non-linear storytelling
Jumbled plot chronology
Non-linear storytelling is narrative that doesn't follow chronological order.
Events may jump forward or backward in time, run parallel, or fragment across multiple timelines: The film uses non-linear storytelling, opening with the protagonist's death before rewinding to show how she got there.
Common in film, literature, and video games, this technique creates suspense, reveals character through juxtaposition, or mimics how memory actually works.
- flashforwardTemporal narrative jump ahead
- flashbackInvoluntary past memory
- unreliable narratorStoryteller whose credibility wavers
- time jumpsNarrative temporal discontinuities
- time loopRepeated span of existence
fragmented narrative · narrative threads · multiple perspectives · montage · foreshadowing · subjective reality · interactive fiction · video games · in medias res · intercutting · dream sequences · puzzle box · ambiguity · juxtaposition · audience engagement · emotional impact · temporal distortion · ellipsis
non-linear storytellinglinear narrative
Story following chronological order
chronological order · linear plot · traditional storytelling
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