A Sense of Doubt blog post #3865 - Write Out of Order - Writing Wednesday for 2509.17

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3865 - Write Out of Order - Writing Wednesday for 2509.17

Writers... no, people often complain about writer's block.

I do not believe in writer's block.

That's why I switched "writers" to "people" in that sentence.

Often people claim that they need inspiration to write. Once a student in the MFA program at my university told me that she can only write when given an assignment.

These claims always rang false to me.

I had so many ideas and so many stories I wanted to tell that there was not enough time in my life to set them all in print. I did not need inspiration (which was constant) or some assignment in order to write. Besides, most assignments worked best for poetry not really fiction.

I just needed time.

I needed to cope with anxiety.

Anxiety about deadlines and/or having taken on more work than I can manage well and preserve selfcare time (writing is selfcare) has compromised my ability to write regularly for many years, especially in the 1990s when I was freelance writing. It's very difficult to write all day for a job and find the motivation to write for one's onw projects.

Beyond lack of inspiration as a cause that people claim for writer's block, another cause is getting stuck., uncertain of what to write next.

I find that I can get stuck this way, and the solution is to switch gears.

Let's say, I am writing a chapter and I have scene A written, and then I have a lot of scene C roughed out. I have dialogue and the flow of it to scene D that will end the chapter, then I can get stuck trying to write scene B, the connective tissue.

So, what to do? Keep struggling trying to pull teeth to write out scene B even if it sucks? Sure, that's one approach.

But what if I am really excited about scenes C and D?

Why not just start writing those scenes and leave scene B for later. I know what is likely to happen in scene B. Usually such scenes are about getting to the place in scene A to the place in scene C, and we can't just skip that travel taking place in scene B because there is important description to convey to the reader.

But by skipping the boring slog of scene B and getting all that dialogue and flow down that is in my head for scene C not only am I making forward progress, but usually my mind starts playing with scene B, and I can build that a little toy block piece at a time.

Even within scene C, I often ignore the connective tissue of description and narrative action. I often write what is called a Brenda Starr dialogue in the Turkey City Lexicon I published recently.

Brenda Starr dialogue

Long sections of talk with no physical background or description of the characters. Such dialogue, detached from the story’s setting, tends to echo hollowly, as if suspended in mid-air. Named for the American comic-strip in which dialogue balloons were often seen emerging from the Manhattan skyline.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3837 - TURKEY CITY LEXICON - Rules for Writing in Science Fiction

In an  early draft stage, it's okay to write just the dialogue. This is called "roughing it out" like a rough concept sketch.

It's like comic book production: rough pencils and then finishing in ink.

I am currently working on a scene C as I rough in all the main ideas in dialogue and then in revisions I will add more physical descriptions and narrative action.

In this way, I skip to the things bouncing around in my head that I really want to write, and I am not slowing down the process by trying to do the finishing work before I have the framework roughed out.

Often, for me at least, writing is about dumping ideas that re in my head out of my head.

And when I really in the flow, it feels like I am channeling a transmission from another dimension.

If I have the time, and if I have managed the anxiety that keep me from doing my own work to do work that "has to be done," then I can also manage these blocks that get in the way of writing but are really not unsurmountable.

This "out of order" approach can work for anything in the writing process, as often writers report skipping around in chapters, writing chapters seven-eight after finishing chapter two, skipping over chapters three-six entirely.

It all depends on the work.

When the author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and two other books focusing on Lisbeth Salander,

Stieg Larsson, died, he was purportedly writing book five of his series having written books one, two, and three, (published after his death), skipping entirely book four.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-14340935

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/the-girl-in-the-spider-s-web-is-it-ok-to-resurrect-a-dead-author-s-fiction-1.3206003

https://exploredeeply.com/live-your-purpose/there-are-things-i-want-you-to-know

Skip around if that feels comfortable to you and frees you to write.

Do what works.

As I searched for images to share for this post, I did find an article that articulates some of the ideas I have shared here. I share it below.

Thanks for tuning in.

https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/08/the-art-of-skipping-around-or-writing-out-of-sequence/

The Art of “Skipping Around” (Writing Out of Sequence)

Published: August 21, 2018 by Writing Coach

When other writers ask me if I’m a plotter or a pantser, I usually tell them, “I’m a little of both, but I’m also skip around.” By “skipping around,” I mean that I work on whatever scene I’m picturing clearest, even if it’s at the end and I haven’t begun Chapter One yet.

Yes, I write my first drafts out of sequence. With my current manuscript, the first scene I wrote appears one-third of the way through the story. Then I wrote the first chapter shortly afterward, followed by the climax scene a few weeks later. Now I’m in the process of “filling in the blanks” between the story’s middle and the climax. I even skip around when drafting my blog posts, including this one. 

Sounds daunting, doesn’t it? But when approached in the right manner, non-sequential writing can be surprisingly productive and liberating. It’s not an unheard-of method, either. Fantasy author V.E. Schwab uses it (she calls it “connecting the dots”). So does writing coach and self-help author Hillary Rettig. Maybe it might rescue you during your next bout of writer’s block. (*gasp*)

Before we cover how to write first drafts out of sequence, though, let’s discuss why it can be beneficial.

The Purpose and Benefits of Writing Out of Sequence

Think back on a scene in your current story where the words flowed out of you. Why was writing that scene such a breeze? Were you visualizing it clearly, as if you were watching a movie? Had something in the real world made you so angry or impassioned that you needed to channel your emotions into that particular scene? Your being “in the flow” was likely a result of either scenario, or maybe a little of both.

Writing out of sequence takes advantage of such moments. As you work on a first draft of a story (or other piece of writing), you focus on the sections you’re most compelled to work on at that time. So if you’re struggling with Scene A but visualizing or “feeling” Scene B more strongly, you would skip to Scene B and return to Scene A later. That way, you allow yourself to stay “in the flow” so the writing goes smoothly, rather than forcing yourself to fight for every word. And more often than not, this intensely inspired state can deepen your concentration and help the word count soar.

Another benefit of writing non-sequentially is that it helps you work around – and even beat – writer’s block. By skipping to a section that puts up less resistance, you’re not ignoring the part that’s stalling your writing. Rather, you’re giving your subconscious time to process and solve the problem causing that resistance while you to continue to move forward. It’s an intimidating method, especially if you’re a perfectionist. But it works. I write so much faster when I skip around than when I used to write straight through from beginning to, and I wouldn’t do it any other way now.

Some Cautions About Writing Out of Sequence

While writing out of sequence can give you a much-needed productivity boost, it also has some drawbacks that you should be aware of:

1. “Forgotten” Scenes: Writing non-sequentially can make it tricky to remember the state of each section of the story. You might not recall which scenes you’ve already written, which ones you still have to finish, and which ones you’ve yet to start. That’s not always something your brain can keep track of on its own.
2. A Lack of Continuity: When writing non-sequentially, you run the risk of dropping subplots or important details you included in previously drafted scenes, or adding ones that didn’t exist before. Of course, this can also happen when writing straight through from start to finish, but it’s something to be mindful of when skipping around.
3. Additional Work for the Next Draft: A completed first draft is always messy. Writing out of sequence with reckless abandon, however, can make it an even bigger mess. So depending on how you approach “skipping around,” you might create more work for yourself come revision time.

So, How Can You Write Out of Sequence Without Driving Yourself Crazy?

With a little courage and a LOT of preparation. And by that, I don’t necessarily mean outlines. Writing first drafts out of sequence can work for plotters, pantsers, and everyone in between. Rather, the key here is to plan how you’ll approach this way of writing so that you’ll benefit from the heightened level of productivity without feeling too overwhelmed. So, if you’re willing to give non-sequential writing a try, here are some tips that can help.

Have a general idea of the story’s main plot points. You don’t need to know everything that will happen. Instead, begin with three to five scenes that are central to the plot, and dive into the one you feel most strongly about writing. If you’re a plotter, you may have more scenes to choose from because of the outline or notes you developed beforehand. And if you’re a pantser (a.k.a. an intuitive writer)? Think of these “jumpstart” scenes as the corner and exterior wall studs for a new house. Any later scenes will act as interior wall studs or floor / ceiling joists that will build the story out further. Dan Ciriello’s post on plotting for pantsers also has some great tips that pantsers can apply to non-sequential writing.

Track your progress. Before you start writing, establish a method for tracking your progress so you can avoid “forgetting” scenes. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet with color or acronym coding that shows which chapters are finished, which ones are still in progress, and so on. (The following image shows a screenshot of the tracking sheet I’m using for my current manuscript.) Then you can update the spreadsheet after each writing.

Highlight (or keep notes on) any unfinished areas. If you skip from scene to scene within the same chapter, use your word processor’s highlighter function to remind you of which areas need to be finished. For example, I use magenta highlighting to mark the last sentence I write in a scene before skipping to another scene or ending my writing session for the day. That way, the visual cue alerts me to where I left off – and with such a bright color, it’s impossible to miss! It’s also good to jot down notes of where you leave off so you know where to resume writing the next day.

Keep a list of changes that develop as you write. We’d like to think that nothing in our stories, from the major events to the minor details, will change from the moment we first think of them to the moment we write “The End.” But that’s rarely the case. And when you’re writing out of sequence, it’s even easier to lose track of those mid-draft changes. So as you skip around, maintain a list of these changes, as well as with any questions you think of or inconsistencies you find within the manuscript. You can then address these items when you revise the next draft – or, even better, turn it into a bonafide revision checklist.

Trust in your revision skills. Another reason why I write non-sequentially is my confidence in my ability to revise a manuscript or blog post and make the next (or final) version stronger. Believing in your revision skills isn’t a prerequisite for “skipping around,” but it definitely helps. The more you trust yourself to catch mistakes or weak points in your writing projects and then form and implement a plan to fix them, and the more experience you have with doing so, the more secure you’ll feel about saving the more challenging work for the next draft and focusing on “being in the flow” right now.

Give yourself permission. Perfectionism can be a HUGE obstacle to overcome. Being inflexible about where, when, and how you write, for example, can actually cause you to write fewer words, finish fewer projects, and be less productive in the long run. Practice compassion with yourself instead, and allow you and your writing process to change and grow over time. This includes being willing to give up more control than usual in the first draft and opening your mind to new and possibly more fruitful ways of writing. So if the idea of out-of-sequence writing intrigues you but that nagging voice in your head insists that you stick with a less effective process, stop and gently ask yourself why you’re so resistant and whether that resistance is helping or hindering you. And if it’s a hindrance, give yourself permission by saying (either out loud or silently), “It’s OK to try something new and see if it helps me be a better, more productive writer,” and see what happens from there.

If all else fails, switch to a different project. There might be times when, despite writing non-sequentially, you still find yourself blocked. That’s OK; it could be a sign that you need a break from that story. Other writers have done this. Isaac Asimov would switch between writing projects to maintain interest in his work. (Maybe that explains how he managed to write or edit hundreds of books and short stories during his lifetime!) So, instead of struggling through your WIP, try working on a different project for a short time or stimulating your creativity in other ways. That break could be exactly what your brain needs to become “un-stuck” and regain clarity – and excitement – for the previous story.

Have you ever considered writing non-sequentially? If you haven’t, do you think you’d try it? And if you have done it before, what was your experience like?

Sara is a fantasy writer living in Massachusetts who devours good books, geeks out about character arcs, and drinks too much tea. In addition to WHW’s Resident Writing Coach Program, she writes the Theme: A Story’s Soul column at DIY MFA and is hard at work on a YA/New Adult magical realism manuscript. Find out more about Sara here, visit her personal blog, Goodreads profile, and find her online.
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2509.17: 10:10

- Days ago: MOM = 3730 days ago & DAD = 384 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.