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<blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 1687191" data-attributes="member: 812"><p>There are no rules. Anyone who says there are (especially me) is lying. I suspect this has to do with my comments on Macbeth's story being a backwards one. Note what I actually said, please:</p><p></p><p>I'm not saying it can't be done. Nor am I trying to discourage anyone from trying it -- but I AM encouraging anyone who wants to try it to consider carefully WHY they think it's a good idea.</p><p></p><p>Some stories are done this way and are brilliant. I agree. But if you're writing your story, and it occurs to you that structuring it this way would be really cool -- take ten seconds and ask yourself if you're just doing this because if you did it in linear fashion the story wouldn't be worth reading.</p><p></p><p><em>The Usual Suspects</em> is a good story either way. As is <em>Momento</em>. They use the backwards structure to accomplish something very specific, and I would agree that by and large they succeed.</p><p></p><p>Make sure you're attempting to do the same if you decide to try a backwards story, is all I'm saying. Telling bad stories backwards in the incorrect belief that this makes it more interesting is a common mistake of inexperienced writers. I can't tell you how many stories of that nature I have read.</p><p></p><p>Not because it's a secret, because there's been lots of them. And I didn't keep count. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></p><p></p><p>I'll repeat my previous comment: there's nothing wrong with mystery. There's only a problem if mystery is ALL the story has.</p><p></p><p>ANYONE can write a story in which the reader doesn't know what's happening. That takes no skill whatsoever. Anyone can write a story of apparently senseless events and then provide a clever explanation at the end of it. So what? The challenge is in creating a story that provides not just mystery but an emotional tension that builds the desire to see the story through to its resolution in the reader. Not just to "see how it turns out", but to share in the experience of the story.</p><p></p><p>If you think I said telling it backwards makes it a bad story, I misspoke. What I meant to say is that if a story is told backwards, nine times out of ten it's because it was a bad story to begin with, and the author told it backward in order to easily add a sense of mystery to what wasn't worth reading in the first place. But taking a good story and telling it backwards doesn't make it a bad story. Sorry if I gave anyone that impression.</p><p></p><p>I'm also sorry if anyone thinks I'm being excessively harsh in my judgements. I'm trying very very hard to give people who I know have worked their hearts out doing something I know is really difficult some useful feedback on their writing. I work on the assumption that if you submit your story, you already have the desire to write. You don't need me to provide cheerleading -- my best value to you is my honest, undiluted opinion. The cheerleading you'll have to look elsewhere for.</p><p></p><p>People who tell what you've done wrong, what you did that made them NOT like your story -- those are the people that are trying to help you.</p><p></p><p>I'm not saying it's a disaster if you like a little support every now and then. But if you want to write, get writing, find some people who will tell you what's wrong with your writing, and listen to them, and get better.</p><p></p><p>But I am saying that if all I provide you with is a little cheerleading routine, you might as well have not submitted your story. I take everyone's work in this contest very seriously. All the contestants have accomplished great things and I hope nobody is discouraged at their judgements. It is my hope that you would be MORE discouraged if I dishonestly told you everything was great and every story here was ready for publication. I feel like it's my responsibility to look for as many problems in every story as I possibly can, and to report those as faithfully and straightforwardly as I can.</p><p></p><p>Whew. Long-winded barsoomcore is obviously who's sitting at the keyboard right now. I guess the short form is: The fact that I'm writing critiques as detailed as I am should tell you how seriously I take these stories. If anyone wants me to spend less energy on this contest, well, it's kind of late now.</p><p></p><p> <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="barsoomcore, post: 1687191, member: 812"] There are no rules. Anyone who says there are (especially me) is lying. I suspect this has to do with my comments on Macbeth's story being a backwards one. Note what I actually said, please: I'm not saying it can't be done. Nor am I trying to discourage anyone from trying it -- but I AM encouraging anyone who wants to try it to consider carefully WHY they think it's a good idea. Some stories are done this way and are brilliant. I agree. But if you're writing your story, and it occurs to you that structuring it this way would be really cool -- take ten seconds and ask yourself if you're just doing this because if you did it in linear fashion the story wouldn't be worth reading. [i]The Usual Suspects[/i] is a good story either way. As is [i]Momento[/i]. They use the backwards structure to accomplish something very specific, and I would agree that by and large they succeed. Make sure you're attempting to do the same if you decide to try a backwards story, is all I'm saying. Telling bad stories backwards in the incorrect belief that this makes it more interesting is a common mistake of inexperienced writers. I can't tell you how many stories of that nature I have read. Not because it's a secret, because there's been lots of them. And I didn't keep count. :D I'll repeat my previous comment: there's nothing wrong with mystery. There's only a problem if mystery is ALL the story has. ANYONE can write a story in which the reader doesn't know what's happening. That takes no skill whatsoever. Anyone can write a story of apparently senseless events and then provide a clever explanation at the end of it. So what? The challenge is in creating a story that provides not just mystery but an emotional tension that builds the desire to see the story through to its resolution in the reader. Not just to "see how it turns out", but to share in the experience of the story. If you think I said telling it backwards makes it a bad story, I misspoke. What I meant to say is that if a story is told backwards, nine times out of ten it's because it was a bad story to begin with, and the author told it backward in order to easily add a sense of mystery to what wasn't worth reading in the first place. But taking a good story and telling it backwards doesn't make it a bad story. Sorry if I gave anyone that impression. I'm also sorry if anyone thinks I'm being excessively harsh in my judgements. I'm trying very very hard to give people who I know have worked their hearts out doing something I know is really difficult some useful feedback on their writing. I work on the assumption that if you submit your story, you already have the desire to write. You don't need me to provide cheerleading -- my best value to you is my honest, undiluted opinion. The cheerleading you'll have to look elsewhere for. People who tell what you've done wrong, what you did that made them NOT like your story -- those are the people that are trying to help you. I'm not saying it's a disaster if you like a little support every now and then. But if you want to write, get writing, find some people who will tell you what's wrong with your writing, and listen to them, and get better. But I am saying that if all I provide you with is a little cheerleading routine, you might as well have not submitted your story. I take everyone's work in this contest very seriously. All the contestants have accomplished great things and I hope nobody is discouraged at their judgements. It is my hope that you would be MORE discouraged if I dishonestly told you everything was great and every story here was ready for publication. I feel like it's my responsibility to look for as many problems in every story as I possibly can, and to report those as faithfully and straightforwardly as I can. Whew. Long-winded barsoomcore is obviously who's sitting at the keyboard right now. I guess the short form is: The fact that I'm writing critiques as detailed as I am should tell you how seriously I take these stories. If anyone wants me to spend less energy on this contest, well, it's kind of late now. :p [/QUOTE]
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