Linear, according to WordWeb, is of or in or along or relating to a line; involving a single dimension; “a linear foot”. The synonym is ‘one-dimensional’.
According to Nancy Kress, author of Beginnings, Middles and Ends, the writer tells the story in a linear way, rather than movies that present all the information in lumps since it is visual. The reader needs to be led through the book, giving them all the information by the end.
I am visually oriented and ‘see’ the story of the novel, like a movie. I need to be able to break that down so it is in linear format. Lorna, the love of my life for the past 14 and a half years and therefore is getting better at knowing how to present information to me, says it is like a ball of string. I have the rolled up ball, the novel, in my head. I need to unroll it, presenting the reader with the string, showing them the novel in that line rather than saying ‘here is the ball’ and getting upset that they don’t understand it.
Well duh!
Here is Kelly and Grace and daughter Lucy, they are going to work out their differences and find similarities and then eventually form a family. Kelly is still freaking about the death of her partner two years ago. Grace is wanting stability in her life after several years of bad luck. And Lucy is wanting a family, something she’s never really had.
That is the ball of string. Why would the death of her partner two years ago still have Kelly freaked? She’s a strong woman, physically and mentally, yet she’s still held back by that. Why? Well, there’s the ball and you can’t figure it out?
Sure, after several years of bad luck, any one would want stability. Why is Grace’s situation different? What about her daughter? Can’t you figure it out?
How about if I start unrolling this ball of string, showing you this is Kelly, see how she thinks and behaves? now, here is how she sees her work and her friends. Here is how her partner died. Now, knowing all this, the reason she is still focused on it makes more sense, doesn’t it?
Last night I started at the beginning of Butch Girls, again, and presented it linearly. I assumed nothing. I presented the information as if you, the reader, had no clue of the story because, duh, you don’t, other than the blurb on the back of the book.