S is for SEQUENCE & STORY PROGRESSION #AtoZChallenge

Hi everyone! Thank you for checking out my blog. Throughout the month of April I will be posting each day with a letter of the alphabet that pertains to my theme of Scrapbooking.

This sunny Saturday morning's letter is an important part of both writing and scrapbooking - S is for SEQUENCE & STORY PROGRESSION.

Sequence is the pattern in which you layout your photos, images, and page elements in order to best tell a story. This applies mainly to pictures, but it can include any visual that plays into your theme.

The concept really speaks to the author side of my brain – it asks the question, “What order of photos/images/symbols would best illustrate this event?”

The most commonly used sequence is linear. A straight timeline of images.

This was a visit with my friend’s son. The photos are in order and sequential, the little boy sharing his hat.

The layout is simple but clearly conveys the fun of the moment.

Sequence can follow other patterns as well, the images can be placed in a meandering or in a diagonal order. I’ll go into more detail with this in my final post – Z is for ZONES, but any arrangement that utilizes image placement contributes to the sequence of your page.  

The second part of our S - Story Progression - goes hand-in-hand with sequence because it moves the reader through “steps” of the story.

This page is of a trail ride I took with a group. (I enjoyed revisiting this memory.)

Here is a field trip to Philadelphia. As you see, the photos don’t have to be in a solid timeline, but like step-stones, they still transition from one image to the next.

My last example is a favorite. Every spring the farm near my home lets the sheep out to graze in the front pastures where the passersbys can see the baby lambs.

I love the two little ones lying next to their momma in the upper-left. That brings a smile to my face every time I see it. It reminds me of the expression, "Two shakes of a lamb's tail," which means, "quick."  J

In this example there is no definitive timeline, but the layout allows the viewer to move through the nuances of the moment.

Images are powerful, and the sequence adds to their impact.

And that wraps up week three of our challenge. I appreciate you checking out my posts! Tomorrow is a break day, but next week marks a seven day countdown of the last of our letters.

I have more Scrapbooking know-how in store, so please come back on Monday – T is for TEARING.

See you then!

-         SNG