in medias res. Defined in Creative Writer's Handbook as "'In the middle of things.' The strategy of beginning a literary or dramatic work in the midst of the action rather than at the beginning of the chronlogical sequence. See point of attack."
Okay, so point of attack is: "Moment in a literary or dramatic work at which the plot, but not necessarily the story, begins."
Sometimes when we read back over a rough draft, we can see that a revision where we begin in medias res would be better than a chronological organization of events.
A movie that begins in medias res:
Raging Bull.
A novel? Mary Shelley's Frankenstein:
Okay, so point of attack is: "Moment in a literary or dramatic work at which the plot, but not necessarily the story, begins."
Sometimes when we read back over a rough draft, we can see that a revision where we begin in medias res would be better than a chronological organization of events.
A movie that begins in medias res:
Raging Bull.
A video game that begins in medias res and goes backward:
A novel? Mary Shelley's Frankenstein:
Great post and some great advice here.
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)