A lil' bit of both! I'll write linearly until struck with an inspiration. Then I'll write that out quickly and keep it on the side. I'll then go back to the linear bit, and brainstorming in my off time where that burst moment might fit or how to lead into/out of it. A lot of the time I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing. Day job is braindead, so I keep a pocket notebook and pen on me to jot down those bursts of imagination.

Thank you for sharing! I think the pocket book idea is very helpful!

I do this too!

Same

Hell no! Best thing I ever did was to learn how to make a plan, then write it out of order. It increased my productivity massively - I actually get stuff done now.

Same! I used to be in the same boat as OP, but found that my work was often aimless and I never finished anything as a result. Once I forced myself to start jumping around, my writing process improved dramatically!

I should try this 🤔

Also really helps you to realise what you need to include as you go. If you start at point A, then write point C, it gives you a *great* idea of what needs to happen at point B.

linearly is a fkng headache mate, life's too short for that.

You might be on to something 🤔

As a pantser, this is my reality. I'll come up with ideas that I need to set aside for later, but I won't develop them. No point getting ahead of myself if my story eventually winds up superseding that original idea.

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That's a great metaphor!

Most of the time I write linearly. But sometimes I do write out a whole scene even if my book is still far from when it’s gonna happen. But I only do this if I have writers block and this scene is fully developed in my head. Or I can’t stop thinking about it and need to write it down 😂😂

I write linearly, because if i skip to the scenes im excited for I will have no motivation to write. I look forward to those scenes

Mostly linearly, but with the types of things I tend to write, it’s inevitable that I get to a “setup” scene that I can’t write until after I’ve written the “payoff.” In those cases I feel like I need to know the payoff in order to properly set it up, so I’ll go out of order. I also tend to fall somewhere between plotter and pantser though, with leaning more toward plotter.

I write linearly, though one story jumps back and forth in time and I've wanted to see if writing it chronologically would work better on the planning process.

I outline and write linearly. I outline an arc concept, I write the chapters for that arc concept, and then I outline the next arc concept.

A bit of both. I have really bad memory issues from my ADHD so as soon as I have an idea I immediately write it down, and then I just piece everything together later.

Not at all. I'm too impatient to get to the good stuff. If part of the story has been running through my head recently, I like to open up a new document and write it out (typically dialogue). Then when I'm ready to put it into a chapter, I'll either copy/paste it and write the things that happen before/after, or I'll write the chapter up and use the written dialogue as more of a guide when I get to that part.

I used to always write out of order - I'm doing it mainly for my personal enjoyment and if there was a scene I wanted to write, I never hesitated to do it on the spot. However, at one point I discovered that putting together I wrote earlier was a big challenge. I didn't really know how to connect A with B, the story often had no flow and sometimes I put a lot of unnecessary filler in order to make it work (it didn't). That forced me to learn to write linearly and my storytelling definitely improved. I do still write out of order - from time to time there is something I really need to be written NOW - but try to do it rarely. I feel that I need to stick to linear writing, at least for now. Also, I've found it better for character development. Things my characters do, think, say in the earlier part of the plot sometimes make me rethink how they are going to act later and how it will affect the story. And I have lots of fun with this.

I used to do this too! You think you write a great scene, then when you actually write the parts preceding it you're scratching your head wondering what you were thinking.

Omg I used to think some had a gun to my head and would make me or smth. Writing came a lot easier when I wasn't forcing myself to do it unnaturally.

Love the variety in approaches! Makes me feel more free to experiment with my own writing process.

Yes but also no.

no. I start somewhere, go where I go and put it together later

I thought this was going to be a question about non-linear narratives and got excited. As for writing, I write the first and last chapter and then move from front to back, chapter by chapter, to get to it. If I have a future scene in mind and have some cool ideas for it, I'll immediately slap it down in a second document so it stops clogging up my head and then move back to the point in the story I was at, pulling it back out when I reach the appropriate scene. Frequently find that only bits and pieces are still usable, but this way I keep moving in a single direction rather than getting bogged down with a billion scenes but nothing to connect them together.

It depends.

I like to start my stories in the middle point of everything, it's very helpful to set up plot twists and revelations, i feel FOR ME it's good if the stakes are already stated, and it leaves lots of space to build the future. And then if i feel like it i'll write the actual beginning of the story as a prequel.

Sometimes a chapter or scene just comes to you. Nothing wrong with breaking off and writing that first. Also, thinking about other parts of the story can sometimes naturally bring about connecting scenes.

I’m a bit all over the place but I tend to stick with linear writing. Although with my latest book, I accidentally wrote what should be the major climax a few chapters too soon. So now I’m going back and adding in more scenes before the climax. Then I’ll come back and close it all off.

I find myself doing this sometimes too - like I need to go back and add a bit more before big things happen!

Linearly, any other way seems like a nightmare to me and I'm not sure how other's do it. If I get stuck, I write something down and highlight it to fix once I finish the whole draft and return to revise.

I start in a folder I title "workshop" and write all over the place, anything and everything I feel like. Once I feel my characters and plot are getting pretty consistent, then I start my draft and write linearly. I dip back into the workshop if I ever get stuck or just bored, but the draft itself stays linear.

Start to finish. Writing out of order messes up the flow and character arcs for me

Generally the initial idea I have for a book is usually the ending LOL so a lot of the time I write the ending first then go back and start writing from the beginning linerelly. By the time I get to the end with the original piece, it gets changed and adjusted to fit in properly.

I make a timeline of when certain events in the canon happen to help make it linear. Another thing I do is just write whatever and see where it goes, as I literally have a doc titled "Scenes that are incomplete/need edits" that I like to go back to and mess around with from time to time.

I try to but if I write a scene out of order I make a note that it needs to be moved.

I used to write strictly linearly but when I stopped I reslised it worked much better for me to jump between different scenes.

If I’m writing a specific chapter and I have an idea for the oppening, the end or maybe for the main conflict; I’ll just write them down so I don’t “loose” the idea, and I will continue to write until I get to that point or until I find something that makes sense to continue the story based on that

As someone who does not plan their writing, at all, I do a bit of both. I have an entire folder section of potential chapters for a WIP in Scrivener. Sometimes, I write linearly when I know the order of events I want to happen in my head. Other times, I will write the scenes I have in my head and then fit them into the story where I see fit. I find it easier to write larger scenes by themselves and then write all the scenes in between and leading up to the scenes. It purely depends on my mood though.

Not really. I am writing each chapter one after the other mostly but within each chapter i am all over the place 🥴

I’ve tried to do it a few times but I prefer to write the main arcs and plots and then go back and do the filler. The nice thing is if you do right, you can use those filler chapters to set up your main arcs.

I write the major scenes first because I'm very excited about them (I don't dislike the in-between time, I just like writing the big stuff the most). When I'm writing with friends, we tend to write linearly.

Out of order. I write what the chapters that urge to get out of me, usually starting with dialogue and then slowly filling the gaps. That’s why I have finished only two of my novellas and have a lot of unfinished projects. But I write for fun only, so there is no motivation to get through the bits that I am not craving to write.

I will write from start to finish. Pantsing towards a rough outline’s major points. I did go back and write a B and C plot afterwords. Originally the B plot was just glossed over and the C plot was something that didn’t make it into the A plot, because I pantsed away from that part in the outline. That said, I do keep a journal on the side. Where I jot down ideas I want to explore and keep track of decisions I made that were different from the outline. That said, the ending was the last thing I wrote. After going back and adding the B&C plot chapters. But that was partly because I wasn’t 100% sure how I wanted things to play out and I knew the C plot was integral to the A plot at the end (B plot was resolved earlier).

I have always written linearly bc to me it has always been the “correct way” to write. I definitely understand wanting to skip ahead and write a more interesting part tho, I do it in my head all the time, and when I do it on paper I call it “cheat writing”. But what I usually discover is that as I go on writing the story linearly, the cheat writes no longer fit very well bc the story has changed so much that the cheat write lacks correct background info/vibes/character’s voice, or maybe even has been scrapped from the story entirely. However, to each their own. And that’s a massive understatement. If you’re more of a strict planner, then writing out of order could definitely work. And even if you’re a plantser like me, it could be a better way to ‘store’ your ideas first future scenes in the story. I’m always just crafting the future scenes in my head without writing them down, so often I’ll completely forget that scene later on. A chapter-by-chapter summary is good for that, too, but actually writing the scene would probably help keep the vibe and dialogue of the scene down better. BUT I digress. Either way is great! Whatever works

I generally have major plot points in mind when writing, but I always focus on character interactions too.

I literally cannot fathom doing anything other than writing linearly. I’m also a pantser when it comes to my own stuff, though. So If I wrote something from the middle of the book early, then by the time I get there it may not work anymore. Also, I prefer to write it the way my readers will read it. Jumping around just seems like I’m cherry picking the best stuff to do first and sounds like a prescription for writers block when it comes time to write a ton of stuff that, while integral to the plot, may not be as fun to write.

I do. I’ve been writing fiction for ~15 years at this point and here and there I’ve tried to write out of order and it’s never worked. I do too much shifting and tinkering in the process of actually writing for writing out of order to ever feel efficient, or to ever have the flow that I want my work to have. Most of the time I’d have to rewrite everything from scratch again because I changed too much that came before it. I do often really *want* to write big future scenes early, but usually that anticipation just gives me fuel to push through the connective stuff that’s not always as fun.

>Do you write linearly? yes, because I need to see how characters evolve interacting with each other before writing later scenes

The book I'm currently writing starts with a flash forward chapter and the rest is linear, this way my main cast of characters personalities and dynamic is explained before the story starts.

to be honest yeah, as someone with three different protagonists it helps me keep the story in order and also feels more satisfying to knock out chapter by chapter. Each perspective is non linear though so it helps keep me from being bogged down from the previous chapter

Yes, only because I am the type ro change my plans as I go letting the characters personality and narrative influence the path of the story. Meaning that sometimes I end with something way different thsn what I planned, and thus if I write a later part first before an earlier one I risk changing the flow of the story into something that can't connect with the later part.

Once I have the concept of the story down I write the main characters, then center the plot around their actions, introducing new characters along the way.

Straight through always, same with editing.

I write linearly, but I do not down notes about future scenes.

For most of my writing, I've written linear. When i was writing my first book, I had a seperate segment of scenes I'd occasionally work on (future scenes for the current project, planned death scenes later in the series, or even basic acenes that likely won't see the light of day; they're just there for fun really.) I somewhat followed my outline, knowing the plot points, but only jumped if I had the sudden inspiration. However, writing my second book now, a new character I introduced has a major plot point near the end of the book. Writing that scene early into the book, before she even appeared, actually changed the character's course from personality to backstory and more (in an exciting way, too.)

I do it linearly, though in my head I write it more jumbled up. I usually work simultaneously when it involves complicated moments and reveals.

I’m trying to as much as I can, especially for the first draft when you motivation and determination is still at test. As guess it’s logical but the scene I have in mind are the one I am really excited about or that I have really thought about. But to link, flesh up, and develop the story, you also need scenes that are not the most entertaining to write, and if you keep those or the one you are not sure about the story yet, for the end, you might lose interest or give up. But maybe other are more doing end, beginning, middle and won’t speak in term of specific scenes ?

I write linearly because that is how my brain works best. I do myself no favors skipping scenes, for don't-be-lazy reasons, for character arc reasons, for pantsing reasons. If I could work from an outline, I might try it, but creating an outline bores me right out of interest in writing the story.

Not anymore. I used to write linearly because I thought that was how it had to be done, but it was a tedious process. Jumping around feels more natural. It's better to go where inspiration takes you.

Linearly from start to end, then jump around filling in with more detail or changing things completely. Trying to write things out of order would throw me off completely.

I’ve done it that way so far but it hasn’t really allowed me to write much, I always run out of ideas quickly lmao. I wanna try writing it just any scene I can think of and want to write as soon as I come up with it, I think that’ll make the process way more fun and then I’ll stick with it better.

It depends on how I construct particular story, or what story type it is: Sometimes I know how all the story will go, all the main plot twists, characteristics of main dialogs, which details will describe all the characters. In that case, I start a notes record for the story theses and ideas and return to it every now and then. And I write from the beginning to the end. If a focal character recalls events in the reverse timeline order, I can write it from the end to the beginning. Sometimes I write unimportant scenes that I know and important scenes that I partially know in random order, than I add missing pieces and details, and put it together. In this case I usually start with that very dialog or that very scene which was the first idea for this story. I prefer to type stories like this on a device rather than writing it down with a fountain pen, because this would end up with lots of drafts. But story notes may be written and not typed. Sometimes I freeze on the last lines or the beginning. If it's a story for atmosphere and emotional thought with no particular plot or events, I start a notes record for the story theses and ideas. And I write a story from the beginning to the end.

I outline a crazy amount. So much so that my final outline is practically a rough draft. When constructing an outline, no I don’t write linearly. But when I’m working off my outline and writing for real, I tend to write linearly. For me, it helps to build off what I’ve already written!

I always write linear. Exclusively. It’s necessary to my process. I can’t focus well if I skip around.

For the most part, I write in chronological order, but sometimes I have an idea for something waaay down the line that my brain won’t let go of until I write it out, so I have a section in my doc for “scenes I might add later” for this very reason.

I have to write linearly, my story would be dog water if I didn’t and I’d likely never write the less interesting parts

Jump from bit to bit writing major scenes. My book is around 25 chapters, in the last week I've gone from chapter 20 to chapter 7 to chapter 18, all the way back to chapter 1. The story spans several years so there's a gradual shift to the tone and a progression of events that mean I might not always be in the right frame of mind to write the events/tone of earlier chapters, or later ones.

My process for my current upcoming (and first) novel: 1. Idea 2. Spend a decade coming up with various ideas and things I’d like to convey and chuck them in the pot 3. Plot is coming along and forming 4. Solidify the plot and start placing ideas more explicitly and concretely throughout; specifically for and towards the plot. 5. Step back and try to put the plot into actual chapters of an outline. 6. Keep building on concepts and concepts formed around those concepts. Make the world as dimensional as possible 7. Notes and excerpts galore. Expanding ideas, writing specific sections at random 8. The Compilation: collect and put all the pages of stuff I have together in one big ass document. The very rough half first draft. Try to build out some parts, highlight gaps, even things out, merge any overlaps I have. This is what got me to my 73pg draft 9. Review and make separate notes on another sheet for when I truly start writing 10. Write more linearly, from the beginning. That’s what got me to my current ~80ish pg First Draft. 11. I’m hitting walls on some of the transitions, so my approach now and for this next year has been to insert most of the chapter headers into the doc itself, including Bookmarked links to them in the Table of Contents. I have separate Google Doc sheets for those chapters isolated by themselves, so for this next year I’m going to just immerse myself in any given chapter at a time, then insert it into the First Draft once it’s done. It’ll be a little clunky, but I’ll actually make real progress where I can, and the Bookmarks will keep it functionally organized. This is the approach that I’m expecting will get me up to about 300+ pgs this next quarter (I’m about to cocoon myself starting tomorrow)

I'm naturally linear

Linearly, though I often have to go back and add things in to foreshadow or establish the groundwork for things I write later on.

I wrote a bit all over the place initially. Now I go almost entirely linearly. I will occasionally write a scene further ahead if it’s super clear in my head but that’s it. I started a website to post a chapter up each month until I finished my book to kind of make me do it. Somewhat forced me to go linearly, but I would say that it’s been a positive enforcement.

i start with the ending usually!!

I try to write linearly. But I have a 174 page Google Doc SPECIFICALLY for the major plot points that I've not gotten to yet. I cam edit them and eventually move them to the story when I get to it.

Depends, sometimes I jump if I have a scene for later in mind, and don’t know what to write where I’m at

During nanowrimo anything goes. Otherwise linear

I do. And I write with the barest outline of a plan. Occasionally, I will think of something for later, but I just put the idea down in the doc and elaborate when I get there. This is one of those "whatever works for you" things, though, for sure

Yes...mostly When I'm working on the story itself I write linearly then as I go along I go back, add scenes, remove scenes, tweak etc Any other outline, supplemental piece I have for it tho is completely in whatever order I want Sometimes ill have an idea for a scene waaaaaay later in a story and just write down the synopsis to come back to later

I am generally linear but may think of lines I want to add later. I am also a "pantser" just letting it flow.

I have been writing linearly for over twenty years. I have yet to produce any fiction or creative non-fiction that I was satisfied to submit for publication or to even find an agent. I have between 18 and 20 novel-length narratives sitting on my computer while I try to find a way to turn my linear writing into a plot. I'm 70 and have a post-baccalaureate degree. I have published several non-fiction articles in my field, and editors seldom make suggestions. My professional writing and press releases are typically published as submitted. (Press releases have sometimes had the last "X" sentences deleted to fit the column inches available.) Just as the pandemic began, I signed up for a creative writing class at a nearby branch of my state university. I aced the course, which relieved my mind about whether I was getting senile. I learned a lot but still cannot construct a plot worth shooting. Most of my work is "A Year in the Life of X" or "Three Months in the Life of X" or something similar. I have used the Dramatica software to help me learn to plot. The program is complex and fits like a straightjacket. I spend a lot of time reading the work of people who can plot like wizards but whose skill at writing is not worth the shot to send their books to Hades. None of that has taught me to plot. I just purchased a book, *Save the Cat Writes a Novel*, which I hope will help. Sigh! I will let you know if it helps me.

Yes, ever since I became a pantser. For novels anyway.

I usually have a lot of plot points I want to write, and places I want my characters to be at and stuff to do. Then, I write the gaps in. Can't imagine writing linearly, hehe

Yes and no. I brain dump my entire thought process into a word doc of how I currently see the story going from beginning to end. Then I start breaking it up to a more clear synopsis. Then I expand it to a chapter by chapter outline. From that point i start writing. I’ll pick a chapter the one that seems more formed in my head and start writing. Granted I’ve only just started diving into novella and novel writing after years of just stories.

Yes, always. I've found if I don't, I don't write the middle scenes. And even If I do, I end up needing to completely change it. Occasionally I've written a fluffy scene that is out of the current timeline, then decide to add it in later, but that's a bit different. Sometimes I get excited about later scenes, but I use that to get me through the leading scenes more than anything. I like to plan a chapter or two ahead of where I currently am, but everything else is a blur.

Yes, but also no. Of course if I’m inspired about an event further ahead in my book, or even in a different story I will write it. Don’t let good inspection go to waste. This being said I always have one draft manuscript I am writing linearly. When it gets to a previously written scene, I will read it and hem rewrite it into the manuscript rather than copy pasting it. For me this allows the tone to stay consistent, as well as room to include new information and change some things that became irrelevant since writing it. I have scenes written for books for 10 years and I haven’t even started those books.

Depends on the outline but yeah I sometimes write linearly in spurts.

Yes. I dabbled in writing non-linearly, but when I do: I never finish. It was only when I started making myself write from start to finish that I ever finished my first book. Of course, the editing fixes and changes a lot of the story anyways, so I guess that would be non-linearly, but I don't think that's what you meant.

I always write in order it helps me grow my characters in a more natural way

The day will always come when the scene I most want to write arrives so I wait patiently for it. I hate the idea of filling in between major scenes because I no longer have anything to look forward to writing once I've completed them all.

Typically yes. Sometimes I have a scene in mind which I MUST write but otherwise the disjointed storytelling isn't for me.

Great question! I used to be all about writing linearly, even when it didn’t make sense, lol. For example, with tech writing, it’s easy to hop from point-to-point and fill in content, but for some crazy reason, I always felt the need to write in order of the outline when I could have finished projects faster if I had jumped around as the mood/inspiration struck. I’m the same way with fiction. I use voice as an excuse, telling myself things may read wonky if I write things out of order. While there’s some truth to that, I feel like it’s an excuse at times. On my latest projects, I’m doing essays so I can write to the mood/inspiration and try to break free of my linear thinking. Best wishes for you and your 2024 projects!

Very linear. I often come up with new or better ideas when I go in order. If I jumped around I’d get confused

I am a byproduct of my ADHD haha I jump all over the place. Usually start with the inciting incident and do a few chapters, then I move on to a meaningful relationship/convo that I want to fully realize around the midway point, which helps me feel exactly what I want to do with the character and how I will need them to change to be able to do/say that specific thing at that specific event. I write romantasy, so I'll also do a magic/action scene to cement that, too. And I have a preconceived ending before I even begin, at least a rough one that has room for alterations. I do a lot of pre-planning though, tons and tons of character sheets and backstory events and lore and world building, which makes it less risky for me to write out of order, and I have yet to write myself into something I can't alter quickly. Especially helpful when I get stuck at a spot. Most of the time by jumping ahead, I'm able to refocus my goal and fill in the blanks and go back with more inspiration. Like my current work, where I was really stuck on what the antagonist's (morally grey, has a close relationship with the protag, fae that can't lie) secret army would look like and what she'd be doing while she worked her machinations, and how the heck to get the foreshadowing in there that the protag's mentor has different goals directly in opposition before the final act (lots of subterfuge and distractions) when my protag trusts her implicitly (a character flaw of hers is over trusting and bites her in more ways than this)... so I randomly started writing a kidnapping scene (orchestrated to keep the protag safe, bizarrely enough, for good reasons) and it fleshed everything out for me. Figuring out who would help her and why. Anyways, I always find it helpful to write lots of scenes of dialogue between characters that I may or may not end up actually using, but it makes for better characters in the end. And to write out the characters misbelief backstory scene which helps me stay focused on what my character would actually feel after experiencing that event and think about what it would take to change and what events I could throw her into that would help and hinder that theme. And then lots and lots of notes so I don't forget. Apologies for the meandering ramble haha, but writing nonlinearly can be productive and helpful for some! I don't know how anyone can sit and write something start to finish.

Currently writing an epic fantasy with multiple POVs, I get tempted to write one POV far past where the rest of the world is up to linearly, but have to stop myself. It’s also good to take a break and allow my thoughts to gather and see the bigger picture again - as I write other POVs, new ideas are created, new characters, whole new plot lines I didn’t know I was going to write (literally just taken one character who was there to fill a room in a couple of scenes, but rapidly developed them and now they will be an important character, and their new backstory really important for main protagonist’s progression). I thought I was a planner, and done loads of planning, but I keep surprising myself as I am going along in a very pantser style. Whenever I get ideas I use a note app (one note or similar, sticky notes) to include, rather than write that scene out of linear context. I think do whatever works, try everything, but take time to take a step back and consider where you are. Linear works for me as the pantser element of writing keeps jumping in. ***EDIT*** meant to say, there are elements of time / dimensional travel, so I have had to work out those parts in advance and know when to write them and other parts linking to future parts of the trilogy, which makes it tricky, but still I write them when I get to them.

Tried it once and did more editing on it than if I'd written it linearly. Will never do it again.

I didn't, and now I'm kinda regretting it because of the amount of rewriting I'll have to do. As well as that, the character arc wasn't *arcing* because of how I jumped around. One of the very first chapters I ever wrote was based over two years after the first chapter and it's a little bit of a clusterfuck now. Also, I wrote the death scene of a character I hadn't yet introduced to force myself to commit to it, but I had to delete all of it because the scene felt flat now that I knew the character better. However, it did help me get to know where the characters would be emotionally/skill-wise etc in the future so that I could fill in the gaps. Also I managed to write a lot more than I am now because I picked to write whatever I happened be in the mood to write. I'm still gonna have to rewrite most things tho.

I absolutely write linearly. I feel like if I wanted to skip a scene and write it later I would wonder whether it's actually necessary for the story. Plus, I wouldn't want to reach the ending and now have to go back and write all the scenes I didn't want to earlier.

Most of the time, in order, but if I am stuck and have an idea for a future event, I will write it down before i forget, and it sometimes helps me figure out the inbetween.