Jan 26 2008
Get the Order Right
Consider the following three events:
1. Jack and Jill fell in love.
2. Jack and Jill got married.
3. Jack and Jill had a baby.
There are times when the order of the events or messages in a piece of writing is not important. Often, however, order is important. Rearrange the order of the three preceding three events and see if it makes a difference. Here are a few examples:
1. Jack and Jill fell in love.
2. Jack and Jill had a baby.
3. Jack and Jill got married.
Or:
1. Jack and Jill got married.
2. Jack and Jill had a baby.
3. Jack and Jill fell in love.
Obviously, even though Jack and Jill are going through the same three major events in each of the three storylines, the stories change dramatically as the order of the events changes. In these sorts of situations, be sure you get the order right.
Special Note: Send Me Your Problems!
Some of you have asked if I could help you with specific writing issues. My answer is yes. Send me a comment with a piece of text you have written (nothing too long, please) and tell me what has you stumped or doesn’t seem right. I’ll do my best to get to the bottom of it and we’ll invite others to comment with their ideas or suggestions. Let’s make this a valuable, interactive learning experience. To contact me, click here.
And how much more interesting does the story promise to be with the second and third scenarios!
How true, Chris. A life without conflict would make a dull book.