Memory Isn’t Chronological: 3 Creative Nonfiction Tips
By Katie Bannon
1. Real Story: The manuscript that transformed when we ditched chronology.
For months, I worked with a client whose memoir manuscript just wasn’t singing. She’d organized it chronologically, starting with childhood and moving forward year by year. The problem was that chronology had nothing to do with what the book was actually about. Her story wasn’t about when things happened; it was about how desire and belonging kept appearing in different forms throughout her life. Once we broke free from the timeline and reorganized around thematic patterns, the manuscript transformed. Nonlinear structure lets you organize around theme instead of timeline. Memory isn’t chronological; it jumps between moments connected by emotion, image, sensation. Mirror that in your structure, and the story can gain urgency.
2. Craft Tool: Two nonlinear structures and when to use them.
Not every memoir should be chronological. Here are two alternative structures and when they work best. Braided structure: Weave together multiple storylines or timelines that illuminate each other. Use this when your personal story intersects with historical/cultural events, or when you have multiple equally compelling storylines. Associative structure: Connect scenes based on emotional resonance, imagery, or theme rather than timeline. Use this when you think in images and lyrical connections, or when your story mirrors how memory actually works: nonlinear and cyclical. The key to nonlinear structures: justify your choice early, teach readers how to read your book, and use consistent signposts and echoes to keep readers oriented.
3. Publishing Tip: Submit work for The Los Angeles Review Creative Nonfiction Award.
The Los Angeles Review Creative Nonfiction Award offers $1,000 and publication for an exceptional unpublished nonfiction piece up to 2,500 words. The deadline is August 1. Learn more and submit here.
A slightly different version of this post originally appeared in Katie’s newsletter, 3 Lines Deep.
Build Stakes in Your Creative Nonfiction with Katie
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29: “The Dreaded ‘So What’: How to Build Stakes That Make Readers Care,” with Katie Bannon. 6:00–8:00 p.m., virtual via Zoom. Info and registration
Low stakes are the #1 reason personal narratives get rejected. As writers, we’re faced with a dreaded question: How do we get a stranger to care about our lives — and why should they? Learn five key tools for building tension and emotional stakes in personal narratives. Using works by writers like Jesmyn Ward, Helen Macdonald, and Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, we’ll crack the code on how nonfiction writers build high stakes and sustain them throughout their narratives. Then we’ll apply these techniques to your own manuscript through hands-on exercises.
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About Katie
Katie Bannon is a writer, editor, and coach with a passion for helping others tell their truest stories. Her authors have been published in Big Five presses, independent and hybrid publishers, and in hundreds of literary magazines. Her own work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, Narratively, and more. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Emerson College, and her memoir manuscript was named a finalist for the Permafrost Nonfiction Book Prize. She lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband and two very opinionated cats. You can learn more about Katie at: www.katiebannon.com
