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I'm trying to write a short based on myths. Is it a good, bad, or awful idea to insert, after each scene break, excerpts from myths and legends (very short excerpts, one or two paragraphs at most)?
It sets the mood nicely, but I'm afraid it might break away too much from the real narration (what happens to my MC).
posted
I recently did something similar with a short SF story using biblical quotes from the New Testament. The story was critiqued in several stages by about 20 people. No one said they hated the usage and several said they liked the way it split the scenes of the story, so I know this kind of thing can work. I think the important thing is to make the snipettes relevant to the plot of the story and to each scene that they start.
Posts: 326 | Registered: Sep 2005
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Oh, I agree, try it out...though a short story seems too small a field to use more than brief comments about more than one myth or legend. (After all, Tolkien put lengthy slices of myth in a very lengthy story.)
Of course, I may be completely missing the point here. Are the myths / legends part of the culture of the story and created for the purpose, or our own culture's, where they are just, well, around? Or maybe some other existing culture's myths / legends are in play here?
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I like the idea personally. I agree that it breaks up a scene and prepares you for the next. Now, just to make sure I understand, the quote would prepare you for the next scene,yes?
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Not exactly, although it would have a connection with the scene. The narration deals with the same characters throughout, but at each break I insert a mini-quote.
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It may not be plain to people who can't understand unless everything is pointed out but, I like stories that make me think.
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I've seen this sort of thing done as a quote or preface to each chapter of a novel, but it seems that it would slow down the narrative in a short story. Although, I will admit I prefer short stories that run fairly quickly through the plot.
Posts: 266 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Its a tool, like a lot of them the tool needs to be used properly for the right job. From what you say it seems you are using the right tool for your story. How about putting an example in the F/F section?
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I did something like this. Everyone wanted to see more of the myths, which was a problem, because I was mostly concerned with the main story! Anyway, it can definitely work.
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I think this sort of header can work to slow things down on purpose. That's a little inaccurate. If significant amounts of time pass between sections of a short story, then taking the reader somewhere else can help, precisely because it does break the action up.
If things move very quickly, then that slowing might not work for you. As Beth says, try it. It's easy enough to cut them later.
Actually...what I might recommend would be to write the story without them first, just use a placeholder, and then add them in after. That way the story can still stand on it's own for those folks who skip header text.
[This message has been edited by MaryRobinette (edited February 01, 2006).]
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Mary: I've actually got the story (it's "City of the Gods", for the LHers who remember it)
A fair number of people complained about the lack of background, both on LH and another forum, though, so I thought I could insert some quotes to give a feel for the civilization. It's short, though, so I worried about slowing it down.
Thanks everyone for the answers! I'll be mulling this over (and trying it).
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(it's "City of the Gods", for the LHers who remember it)
