I’m referring to story lines that start in the middle, then go back and explain everything leading up to that point, then continue to the end of the story.
While I can appreciate plot lines that break out of the conventional chronological timeline, I find that I become disinterested. The suspense is missing when I know what will happen, even if the writer has done a good job and tricked me. I’m disconnected from the character or story because I think I know what happens, whether or not I’m right.
There’s only one that I thought did it well, Tangled. Looking back, that’s because it was pretty much a one-liner that simply gave away that Flynn dies. By the end, I had forgotten, so in some ways it doesn’t count. I had the same problem watching Revenge, even though the character you are lead to believe dies is still alive at the end of the season, I never connected with him because of his impending doom.
Right now, I’m reading a James Patterson novel that uses this middle, beginning, end plot line. Even though the story is wonderful, there’s no suspense through the first 40+ chapters. I’m not invested in the court case because I know the verdict within the first chapter. It’s interesting, and I enjoyed the little twists, but it wasn’t as interesting as if it had started in the beginning, leaving me to wonder if they would take the plea bargain or if they would be found guilty.
What about you? Love ’em or hate ’em?
-Eliabeth
Ermilia 
I’m about with you on this. There seems to be a major disconnect from characters surrounding these events. I’ve sort of witnessed this in Doctor Who, with one of the characters deaths happening the very first time she is introduced, but because time travel she is still in the show and we know that she will eventually (has already) died. Though somehow it works so very well knowing the importance of her relationship, and that she is connected so well and there are still twists and turns that turn her into a very important and integral and interesting character that even knowing her demise is coming that I can still connect and get excited about this character and invest in her.
I know I’ve read a book somewhere down the line that this start in the middle and work your way to the end thing worked pretty well, but it was from the perspective of someone else; and you didn’t realize that this character was connected to the story until you come back to the point in which the story started. I wish I could remember who it was by or what it was about. The movie Fight Club it worked, but that’s because hardly anything was even given away that there might as well not hav ebeen the middle-start. Hmmm. I’m going to have to think on this a little bit more.
I’d love to know what book you’re thinking about. I’ve seen Dr. Who, but not enough to get the reference here. Really, Tangled is the only one that did it well because when he first said he dies I was like “yeah, yeah, this story isn’t about you anyway” and by the end I had forgotten, then I was sure they were lying. I was DEVISTATED, you’d have thought it was real life as much as I was balling until they pulled a Beauty and the Beast moment and brought him back to life.
It is useful to bring some suspense right into your character. Just try not to make it too confusing.
For me, it doesn’t create suspense. If anything, it erases the possibility. I already know what happens, so it doesn’t feel suspenseful. “Oh well he dies, I wonder how… meh.”
I intensely dislike rewind plots. Whenever I’m watching a tv show and I see it starting in the middle of the story, I groan and mentally prepare myself for a lacklustre episode. I don’t NEED to be teased with what’s going to happen — if the story isn’t good enough to keep me interested from the start, then a brief glimpse into the future isn’t going to change much. Actually, it irritates me, because instead of being able to focus on what’s happening, I keep thinking forward to the teaser of the story’s climax and wondering how it’s going to come about. Grrrr. Hate them.
That’s an excellent point about the plot; it needs to capture your attention and hold you rapt. If it doesn’t, then you’re not going to keep reading, with or without a glimpse into the future. I’m often distracted, wondering how long it’s going to take to get to the spot I already read or saw so that I can start being interested in the current story.
For the same reasons as yours, I also disagree. What’s the point of reading the whole thing if it’s given away unless like you said it had to be really interesting. It takes a lot out of the experience of reading. We all want (I assume) a plot that engages us as readers, to examine the likely outcomes at various angles and then holding your breath at last to see what happens. I want to be taken breathless by surprise. This technique doesn’t allow that delicious feeling of suspense and wonder.
It think rewind plots are just like every other gimmick in writing. They are horrible when they are done poorly, but fine in the hands of a good author.
The Book Thief pretty much starts by telling you what’s going to happen in the end and then leading up to it. I thought that was done fantastically well. Incredible book!
By Markus Zusak? I went to add it to Goodreads and already had it in my TBR pile, so I’ve moved it up.
I agree, in the right hands, anything can be done well, but in the wrong hands, it just doesn’t work.
That’s the one.
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Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you
wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a few pics to
drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is
fantastic blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.