---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a very linear story line for this…"
description: "\"I had a very linear story line for this particular play, and I wanted to open the piece up a bit, so I started doing that with my writing. I would desc..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/philip-kan-gotanda-77400_actor_i-had-a-very-linear-story-line-for-this_2809273.jpg"
---

#  I had a very linear story line for this particular play…

![“I had a very linear story line for this particular play, and I wanted to open the piece up a bit, so I started doing that with my writing. I would describe fragments of scenes on index cards, then move the card around to see how it changed the piece.” quote by Philip Kan Gotanda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/philip-kan-gotanda-77400_actor_i-had-a-very-linear-story-line-for-this_2809273.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/philip-kan-gotanda-77400_actor_i-had-a-very-linear-story-line-for-this_2809273.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/philip-kan-gotanda-77400_actor_i-had-a-very-linear-story-line-for-this_2809273.jpg)

> “I had a very linear story line for this particular play, and I wanted to open the piece up a bit, so I started doing that with my writing. I would describe fragments of scenes on index cards, then move the card around to see how it changed the piece.”

Philip Kan Gotanda

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Non‑linear storytelling can be explored by physically rearranging scene fragments to discover new structures.

**In simple terms:** Rearrange story pieces for fresh narratives.

Key Takeaway

Experiment with structure.

Themes

storytelling creativity structure

Mood

curious experimental

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- playwriting
- novel drafting
- workshop exercises

Key Concepts

non‑linear narrative writing process

Questions to Reflect On

- How does rearranging scenes change meaning?
- What structure best serves your story’s theme?

A Different Perspective

Audience may find non‑linear plots confusing.

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