Jumping between points in time in narrative
Is it acceptable for a writer to jump back in time for a whole chapter?
I don't mean a flashback, I mean more like, for example, chapter 5 happening in 25/06/2014 and then the next (Chapter 6) happening in 24/06/2014? I would be using this to explain how certain thing came to pass, example, army 1 is fighting army 2 and currently losing, and then all of the sudden army 3 arrives and saves the day, but noone knows how or why army 3 arrived, so in the next chapter I go back in time to explain how army 3 got there.
And sometimes I would go even further back, example, chapter 7 being in 26/06/2014 and then chapter 8 in 12/09/1932, because something happened in 1932 that is now going to affect events in 2014 heavily.
Would this be an acceptable thing to do? And if the books kept jumping in time every chapter (of course stating the date at the beggining) Would it still be acceptable?
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2 answers
Nonlinear narratives are a particular favorite of mine. Yes, it's possible to do this, but it can be tricky to set things up so they're not confusing to the reader. But if you have a good reason to present things to the reader out of order, it can be a very powerful way to set up a book.
You'll have to do some work to make sure the reader is oriented. Putting a date at the beginning of a chapter is a start, but lots of clues in the story itself would also help.
Nonlinear techniques allow you to present information to the reader exactly when they need it. They also let you start a story in the most interesting part of the tale, and pace it however you want.
One of my favorite movies is Pulp Fiction, and that film succeeds in great part to its use of these devices. We get a great view of the characters due to the order in which we encounter them. The film goes so far as to have a character die, then we see him again (but we know he's doomed). Yet it's never confusing, because the story is very clear. The script is available online, you may want to spend some time reading it. (It's also a hell of a page-turner.)
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As long as you very clearly indicate the date at the beginning of each chapter, so the reader isn't lost, sure, go for it.
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