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This week on Fable and the Verbivore, we’re talking about non-linear storytelling.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be focusing in on romance stories, so we start by focusing in on unpacking Ali Hazlewood’s three STEMinist novellas “Under One Roof”, “Below Zero”, and “Stuck with You” and how they each uniquely use a unique chronology structures to pull the reader into the action.

We also bring up several other examples and touch on:

• Clearly signaling changes in time, so that the reader is able to follow the present in comparison with the past and the future

• Paying attention to where the tension is at and considering not leaving it hanging for too long

• Using the form to create something for the reader to hope for and orchestrate the emotions you want the reader to feel

• Considering what making a major change to the chronology will do to the story momentum and weighing if it’s worth it for what is gained

• Having beta readers give feedback on any time shifts to ensure they read and you are aware of their impact on the reader experience

Towards the end of this conversation, we talk about some more experimental types of non-linear storytelling examples from films – including the circular chronology in Arrival, the complicated backwards and forwards screenplay structure in Memento, and the clever use of selective time dilation to create character drama in Interstellar.

We hope you enjoy this episode. Keep reading, writing, and putting your voice out there!

Into the woods,

Fable & The Verbivore

Notes:

The Verbivore mistakenly called Ted Chiang’s short story “The Story of Us”. It’s actually titled “Story of Your Life” and served as inspiration for the film “Arrival”.

Here are a few articles and videos we referenced for this conversation:

• MasterClass Article “Non-Linear Storytelling: Non-Linear Writing Tips and Examples”

• YouTube Video “Lessons from the Screenplay - Arrival — Examining an Adaptation”

• YouTube Video “Lessons from the Screenplay - Memento — Telling a Story In Reverse”

• YouTube Video “Like Stories of Old - Transcending Time | Interstellar's Hidden Meaning Behind Love and Time”

Books and Films Mentioned:

• Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood

• Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

• Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood

• Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood (Collection of 3 Novellas)

• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

• Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor

• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

• Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

• Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

• Arrival - Directed by Denis Villeneuve

• Memento - Directed by Christopher Nolan

• Tenet - Directed by Christopher Nolan

• Interstellar - Directed by Christopher Nolan

Music from: https://filmmusic.io
‘Friendly day’ by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
Licence: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)