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Strange Narrative Structure?

Noma Galway

Archmage
So, I'm working on a story right now that is in reverse chronology. It starts at a gravestone, then basically flashes back to scenes leading up to this death, all from the dead character's friend's perspective. This isn't a fantasy story, but I feel it's applicable to fantasy writing as well.

Is writing in reverse chronology something that is acceptable to publish (assuming it's done well)?
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Yes. I've seen it done more than once in published fiction. I think The Girl with the Pearl Earring uses multiple character shifts, each back to an earlier point in time.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I guess once you get used to it, it might work out just fine. Instead of wondering what's going to happen, the reader will wonder what caused something to occur. That might be just as interesting a question to answer.
 

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
I read a story in reverse order and I loved it so much I tried it once myself. I did it for the Reaver Challenge III when he requested we open with a character floating on a raft toward an island. I just didn't know how to write a story beginning there, so I made it the last scene in a story that started much earlier. I'm not sure how awesome it is, but I thought it was successful. I'm really glad I tried it.

I think for me, "success' is about which details to throw in where. I mean, it would be easy to open with, "Reaver, having gone on his long journey to get to that spot in the ocean, did ..." but I never did that. IN fact, i revealed a couple key things about his character only at the "end" of the story, which was really the beginning. I think that's what I would want to read in a story told in reverse order. I'd want to get the feel that the writer wrote it in sequential order first, with all the details in their right places, and he broke the story up into segments and reversed them. But that's just one opinion.

I just feel the mystery there is in how it all began. You jump right into some action sequence, but then it's about discovering who and how and what, all as the story unfolds backwards.

Best wishes.
 

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
IN my Reaver story, I put a date at the top of every sequence. Also, the original story I read did the same. Since my story encompassed days, it's easy to use the date.

after the first segment, I put in this at the break:

One day earlier
Sun’s Height 70

and then after the next segment:

Three days earlier
Sun’s Height 67


My reasoning for putting in the amount of days earlier, was so that in case people weren't prepared for it, like maybe they just thought my dates were funny, going down rather than up, or maybe they would skip over the dates entirely and not even catch it and therefore become confused. I think as long as you are clear that time is passing in reverse, it's okay. Don't be too subtle with that detail. Whether you say "BLANK hours earlier" or "3:19 pm" or combine the two, as long as you make it obvious, I think that's fine. You just don't want a person to not really read the times/ dates and miss the fact that each scene is a look further back in history.
 

Mythopoet

Auror
Thanks everyone!

So should I tell what time it is before each scene?

That depends on whether or not one of your goals is surprising the reader and keeping them on their toes and confused a lot.

If it's not, then yes, I would highly recommend somehow labeling each shift.
 

Noma Galway

Archmage
But could I do this in narrative without being too obvious? I don't exactly want to have labels on each scene, like 3 Days Earlier or anything like that.
 

Ryan_Crown

Troubadour
You could possibly have the character reference the day of the week each day, or have a plot device such as marking of days on a calendar (counting down to some event that they never get to because of the character's death, for example). You're probably going to have to get a bit creative to make it a repeated in narrative reference, but it certainly can be done.
 

Noma Galway

Archmage
The scenes right now are:

MC at gravestone
MC at funeral (3 days earlier)
MC finding out about the death (1 week earlier)
MC receiving suicide note from dead friend (1 day earlier)
MC interacting with dead friend (alive at that point) while he seems happy. (5 hours earlier)

Everything's pretty much in quick succession. And each scene is referenced in the previous scene (the one later in the chronology). Maybe I could put the date there? Like "It's been just 3 days since the funeral. Mara hasn't stopped crying, but I haven't shed a tear. Until now." (that was probably awful, but it's off the top of my head).
 
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