If you’ve been stuck on chapter one for weeks, I have good news. You don’t have to write your book in order. Writing a book out of order is common, and for many nonfiction authors, it’s the faster path to a finished draft.
That’s how I wrote We Don’t Get to Ring the Bell, and how I am writing my next memoir. I write where I feel led, embracing the muse. More practically, I write the stories that are top of mind and related to a chapter in the book, one at a time, and on a schedule. A schedule matters, especially if you have an editor or publisher waiting for your final draft. Honestly, focus matters more than whether you write your book out of order or in chapter order.
Don’t let the book writing process stop you from telling your story.
In this article, you will see why reading order and writing order differ, how to choose what to write next, and where this approach fits into my memoir writing STORIES Framework.
Key Takeaways
- Your book’s reading order and your writing order don’t have to match.
- Write the chapter that feels most ready today, and let the harder chapters wait.
- If you blog, you’ve been writing your book out of order all along. Those posts are raw material for your manuscript.
- A running list of chapters or topics keeps you organized while you draft in any order.
- In the STORIES Framework, you settle the final sequence during Evaluating, after the material exists.
The Order You Read Isn’t the Order You Write
A finished book has a sequence for a good reason. Readers need a beginning, middle, and end that build on each other. That sequence describes the final product, however. It says nothing about your book writing process.
Many authors draft out of order. Some write the ending first, so they know where the book is headed. Others start with the story that won’t leave them alone. Writing a book chapter by chapter often means staring at a blank page for the one chapter that isn’t ready yet.
If your book comes from your own life, this matters even more. Certain chapters come easily because you’ve told the story 100 times. Others take longer because the material is still raw, or because you’re processing it as you write. Both belong in the same book.
Bloggers Already Write Out of Order
Bloggers rarely publish in a neat sequence. You write about what happened this week, what a client asked, or what kept you up at night. Over time, those posts add up to a body of work with no table of contents.
That isn’t a problem. In fact, it’s a head start. Each post is a chapter draft, a story, or an idea you’ve already tested with readers. The work ahead is gathering those pieces, spotting themes, and filling the gaps, not starting from a blank page.
If that sounds like you, How to Turn Your Blog Into a Book walks through the method step by step. For guided support, From Posts to Pages is my program for writers who already have a body of content.
How to Know What to Write Next
Keep a Running List
Before you choose a chapter, list the chapters, stories, or topics you plan to cover. Bloggers can start with their post titles. This list becomes your map, and it keeps out-of-order drafting from turning into chaos.
Start With What Feels Alive
Instead of starting at the top of that list, scan it and ask yourself one question. What story do I want to tell today? Write that one. If the answer changes from week to week, that’s fine. Momentum matters more than sequence during drafting.
Let the Hard Chapters Wait
Some chapters come together quickly. Others take longer, especially when the material is personal. That’s allowed. If a chapter keeps resisting you, set it aside and write something else. Once you’ve built momentum, the hard chapters become easier to write.
Writing Out of Order Within the STORIES Framework
Writing out of order isn’t a workaround. Rather, it fits the STORIES Framework, my 7-stage method for taking a book from idea to publication: Spark, Tidying, Outlining, Running with It, Immersing, Evaluating, and Sharing.
During Tidying, you gather what you already have, including blog posts, notes, and half-finished drafts. Outlining then gives those pieces a working shape. The outline is a map, though, not a marching order.
Running with It is where most of the drafting happens, one piece at a time. You aren’t expected to move through your material in a straight line. Instead, you get the words down wherever they’re ready.
When I’m working with a book ghostwriting client, we often talk through a topic and make a note that part of the conversation belongs in a later chapter. We don’t stop to force it into place. We capture it and keep going. If you’re writing your own book, make a note and keep writing.
Later, during Evaluating, you step back, read what you’ve built, and settle the final sequence.
The question is then, why force sequence before you have the material? Structure is a revision job, not a drafting job.
Write It When You’re Ready, Not When It’s Next
Writing a book out of order isn’t a shortcut or a sign that something is wrong. Often, it’s how personal, story-driven books get written. The easy chapters and the slow ones belong to the same process.
If you’re wondering whether you’re doing it right, there’s more than one right way. What matters is that you keep writing, in whatever order the material lets you.
Not sure your stories have a shape yet? Start with Your Book on One Page, a free guide that condenses your book idea onto a single page. If you want support along the way, book coaching keeps your momentum going without losing sight of the bigger picture. You can also schedule a free consultation to talk through where you are in the process.
Everyone has a story. Yours just needs to be told.
Related Links
- Your Book Might Already Be Written: Turn Existing Content into a Book
- Powerful Blogging Tips for Memoir Writers
- Started but Can’t Finish Your Book? Here’s Your Next Step
- Too Busy to Write Your Book? Here Are Easy Ways to Get Started
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it okay to write a book out of order?
Yes. Many authors draft out of sequence. What matters is getting the material written, and you can sort out the order during revision.
How do I know which chapter to write next?
Pick the story that feels most ready today. If a chapter stalls, move to another one and come back later.
Will writing out of order make my manuscript disorganized?
Not if you keep a running list of chapters or topics. That list becomes your map when you arrange the pieces into a final sequence.
Can I turn my blog posts into a book?
Yes. Blog posts make strong raw material because you’ve already written and tested the ideas. The work is grouping them by theme, filling the gaps, and revising them so they read as one book.
What if I skip a chapter and never come back to it?
That rarely happens once a draft takes shape. As the rest of the manuscript comes together, the avoided chapter usually becomes easier to approach.
Do I need a full outline before I start writing?
No. A general list of chapters or topics is enough to begin. A detailed outline can come later, once you know what material you have.
Anne McAuley Lopez is a content writer and nonfiction book coach based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She specializes in book coaching and ghostwriting services for entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and nonprofit leaders ready to write their stories.
