I don’t plot or plan it mostly means writing in order, but not always. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qualeshia12](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/qualeshia12/32/63136_2.png) [@Qualeshia12](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/Qualeshia12)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/3 "2025-11-22T18:35:08Z")
Interesting. I barely plot and plan yet I mostly write in order. Now, I am realizing that it doesn’t always work for the story. Though I don’t honestly know how to write out order for the story. ---
**Author:** ![JojoDahlia](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/jojodahlia/32/62765_2.png) [@JojoDahlia](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/JojoDahlia)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/4 "2025-11-22T22:42:36Z")
I think I’m leaning towards non-linear, or at least semi non-linear. I haven’t quite figured it out yet. I’m writing fragmentary novels which involve a bit of omnipresent narration, historical events, cyclical events, povs of “non-characters” like crows and trees, and in-world essays and epistles. ---
**Author:** ![Akje](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/akje/32/27751_2.png) [@Akje](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/Akje)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/5 "2025-11-23T00:02:00Z")
I write linearly unless there’s an upcoming scene I’m really excited about. Then I stop what I’m doing and write that scene right now while I’ve got all these ideas about it and I’m excited and passionate about that scene. If I just write the book in order, then it might be two or three months before I get to that scene, and by the time I write it I’ll have forgotten all my ideas and it’ll turn out flat since I don’t have the same excitement. Better to strike while the iron’s hot and all that. ¯\_(ﭢ)\_/¯ ---
**Author:** ![Churro](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/churro/32/48086_2.png) [@Churro](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/Churro)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 12:15am UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/6 "2025-11-23T00:15:19Z")
Depends on what I want to write? Ideas come to me mostly in order but occasionally outside of it too 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thatstheway](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/thatstheway/32/33303_2.png) [@thatstheway](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/thatstheway)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 12:20am UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/7 "2025-11-23T00:20:12Z")
no preference- you can always arrange the scenes in any order. and make little adjustments as needed for the scenes ---
**Author:** ![Qualeshia12](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/qualeshia12/32/63136_2.png) [@Qualeshia12](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/Qualeshia12)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 9:10pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/8 "2025-11-23T21:10:06Z")
Thanks for the comments, everyone! It’s nice to know that everyone has differing answers and reasons. ---
**Author:** ![alenatenjo](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/alenatenjo/32/64016_2.png) [@alenatenjo](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/alenatenjo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 11:20pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/9 "2025-11-23T23:20:50Z")
A mix of both tbh. The novels I do linear otherwise it bothers me. The short stories I add in along the way but actually have a timeline on my wall saying which order they _should_ be in for the overall story/ies ---
**Author:** ![J.L.O](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/j.l.o/32/36267_2.png) [@J.L.O](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/J.L.O)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 12:44am UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/10 "2025-11-24T00:44:43Z")
Linear. Not every detail linear, but the big arc of the story linear. I can fill in minor skips later. ---
**Author:** ![copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/copyedit/32/62731_2.png) [@copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/copyedit)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/linear-or-non-linear-plotline-which-is-your-preferred-method-for-writing/15904/11 "2025-11-24T01:42:13Z")
I’ve always written linear-ly but in the future I hope to experiment with nonlinear plots or other, more ergodic styles.