Story within a Story

Stunted · Mar 4, 2009

In my WIP, pages 6 to 9 are mostly devoted to one character reading a story in a book to another character. The story is important for back story, foreshadowing, and moving the plot forward, and (you're going to have to take my word for it) it is actually entertaining.

So what are your opinions? Is this a no no? Have you ever seen something like this work?

Samantha's_Song · Mar 4, 2009

For myself, I see nothing wrong with this. I have a work which has someone writing their memoirs in it and someone else reading it. This may be seen as back story by some, but my beta readers have said that the memoirs part is one of the very best bits. So yes, your story within the story should work very well too.

Pilot · Mar 4, 2009

Stunted said:
So what are your opinions? Is this a no no? Have you ever seen something like this work?

Hope it's not a no-no, 'cause I'm writing a whole chapter using this concept. My MC discovers old journals and reads from them. I remember a movie that Peter Falk did where the whole film was Falk reading a book to a kid played by Fred Savage. That seemed to work okay.

Danthia · Mar 4, 2009

Doesn't The Princess Bride use that format?

Anything can be done if done well, and what's important is that what the reader is reading grabs them and makes them want to keep reading. If your three pages do that, you're fine. Just be sure that you are keeping your reader through these pages. Three pages of backstory and foreshadowing that early in a novel often spell trouble. The reader hasn't read enough of the book to connect with a protag yet, and pulling them into another story could lose them. (I can't say if you've done this or not, just beware of the pitfalls)

dancingandflying · Mar 4, 2009

I don't see a problem if it's used appropriately (back story or foreshadowing instead of just filler).

d&f.

Charlie Horse · Mar 4, 2009

I've done this, and I'm doing it again as we speak. As long as it's relevant to the overall scheme of things I think it's a-okay.

Red-Green · Mar 4, 2009

The Princess Bride (the book) is brilliantly done and it's a story in a story in a story, replete with faux meta-authorial intrusion.

Dale Emery · Mar 4, 2009

John Irving's early novels all include stories within stories (usually involving bears, motorcycles, Vienna, or bears on motorcycles in Vienna).

Don't forget "The Legend of Lard Ass Hogan" in Stephen King's "The Body" (later the movie Stand By Me).

Dale

Samantha's_Song · Mar 4, 2009

LOL That scene always cracks me up in the film

Dale Emery said:
Don't forget "The Legend of Lard Ass Hogan" in Stephen King's "The Body" (later the movie Stand By Me).

Dale

superman skivvies · Mar 4, 2009

Go for it! If it is actually entertaining then why would you not?

TheIT · Mar 4, 2009

Terry Pratchett's Thud! has Sam Vimes reading a story called "Where's My Cow?" to his infant son. It's hilarious, contains a wonderful analysis of a children's story as seen by a cop, and is very relevant to the story later on. They also released Where's My Cow? as an illustrated children's book which anyone who knows Discworld would appreciate.

Greenwolf103 · Mar 4, 2009

The Neverending Story pulled that off really well. I think it really boils down to what's in the story and how you write the scene of your character(s) reading it.

Feathers · Mar 4, 2009

Eh. I guess I'm the lone dissenter here. If the story is really short, it bothers me. What especially ticks me off is a story/myth that some old weird person tells the kids, and they spend the rest of the story learning how it was real the whole time, and the story becomes their reference to defeating evil.

However - I thought the Princess Bride worked just fine. I guess my thing is, if your story is just a device, don't use it. A lot of those bedtime stories were obviously moral and preachy. You don't want that, or something like it, in your novel.

-Feathers

Matera the Mad · Mar 4, 2009

It seems awfully early in the game to me. Three pages is a big break when the main character and theme have barely been touched. I use a story-within to foreshadow the major conflict, but it is in the eighth chapter of thirty-three. However, if it is entertaining enough and doesn't end up feeling like a device - wottever

Story within a Story

Stunted

Ich heiße Superphantastisch!

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

Pilot

Commander Tiberius

Danthia

dancingandflying

Is it tea time yet?

Charlie Horse

Speaking in metaphors

Red-Green

KoalaKoalaKoala!

Dale Emery

is way off topic

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

superman skivvies

Wannabe Writer

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Greenwolf103

I'm a grrrl dog, yo

Feathers

emerging from the writing cave

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint