Should you write in chronological order?

Here’s what happens if you worry too much about it: writer’s block, frustration, overthinking your entire plot. So I say just forget about order.

I have a love hate relationship with writing chronologically. I have a tendency to begin at, well, the beginning. Yet, the beginning of a story drives me nuts. If I feel the first scene isn’t perfect I have a hard time moving on.

I’ve decided to skip beginnings. I’ll figure them out later. The pressure of the perfect opener is relinquished and I’m able to focus on the story.

Throwing out chronology also gives you the ability to explore your plot. Write a scene that should happen in the middle of your novel and you’ll find that what happens might be different than what you originally wanted your plot to be.

You also gain the ability to explore characterization outside of your story. My professor taught me this: write different scenes with your characters and how they would react in those situations and you have a better understanding of who your character is.

And you can use those scenes, or you can never look at them again.

Chronology has a way of making a riveting story stagnant.

So start at the end, or the middle, or the beginning, but jump around in you story. Sometimes you might find the character you thought you wanted to kill off is actually needed alive.