M. L. Davis provides us with an excellent article about how a timeline helps us write our novel. We can find the post published on the ‘Uninspired Writers’ blog. Thank you, M. L. Davis
________________________________________________________________
Some writers are plotters. Others are pantsers. There’s no right way to do it. There are pros and cons to plotting, and it’s up to you to decide what works best. Personally, I’m a plotter. Typically, my plotting consists of a basic outline and little else. It worked for two novels. But on my third, I was struggling. I spent ages trying to figure out why my story wouldn’t work before it hit me. I’d not sussed out the timeline, not properly. And once I had, it changed everything. As such, I’m sharing 5 ways that a timeline helps you write your novel.
Figuring out backstory
Not all backstory needs to be written. I would even go as far as to say most backstory doesn’t need to be written. But as a writer, it’s helpful to know where things started for your characters. It’s important to know what happened before the events of the first chapter. This way, you know what to include and what to omit. It also enables you to add depth to your characters, as undoubtedly their past has shaped them.
Avoiding plot holes
A number of things can cause plot holes, and time is definitely one of them. If your characters and their story are to be believable, then time must move in the way it should. Even if your fictional world has it’s own concept of time, you should adhere to the rules you set for it. Savvy readers are likely to pick up on things that don’t flow naturally.
Writer's Treasure Chest 
Boy do I understand these problems. Having a long-lived character like Nathan has created a number of issues for me with the people he’s known and things he’s done since 1865. LOL!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can imagine. That’s the good thing when you leave any numbers away, like I do in my fantasy books. Thinks happen when they happen… in other dimensions time runs differently.
LikeLike