In Medias Res
In Medias Res!!!! (Hamilton 167).
I remember this!!! I remember learning this tactic of starting in the middle of things. Obviously a literary term once pounded in my head with every English teacher I ever had. When you think about it, aren't the best stories often suspensful beggining somewhere in the middle of the story which leaves you on the edge trying to figure out not only what is going to happen but what HAS happened to get thus far? Even in most television shows nowadays, the storyline will begin in the middle. Lost, Cold Case, and other crime shows often follow this pattern of plot.
I like this idea alot. There is suspense all around. One example of a book I read Slaughterhouse Five, (terrible book, in my opinon) had random things happening out of order, partly because it was about time traveling, but also the story began in the middle of the man's life then later traveling back to his younger days where significant events occurred tying the book together.
I think it is clever.
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I really liked your entry because I think you make a very good point about conflict placement. Personally, I’m a fan of James Patterson (a lot) and he normally starts off on a suspenseful note within the first sentence of the novel. Although he immediately throws you into the piece, the story itself really doesn’t start to unfold until the middle. What I love about this tactic is that he leaves you on a cliffhanger and you honestly cannot just quit after a chapter because you NEED to know what is going to happen next.