The Final Rewrite

14 Following the Line

DOI: 10.4324/9781003161578-15

The chapter looks at how constructing too linear of a story can diminish the audience’s involvement in the film, when to break continuity or incorporate non-linear elements. Ways to engage and engaging the audience by proposing challenges and puzzles.

Non-linear Trajectories

Many stories, and scripts, unfold in a linear manner. We go for a stroll with the story as if walking down a familiar street. There are turns and curves, but everything basically proceeds in a straightforward direction. Non-linear devices, such as flashbacks, are kept to a minimum.

At times, there is something comfortable about a story well told in linear fashion. This approach tends to reinforce Aristotle’s early revelations ...