30 Comments
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Sawyer Scott's avatar

This is good and interesting stuff. I didn't want to read it all right now cuz I have to go to work but I sure did read it all right now. Thank you for the insights.

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

Thank you, Sawyer. We sincerely hope you were able to make time for it.

Tara Sitser's avatar

Much appreciation for this article and for all that you offer! Thank you for creating space that welcomes and supports authors. 🙏

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

Thank you for your kind readership, Tara :)

Cynthia Hartwig's avatar

I found the form of my novel from within it. Made my day when you said that’s the gift of writing :-)

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

It is! So glad to hear this, Cynthia :)

Chris Bujold's avatar

You all are smart and stuff.

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

or so we'd like to think! ;)

Max Murphy's avatar

“Wow Max, how did you become such a good narrativist?”

“My homies at Srange Pilgrims taught me for free!”

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

Hahahaha, this is so sweet, Max! Thank you :)

Susmitha's avatar

This is incredible! Thank you so much for generously sharing your knowledge and making the effort to describe each thing to us so artfully with examples. 🙏🏽🥰

I took notes!

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

Thank you for your kind acknowledgement, Susmitha! So glad this was helpful to you :)

Ada Austen's avatar

This is so wonderful. I felt so alone and blind as I allowed my just finished novel to show me its form, instead of forcing it into a popular structure that could not contain it. Lovely to see that option taught here.

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

All best wishes for the novel, Ada!

April | The Narrative Nest's avatar

I'm loving what you guys are creating here! Can't wait to read more and share your work!

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

Thank you, April! :)

Nina Barufaldi's avatar

Thank you. I look forward to the next lecture, too 💕

Karan Kapoor's avatar

Thank you for reading, Nina! Next one soon🌻

book inc's avatar

Great insights! Thanks so much for sharing!

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

You're v welcome :)

Christopher Emerson's avatar

Wonderful post!

Sasha Stadler's avatar

Coming from a screenwriting/filmmaking tradition, we don't always use such a rich terminology for these techniques, but it seems we're all going to the same place. It's like narrative convergent evolution: at some point, everything becomes a crab. Thanks for sharing!

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

Ah that's so right, Sasha! Knowingly or un, all artists working with narrative are making these decisions constantly -- personally, it feels good for us to have a framework to articulate those decisions! Are you working on a screenplay?

Sasha Stadler's avatar

Absolutely, it's a helpful translation, too. I work in TV/film production professionally, and dabble in short narrative fiction personally. I'll keep up with this series to see where else the paths connect!

Chance Colbert's avatar

Too timely. Neckdeep in Florence Goyet's The Classic Short Story, a book-length dissertation on short story structure in peak era of the form (1875 - 1920). Free online for those interested!

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

That's super cool!!

Keith Hampton's avatar

Immediately helpful to me and relevant to the writing I'm doing now. TREE OF LIFE YO!

Strange Pilgrims's avatar

Tree of Life is probably my most favorite film of all time.

Euan Franklin's avatar

I loved reading this and I need more, please 😊

J.M. Ransom's avatar

I’ve been doing a lot of this stuff in my writing without knowing what it was… thanks for giving me the words!