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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: A Knock on a Door
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/).
Prepared by Pamelyn Casto
Posted: February 26, 2023
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In 400 words or less, present a story which starts at the end of your tale,
rather than at the beginning. In a reverse chronology story, the reader is
presented with a puzzle and must put the pieces together to finish the
story.
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The alphabet runs from beginning to end: A, B, C, D, etc. Or it can run
end to beginning: Z, Y, X, W, etc. Likewise, stories can be told from the
beginning to the end or from the end to the beginning. For this exercise,
write a story that begins at the end and progresses backwards to the
beginning.
In a typical story with a beginning, middle and end, the reader follows
each step – the plot line - that leads to the end of the story. In a
reverse chronology story, the reader is first shown the ending and then
reads each part of the plot that leads back to the beginning of the story.
Possibilities for your stories: John was executed (the end) and you lead us
back in time to how this all came about. Or a woman burns down her house
(the end) and you show, step-by-step, how she came to make this decision
(back to the beginning).
To show the reversal of time, you might begin each of your paragraphs or
segments with this phrase: Before that… Alternately, you might use
numbers to begin each paragraph or segment (year or month). Try to be
creative when you show, step by step, the reverse progression of your plot.
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Critique: Were you clear on how the story progressed from end to beginning?
Did the unusual way of telling the story keep your interest? Was the author
creative in showing time or events in reverse? Would you read further if
the writer extended the story?
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.
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