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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/12269
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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.)

Original score: 8