Nonlinear vs Non-linear

Question

I started to create a tag for "nonlinear" storytelling, and then, decided, based on the common usage, that it should be "non-linear" instead. Even though I deleted all my initial examples, the system won't let me create the new one. Which one should be canonical?

The use would be for storylines that move backwards and forwards in time. There are quite a lot of questions that fit the bill, here are a few:

• How does the 3 act structure fit in a Non Linear story?
• What techniques are used to create non-linear stories?
• Non-Linear Storyline: Dynamic vs. Static chapter sequence

There are 59 questions that come up when you search "non-linear". None is marked with "timelines," and only 8 are marked with "branching-narrative" and only 5 with "time-depiction" indicating definite overlap, but that these are NOT synonyms.

• All branching narratives are non-linear, but relatively few non-linear narratives branch.
• Timelines seems to me to be about managing different settings that are separated by time instead of place, whereas non-linear is more about the storytelling.
• I'm not sure what time-depiction means but it doesn't sound like a synonym for non-linear to me.

Answer 1

I actually disagree with Cyn's answer that timelines and time-depiction cover your proposed usage. They do not appear to me to do so.

I do think there are some unique challenges involved in telling a story where the storyline itself "move[s] backwards and forwards in time", unrelated to how one depicts time or where the characters themselves are time travelling. Those unique challenges could warrant a specific tag; certainly to the point that I'm not saying "we shouldn't have one like that".

However, I feel that just nonlinear (regardless of whether the tag name contains a hyphen or not) isn't a very good name for such a tag. If it is added, I propose the name nonlinear-storyline instead, to emphasize the fact that it isn't about just nonlinearity, but specifically about nonlinear storylines. That also allows for substring matching, so that when someone types either "storyline" or "nonlinear" into the tags field, they see "nonlinear-storyline" as a choice. That should improve discoverability. A bit of further clarification in the tag wiki excerpt can easily clarify that it's about the storyline itself, rather than events within the story.

Answer 2

The more widely accepted phrase seems to be "nonlinear narrative". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_narrative

And I think "nonlinear" without the hyphen is preferable on the ground of simplicity if nothing else. I rather suspect that a lot of the usage of "non-linear" is people using a word that they use rarely and erring on the side of hyphenation because they are not sure that the unhyphenated form is acceptable. But in this case it is acceptable, so let's accept it.

Answer 3

Given that most people seem to use "non-linear" with a hyphen, that seems to be the preferable spelling to use.

Answer 4

I know we don't really have the option of supertags, but [nonlinear] should definitely exist above [branching-narrative].

In addition to the achronological example you cite (and achronological may indeed be the word you are specifically looking for), the theory of nonlinear storytelling encompasses so much more than simple branching. It should encompass environmental storytelling, any form of web/bubble narrative*, etc.

In that sense, [nonlinear] may ultimately be too broad, but it is a good catch-all while the potential subtags aren't in existence or wide use yet.

* Ask me about the PhD I didn't finish! :P

Answer 5

We have two tags for time issues in a work:

timelines

This tag should be used for questions about timelines in written works, such as problems with aligning different timelines because of different PoV's or time-travelling.

This tag should be used for questions about timelines in written works, such as problems with aligning different timelines because of different PoV's or time-travelling.

When you want to ask a question about how you have to set or keep track of the timeline in a written work you should state your medium, such as a novel or a short-story or even a series, as well as the genre, such as horror or comedy. In the question you should list what you have tried and researched and why you think it didn't or wouldn't work, as well as criteria for what you want to achieve.

time-depiction

Questions about depicting time in written works. Do not use for questions about managing time.

For questions about managing your time, balancing writing with other activities, etc, use time-management.

Honestly, looking at this, I'd say these two need to be merged. We certainly don't need a third.

Is there are reason you think nonlinear (with any spelling) is necessary when we already have these others? Or could it be a synonym?