How to

Reorder Scenes

Scenes in Radial Timeline can be reordered in two ways: by renaming the scene title or by dragging scenes in Narrative Mode.

---

Method 1: Reorder by Scene Title (All Versions)

Radial Timeline uses the leading scene number in the scene title to determine order.

Example:

1 Tom rides a bike

• 1 = scene order
• Tom rides a bike = scene title

To move the scene, change the leading number:

3 Tom rides a bike

The scene is now treated as Scene 3.
Only the number controls ordering—the text after it is the title.

---

Acts and Scene Order

Scene order is act-specific.

If you change the scene number but do not update the Act, the scene will move to the new position within its current act.

Example YAML:

Act: 1

If you rename a scene to the highest number in the manuscript but leave Act: 1, it will become the last scene of Act 1, not the last scene overall.

To move a scene to a different act, update the YAML:

Act: 3

Always update both:

• the scene number in the title
• the Act field in YAML, if changing acts

---

Method 2: Drag & Drop (Narrative Mode Only)

In recent versions of Radial Timeline:

• Switch to Narrative Mode
• Drag the numbered scene squares on the outer ring (cursor becomes double arrow)
• Drop the scene into its new position on the numbered scene square
• Confirm the change when prompted

This method automatically updates ordering for you.

Note: You can only drag a scene to another act if that act already contains at least one scene. To move a scene to an empty act, either create a new scene in that act first or manually update the Act field in the scene's YAML frontmatter.

---

Summary

• Scene order is controlled by the number at the start of the title
• Scene order is scoped to the Act
• Changing acts requires updating the YAML Act: field
• Narrative Mode supports drag-and-drop reordering

Manage Subplots in Bulk

Need to rename or delete a subplot across dozens of scenes? Use the Subplot Manager command (command palette → “Radial Timeline: Open Subplot Manager”). The modal lets you:

• Rename a subplot and automatically update the frontmatter of every scene using it.
• Delete a subplot and strip the tag from all scenes in one action.

This is especially helpful after reorganizing your B/C plots—you no longer have to hunt through every note manually.

Other Key Workflows

• Zero Draft Mode: Prevent edits to completed scenes to focus on forward momentum. See Zero Draft Mode.
• AI Analysis: Analyze your scenes for pacing and consistency. See AI Analysis.