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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/19174
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I don't think there's a name for the technique aside from nonlinear storytelling or nonlinear narrative. A story is "nonlinear" when it's not told in the order in which events occur, but the for a story to be truly nonlinear, we should be talking about a structure more complex than just a flashback or a framing story set in a different time. ("So," she said, putting her drink down, "this is what happened that day last week...")

The technique of presenting a story to the reader out of order can be difficult and it can be confusing. Used well, it can enhance a story significantly; the reader is shown events in the order that the author decides will enhance them. It allows the story to be constructed without the straightjacket of linear cause-and-effect, but the cost of that is increased complexity in plotting and keeping track of story elements. Character development can also be tricker: A character could be seasoned in one scene, naive and untried in the next.

Good uses of the technique:

- **Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind** uses a non-linear technique to simulate the confusion of one of the characters, who literally knows no more than the audience despite her having lived through events; the other protagonist is reasserting his love for her at the same time. This gives the audience an opportunity to sympathize with both of them (although there are creepy, disturbing undertones to the process). 

- **8 1/2** can also be seen as an example of a related technique: _in medias res_, where the story starts in the middle of the action, often in the middle of an exciting scene. The film is a series of flashbacks, some real and some not; all from the viewpoint of an _auteur_ working on his next film. We get a glimpse into a brilliantly creative but disturbed and unsettled mind. 

- **Slaughterhouse Five** has a character literally living his life out of order. Kurt Vonnegut once said: [Start as close to the end as possible](https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/04/03/kurt-vonnegut-on-writing-stories/), and this book is a good demonstration of the technique. The technique here gives us a sense of helpless inevitability, partially due to the author tying scenes to actual, historical events in World War II. 

It's important to not allow a nonlinear story become simply a chaotic one. Note that all of the examples above are by creators with a strong personal style. A tale that's not told in order can be unified by strong characters, strong themes, or both. The reader has to trust the writer for a nonlinear technique to work, so it's important to foster a sense of immediate gratification in the audience. For example, the prologue in "Pulp Fiction" is a small, fun self-contained story with interesting characters, serving as an example of the entire film in microcosm.

Original score: 2