Top 5 Ways to Keep Nonlinear Stories Clear

Why go with a straightforward narrative structure when you can explain the beauty in nonlinear storytelling? Think of nonlinear stories as a departure from the standard story format, which weaves multiple flashbacks, storylines, and present-day scenes together.

In my opinion, it works well for stories based on real life. Let’s be honest, life events don’t always follow a neat or logical flow. We all know that life is full of leaps in logic or seeming inconsistencies, things that might feel jarring in a strictly linear film. Hence, we can make those bumps into something more engaging and meaningful.

It’s also a powerful tool when a straightforward narrative feels limiting. Rearranging time can deepen character development, highlight themes, or enable the story to explore multiple layers of meaning simultaneously.

This approach is prevalent in procedural or investigative narratives. Often, we’re shown a near-end state first, then pulled back to the beginning to unravel how events could have led to that point. The variations are endless, but the effect is the same: intrigue, tension, and a heightened sense of discovery. So, let’s discuss the top five ways to keep nonlinear stories clear and not confuse your audience.

Still from 'Memento' (2000). Photo credit: IMDb

1. Trick The Audience

Yes, you should trick your audience. What makes it so powerful is how the order of events shapes the audience’s understanding. Take Scene Two, for example. At first, the audience doesn’t know why it matters. Then Scene One arrives, and suddenly the pieces click: “Oh, that’s why Scene Two was so important.”

But then comes Scene Three. Does it build directly from Scene Two, or does it loop back to continue from Scene One? That choice is what makes non-linear storytelling so dynamic. By shifting chronology, you tell the audience: this moment in the middle matters more than you realized because of what just happened before.

It’s the difference between showing someone dying and leaving us confused, versus cutting to a flashback where we see the gunshot. Suddenly, everything falls into place, and the emotional weight hits harder.

Non-linear storytelling isn’t about tricking the audience; it’s about making them feel the story unfold in a way that deepens impact.

2. Maintain Tension

Non-linear storytelling only works if you maintain tension without sacrificing clarity. That means the foundation must be solid: everything written, polished, and intentional. Every scene goal should be sharp, every action/reaction linked, and your plot points fully mapped out. Nothing left vague.

Each scene is typically structured around action and reaction, with a reflective beat sandwiched between them. This is where the character processes what just happened, analyzes it, and formulates a new plan of action. That reflective moment is the perfect place to slice your scenes and rearrange them.

Why? Because if you cut just before the character’s next goal, the audience holds onto that tension as they shift into another scene. Later, when you return to the earlier thread, you can release that stored tension–often while layering in new tension from a different storyline.

The key is balance. Don’t slice every single scene; that creates an overload of unresolved tension. Instead, ebb and flow:

●     Start with two scenes to hook.

●     Shift to three from another thread, leaving the earlier tension hanging.

●     Drop a fact to move the story forward.

●     Switch again, releasing one thread’s tension while introducing another.

Always anchor these shifts in your plot points; those are what the audience will recall when piecing it together. The scenes themselves are where you apply the “slicing and dicing” mechanics, shaping how tension rises, lingers, and releases. Done right, the story stays clear, compelling, and charged with momentum.

3. Avoid Microflashbacks

Some writers fall into the confusing habit of opening a chapter, then immediately flashing back to show what just happened to the character to “catch us up.”

I call these micro-flashbacks, and they’re rarely as effective as simply letting the scene play out straightforwardly. This is one of those moments where it’s worth asking: Does this story truly need to be told non-linearly?

4. Employ a Backwards Narrative

Both Citizen Kane and Memento use nonlinear storytelling, but for very different purposes.

In Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane’s life is presented as a puzzle. The film opens with Kane’s death and his cryptic final word: “Rosebud.” Reporter Jerry Thompson is assigned to uncover its meaning, interviewing those who knew Kane. Each interview not only recounts the past but brings it vividly to life on screen. As the fragments accumulate, we’re drawn into piecing together who this man truly was and why that single word mattered. Knowing where the story ends fuels our curiosity about how Kane’s life led to that moment.

Memento, on the other hand, uses a nonlinear structure as a direct reflection of its protagonist’s fractured mind. Leonard, battling amnesia, is both narrator and investigator, piecing together his reality in fragmented bursts. Unlike Citizen Kane, where an outsider seeks answers, it is the protagonist himself who struggles to uncover the truth in this case. The disjointed structure doesn’t just enhance the mystery; it becomes the mystery itself.

In both films, nonlinear storytelling isn’t a gimmick. In Citizen Kane, it builds intrigue around a man’s legacy. In Memento, it immerses us in the protagonist’s disoriented perception. In each case, the structure makes the journey of discovery as compelling as the revelations themselves.

5. Common Theme Throughout

A theme is more important than the average screenwriter realizes. In nonlinear screenwriting and writing in general, having a theme made writing my own story much easier–it provided a starting point, which sparked dialogue, which in turn shaped a rough plot to build upon for my first draft.

More and more, I see people describe theme as the heart of any story. Without it, a narrative risks feeling scattered. A theme acts as a tether, keeping every element connected: characters offer different perspectives on it, and each scene pushes someone closer to a conclusion about it. You need it! So don’t fall for the trap that others say about not needing a theme.