Writing scenes out of order

frankie say relax · Jun 28, 2012

If you feel inspired to write a certain scene, but chronologically it doesn't go in the place where you are in your story, do you go ahead and write it to insert later? Or do you wait until you get that place to write it?

Shakesbear · Jun 28, 2012

I go ahead and write it. I do not think it matters if you write a scene that is out of synch with what you already have - sometimes it can help and give insight into what came before and what is yet to come.

L.C. Blackwell · Jun 28, 2012

Yes, write it down! If you've got something good, don't risk losing it. You may or may not use it later, but it can help you as you build the book, or you may borrow from parts of it. When I was outlining this last book, I wrote over 40 scenes or parts of scenes for later insertion, and used quite a number of them. It was a great stash to draw from.

frankie say relax · Jun 28, 2012

Thanks! I don't know if its this glass of wine or what, but I've got a scene in my head that's dying to get out. I was just afraid of losing my stride.

(goes off to open a new document and type, type, type)

L.C. Blackwell · Jun 28, 2012

Theoretically, if you were an iron-clad outliner and plotter, you could start a book at the end and write your way backwards to the beginning. I wouldn't recommend trying--

but it really doesn't hurt anything to skip back and forth. You just need to make sure you do go back and fill in the blanks.

DancingMaenid · Jun 28, 2012

I have to write chronologically. Not only does it not work for me to try to write out of order, but I find that writing chronologically makes it much easier to stay focused and finish things.

I think a lot of people can do it, though. It depends on the writer. In any case, you can't know how you work best unless you give it a try, so if you want to, go ahead and try writing the scene you're itching to write! Worst thing that can happen is you'll realize you prefer writing chronologically.

Wayward Daughter · Jun 28, 2012

When I'm in the process of planning my novel, I may get a spark of an idea. In which case, I go ahead and write it down - albeit it comes out as a very bare bones of a scene. When I sit down and write I need to do it chronologically to understand my characters. It helps me to remember where they have been, and how they will react to this new scene. The scenes I wrote in the planning stages may be used as inspiration, but will ultimately be re-done and added to.

By all means, attempt to write out of order. For some writers it works great - no harm in giving it a shot

.

Tepelus · Jun 29, 2012

I write possible future scenes a lot. Even if I don't use the scene, it is still writing practice and it helps me learn a bit more of my characters. I don't see any harm in it.

One Monkey · Jun 29, 2012

As a counterpoint view.

I never do this. I have had scenes in my head that I consider to be "the main point" of what I'm working on and they seem to be begging to be written off the cuff as soon as possible.

When I, instead, work on what I currently have in front of me I gain several advantages that I wouldn't if I did write out of sequence:

I get to ask why I'm keen to skip forward. Maybe the scene I'm working on is dull, has problems or is unnecessary. If I just stopped thinking about it then I might miss these issues.
The scene, when it arrives, almost never "writes" the way it "imagines". Sometimes events happen in different locations than where I'd originally thought, or characters are present who I never pictured there when I was imagining the scene, almost always there are cool little wrinkles to the scene which I had never imagined. I can only guess that the scene when written with the benefit of accumulated pacing, plotting and rhythm comes out better than if I'd been playing "join the dots" but I believe it does.
If the scene I am currently working on is dull then I have a clear imagined idea of what I find "exciting" to contrast it with. I can use this hypothetical excitement to think about introducing a bit more bang into my current scene. Sometimes this sends the story off in a direction I hadn't envisaged and in extreme cases renders the scene I was imagining obsolete.
Finally, I don't have to rework these out of sequence scenes to fit the facts of where they occur. I think this also means I don't run the risk of leaving in a scene that may seem disjointed or like a bit of a jerky gearshift because it is spliced in from somewhere else.

Some of these advantages are real, I am a great believer that every scene you write should be the next thing you are super stoked to have the chance to lay down on paper and if it isn't there's probably some problem with it. Other stuff may just be me imagining stuff, I have no idea whether scene splicing is clumsy because I've never done it. I've never consciously realised it's happened in a book I'm reading either, although I have sometimes detected it in movie scripts where it does tend to have a clunk-i-fying effect.

Just thought I'd lay some advice on the other side of the fence FWIW.

VoireyLinger · Jun 29, 2012

I don't go out of order very often, but I have no problem doing so. In the past, I've written entire novels out of order. Now I usually only skip if I'm stuck or if I have an idea I want to get down quickly.

jaksen · Jun 29, 2012

I've written scenes out of order, though usually I stay in order.

But if something jumps out at me - a conversation, a description, an action scene - which belongs 'later' in the story, I write it while the idea is hot. Later I can adjust it, if need be.

c.m.n. · Jun 29, 2012

I have difficulty writing out of order. It steers me off track. I've done it once before, but after the scene was written, I couldn't go back to the scene I was working on.

So I try to write in order. If I get an idea, or a scene, stuck in my head that is chapters away from what I'm working on, I'll make notes so I don't forget it.

shadowwalker · Jun 29, 2012

I write as the story happens (not an outliner) but if I think of a scene that could happen later in the story, I'll at least jot it down in more detailed notes. I may never use it or it may end up in another story, but at least I haven't lost it.

Blondieco · Jun 29, 2012

Oh my goodness! Write it, file it, come back later. In the end it all has meaning and it all comes together. Not saying it won't be changed, modified or re-written, but when you have the inspiration you must write it....it may never come again. My experience.

Brutal Mustang · Jun 29, 2012

I agree with One Monkey. Working out the hard stuff first tends to change the big scene considerably. Therefore, when I hit a 'snag scene', I'll rework that damn SOB until it becomes stronger than the scenes around it.

lorna_w · Jun 29, 2012

Yes, write it, but because it likely will change, don't polish it. Get a telegraphic version of it down quickly, make sure that clever line is in there, and return to writing in order. Don't lovingly linger.

DanielaTorre · Jun 29, 2012

All. The. Time. That's the part I love most about writing. You're writing because you love it and it's exhilarating when you have a great idea that just spews out. For a couple of random scenes you get to get out of the monotony of writing. I hate to force myself to write. That's why I treasure jumping around.

Either way, it'll be rewritten. Chances are when you continue on with the chronology, you hit your "random scene" and the chronological events have changed. So that random scene must be rewritten to conform with the plot.

Oh well. At least you can reuse those clever lines.

Layla Nahar · Jun 29, 2012

I keep it in my head and focus on what has to happen now. But I do that with all ideas other than the current scene of my WIP. I want to be careful about not scattering my energies too much because I have that habit with a lot of things.

But what if you try it? See what happens. In the second worst case you could end up never using it because your story ends up going in a different direction. In the worst case you could write it and keep trying to steer your ship in that direction and run aground because the story really needs to go elsewhere.

GFanthome · Jun 29, 2012

As I always say, I don't think there are any hard-and-fast rules to writing. I mean, you could even spell things wrong if it worked with your character's voice or added an artistic element to the story. As far as I'm concerned, anything goes... if it works.

If you think you might get all discombobulated from writing scenes out of order, make sure you have a chapter skeleton that outlines the progression of the chapters. Some writers need to be more structured than others.

If however, you have other scenes in your head that are just dying to get out, by all means - write them down. You can sort them out later. Sometimes I find that a chapter that I thought was placed, say as Chapter 3, ends up working better as Chapter 8, after I've written some other chapters.

Have fun with it - and don't fret about rules!

flapperphilosopher · Jun 29, 2012

Especially in my first draft or two, I always write out of order. I write the scene I'm feeling at that moment, wherever it goes. Eventually I have to plan to feel certain scenes to fill in, then rewrite (a couple times...) so it all flows and works and connects etc., but if there's a scene I want to write, that's what I write. The thought of writing a first draft in order terrifies me, I could never even start with that kind of pressure!

It's interesting how we're all different that way... when I was younger I used to write from start to finish, because I felt I had to, and it was pretty terrible for my writing and motivation. Since I realized I can say to hell with that and write however I want to, it's been much easier and exciting to work on my stuff. Don't be afraid to find out what works best for you!

readitnweep · Jun 29, 2012

This is obviously one of those "whatever works best for you" things. No right or wrong here.

I often write out of order and then quilt things together later. It works for me because I end up having better ideas for my plot working this way rather than chronologically, first chapter to last.

rwm4768 · Jun 29, 2012

I tend to write all my scenes in order. It helps me feel more immersed in the story as I'm writing it. It also prevents me from leaving until the end all the parts I don't want to write. If you can do it, go for it. But it's not the way I write.

Mark Moore · Jun 29, 2012

I write out of order all of the time. I just keep the scenes in the proper order (I write short stories, not novels, so all of the scenes are in one Word doc). I go back and forth, adding and changing things here and there.

Linda Adams · Jun 29, 2012

I'm a pantser, so I learn about the story when I write. The ideas don't come in any kind of order so I may bounce all over the place.

Latina Bunny · Jun 29, 2012

Sure, why not? It's one of those "if it works for you, then do it" kind of things. =)

I have been trying to stay in order (so far), but I have been jumping back and forth and changing my outline because the events have an effect on the other scenes, then I have to change that scene, etc. I do just go write a brief sentence on a future event (like a scene on how I want a particular chapter to end on) in my outline and then go back and find a way to get there. =)

...But then, I'm currently having a time-travel sub-plot, so yeeah?

Writing scenes out of order

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