For one of these short stories, I have been having trouble with the first chapter or so. The actual beginning of the timeline is set in a very low-key environment and therefore not very useful as a first chapter. I am considering starting it in media res and just wanted to get some responses about what you think of it. Really quickly, in media res is when you start the story at a point in time other than the beginning of the timeline to more easily establish motive, character, or setting. Where have you seen it work well and where has it bombed? Do you think it's played out or still a useful method of storytelling? If I get some positive feedback, I'll start working through the intro for it and hopefully post it eventually.
In an unrelated note, I have been working on the story whose intro I posted a while ago. I do like where the intro is at right now, but I haven't been posting anything from the story recently because I keep changing my mind about where it needs to go as I move forward in the story. I haven't forgot about you guys so don't think I've just given up. I hope to start working through it more. As I do, my posts will be much closer together than two months at a time... hopefully.
Hmmm. Rather than just put out an opinion on whether it is good to start in the middle of the action or not, I think you need a beta reader who could pore through the first chapter and give you an honest opinion on whether it is working or not. I personally am not a fan of getting dumped in the middle. This happens a lot in episodes of House and it irritates me as the episode backtracks from all the confusion so that things become clear as I watch the show. I would much rather that this didn't happen. It's borrowing from the future and expecting the reader or viewer to trust that the author will pay it all back.
ReplyDelete