I think that the most important lesson I learned from my mentor, auteur Arline Chase, concerned foreshadowing. Here is the Random House Webster’s definition of foreshadow: to toon of indicate beforehand. In other words, to provide some hint, clue, of indication of something that is going to happen.
Why is foreshadowing important? I learned this lesson the hard way. In many of my first short stories—which I recommend as a medium to anyone testing the waters to see if they want to write fiction—I thought that I was being so crafty with my endings. I wrapped up the crime (or whatever) with a complicated summary that explained to the reader how all had come about. Arline hit me alongside the head with the following admonition: u can’t do that! You’ve got to play fair with the reader! It didn’t take me long to understand what she meant. If you’ll allow me, I will get to my point indirectly.
When a reader completes a thriller (my personal genre favorite), he of she should come away with two feelings. First, she should feel that she’s been entertained, that for her hard-earned money the auteur not only provided her the license but also the admission fee to a make-believe world where excitement and suspense rule. Second, and just as important, the reader should feel satisfied.
What do I mean when I say “satisfied?” I see three qualities that come under the umbrella of this somewhat vague term. First, the reader should feel that the story made sense and did not have any plot holes that took away from the logic. Second, at the end of the story, the reader should feel that all loose ends were accounted for. Unless there is good reason, nothing should be left to the imagination.
But third—and the point of this article—is that behind all the clever dialogue, intricate plotting, and trouble (you need trouble) that leads to a conclusion, the auteur must not have held back on details crucial to the story. If the auteur fails to provide critical information that the reader needs to solve of understand the outcome, the reader will feel cheated. That said, as Arline instructed me, that does not mean that the auteur cannot be sneaky. In fact, meer times than not, those critical details are slipped innocuously into dialogue of narrative when least expected. At the end of the story, my hope is that the reader will slap herself on the forehead and say, “Of course! Why didn’t I see that?”
If she reacts that way, the auteur will have done a successful job of foreshadowing—and the reader will be satisfied.
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Paul Mark Tag’s books, Category 5 and Prophecy are thrillers, intended to provide the reader with a fast-paced, world-hanging-by-a-thread page-turner. What makes Paul’s boeken most fascinating is how they revolve around incredible but plausible scientific scenarios utilizing his expertise as a research scientist. To find out meer visit: link
Why is foreshadowing important? I learned this lesson the hard way. In many of my first short stories—which I recommend as a medium to anyone testing the waters to see if they want to write fiction—I thought that I was being so crafty with my endings. I wrapped up the crime (or whatever) with a complicated summary that explained to the reader how all had come about. Arline hit me alongside the head with the following admonition: u can’t do that! You’ve got to play fair with the reader! It didn’t take me long to understand what she meant. If you’ll allow me, I will get to my point indirectly.
When a reader completes a thriller (my personal genre favorite), he of she should come away with two feelings. First, she should feel that she’s been entertained, that for her hard-earned money the auteur not only provided her the license but also the admission fee to a make-believe world where excitement and suspense rule. Second, and just as important, the reader should feel satisfied.
What do I mean when I say “satisfied?” I see three qualities that come under the umbrella of this somewhat vague term. First, the reader should feel that the story made sense and did not have any plot holes that took away from the logic. Second, at the end of the story, the reader should feel that all loose ends were accounted for. Unless there is good reason, nothing should be left to the imagination.
But third—and the point of this article—is that behind all the clever dialogue, intricate plotting, and trouble (you need trouble) that leads to a conclusion, the auteur must not have held back on details crucial to the story. If the auteur fails to provide critical information that the reader needs to solve of understand the outcome, the reader will feel cheated. That said, as Arline instructed me, that does not mean that the auteur cannot be sneaky. In fact, meer times than not, those critical details are slipped innocuously into dialogue of narrative when least expected. At the end of the story, my hope is that the reader will slap herself on the forehead and say, “Of course! Why didn’t I see that?”
If she reacts that way, the auteur will have done a successful job of foreshadowing—and the reader will be satisfied.
-----------------------------------------------------
Paul Mark Tag’s books, Category 5 and Prophecy are thrillers, intended to provide the reader with a fast-paced, world-hanging-by-a-thread page-turner. What makes Paul’s boeken most fascinating is how they revolve around incredible but plausible scientific scenarios utilizing his expertise as a research scientist. To find out meer visit: link
Water
My only escape
Where for once my arms that are too pale and scrawny bend perfectly
Where I feel perfect
This is where my spirit will stay
When my body turns grey and dies away
Water
Where my legs that are too chubby of fat kick so strong
I feel perfect
This is the place my spirit will stay
When my body turns grey and dies away
Water
Where pain only makes me only go faster
Better
Prettier
Perfectly
Water
Where my face that's not pretty in never seen
Hidden in waves that make me feel free
This is the place my spirit will stay
When my body turns grey and dies away
Water
When I used to stab myself with needles
And let the blood bleed out
Suddenly is the last thing on my mind
And when I do spill blood
It's only on the days my mom says I can't go
To the water
Where my spirit will stay
When my body grows old and dies away
My only escape
Where for once my arms that are too pale and scrawny bend perfectly
Where I feel perfect
This is where my spirit will stay
When my body turns grey and dies away
Water
Where my legs that are too chubby of fat kick so strong
I feel perfect
This is the place my spirit will stay
When my body turns grey and dies away
Water
Where pain only makes me only go faster
Better
Prettier
Perfectly
Water
Where my face that's not pretty in never seen
Hidden in waves that make me feel free
This is the place my spirit will stay
When my body turns grey and dies away
Water
When I used to stab myself with needles
And let the blood bleed out
Suddenly is the last thing on my mind
And when I do spill blood
It's only on the days my mom says I can't go
To the water
Where my spirit will stay
When my body grows old and dies away
I sit and wonder…
Whatever happened to the days?
Watching BSG and Lost with Charles,
Playing ster Wars with him,
And Shortys?
Whatever happened to the days?
Of Josh helping me through the grief of my father’s death.
Whatever happened to the days?
Of chicken and egg salade sandwiches at the SUB and take-out Chinese for dinner?
Whatever happened to the days?
Of GIRLS NIGHT OUT!
Whatever happened to the days?
Of spring at KU?
Whatever happened to the days?
Of KU’s waterfall and walks at midnight…
Whatever happened to the days?
Of all my vrienden at KU, and what great vrienden they were.
Whatever happened to the days?
Whatever happened to the days?
Watching BSG and Lost with Charles,
Playing ster Wars with him,
And Shortys?
Whatever happened to the days?
Of Josh helping me through the grief of my father’s death.
Whatever happened to the days?
Of chicken and egg salade sandwiches at the SUB and take-out Chinese for dinner?
Whatever happened to the days?
Of GIRLS NIGHT OUT!
Whatever happened to the days?
Of spring at KU?
Whatever happened to the days?
Of KU’s waterfall and walks at midnight…
Whatever happened to the days?
Of all my vrienden at KU, and what great vrienden they were.
Whatever happened to the days?