I don't know if that's the right word for it. When a story starts with something, then goes onto something else, and then comes back to the beginning. There's sort of a story within a story. Does this make any sense? I know I've seen it done before, but I'm drawing a blank name of the example I'm thinking of. It's a well known story where this guy meets his father and they end up trying to go to different restaurants, but the father keeps doing things where they have to leave that place and go to a different place. But the beginning and end of the story are kind of in the same headspace for the narrator. It's been a while since I read it, and I hope I'm remembering it correctly. I think this is called bookends, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I don't particularly like this form in short stories (even though I really enjoyed the story I forget the title and author of), but I've kind of written a few stories where I sort of did this without thinking. What do you guys think about short stories like this? Is this something writers try to avoid? Writers try to do? What makes this work and what makes this not work? If you know any short stories that do this, I would love some examples. Thanks.
Bookended stories
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I'm not a hundred percent sure I know what you're getting at. What you've described isn't book ending as I understand the term. Book ending is where the ending mirrors the beginning in some way. The very last episode of the Mighty Max animated series very lazily bookended the first episode.
I don't know that series, but I do believe we are talking about the same thing. You just said it much better and clearer than I did. Any thoughts about it when it comes to short stories?
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When I read your first post, I thought that a frame story might cover the 'story within a story' concept, but now I'm not sure that's the right idea.
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I enjoy a good bookended story. One common device for bookending and other forms of framing is the aging character narrating something from the past.
Little Big Man
The Princess Bride
Frankenstein
Rebecca
Little Big Man
The Princess Bride
Frankenstein
Rebecca
Thanks for the examples. What makes a good bookended story for you? How can this approach go wrong?
I can't claim to have read or recall many of these, however I would argue that many stories use this device just maybe less consciously than we see and recognise.
I have tried to break it down very simply below. However, this is just my take and you can disregard it completely.
Stage One: Something happens to MC and acts as catalyst for retelling story.
Stage Two: MC recounts story.
Stage Three: MC reflects on it and why it was significant/how it changed them.
I think the more emotional/connected the change is to a character, then the more enjoyable it is... If they're not changed it would feel too anecdotal. I am well aware there is much more to this - I was just trying to make sense of it.
I have tried to break it down very simply below. However, this is just my take and you can disregard it completely.
Stage One: Something happens to MC and acts as catalyst for retelling story.
Stage Two: MC recounts story.
Stage Three: MC reflects on it and why it was significant/how it changed them.
I think the more emotional/connected the change is to a character, then the more enjoyable it is... If they're not changed it would feel too anecdotal. I am well aware there is much more to this - I was just trying to make sense of it.
A subset of this is the club story, common in Victorian and Edwardian ghost stories in particular, where a group of chaps gather for regular meetings to tell or listen to supernatural stories, with each story starting with them getting together for the evening, and ending as they go out the door. William Hope Hodgson's CARNACKI stories being prime examples.
So, why does it come out sounding really stupid when I try to do this? Sometimes I wonder if it could be a case of ending the story too late. Why do I sometimes feel like I need to bring it full circle? Should the story end before that? How do you know?
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I'm traveling, which means I'm sleep deprived and drinking a bit. When I get back, I intend to compose a thoughtful answer to what makes them work for me.
Meanwhile, please send the foot masseuse to my room.
Meanwhile, please send the foot masseuse to my room.
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