Night Gardener
Inkling
I'm thinking this narrative trend is on the verge of becomming cliché: Starting a book, with the reader plunged into intense action (or, in my case, intrigue/mystery) with no earthly idea who the characters are, what's going on, etc... Then, later in the story and throughout, the narrative fills in the who's and why's as a prescribed "flashback" mechanism (dreams/nightmares, PTSD, info-dumping expositions between characters or internal monologues). This is also the on-trend narrative style for cinema, which gets the added benefit of special and visual effects.
I understand that this is a very abrupt, jarring 'hook' to grab an audience and get them engaged and asking questions about the characters from the get-go. I can name a lot of cinematic and written examples where this is done successfully but...
seriously... Is it being over done?
It's not enough of a cliché (yet) to be a turn-off for most audiences, but it's noticeable enough for me to ask for your thoughts and honest opinions.
... Also, as a side question: any thoughts on this method being utilized in, say, the second act?
For example, one chapter ends with two armies about to engage on the battlefield, then, the next chapter opens having skipped over all the details of the battle- and instead- the character wakes up in a hospital tent, wondering how they survived and what happened in battle? Trying to recall events after the fact for the audience?
Is the method of 're-telling' events still effective after you've gotten to know and are invested in the characters? Or, only effective as an introduction of the audience to 'strangers'?
I understand that this is a very abrupt, jarring 'hook' to grab an audience and get them engaged and asking questions about the characters from the get-go. I can name a lot of cinematic and written examples where this is done successfully but...
seriously... Is it being over done?
It's not enough of a cliché (yet) to be a turn-off for most audiences, but it's noticeable enough for me to ask for your thoughts and honest opinions.
... Also, as a side question: any thoughts on this method being utilized in, say, the second act?
For example, one chapter ends with two armies about to engage on the battlefield, then, the next chapter opens having skipped over all the details of the battle- and instead- the character wakes up in a hospital tent, wondering how they survived and what happened in battle? Trying to recall events after the fact for the audience?
Is the method of 're-telling' events still effective after you've gotten to know and are invested in the characters? Or, only effective as an introduction of the audience to 'strangers'?