Sometimes the author should tell the story,
sometimes a third person who may be of secondary importance in the
story should be given the role of the story-teller, sometimes the
whole may be in dialogue. The class should choose a fitting method.
Young writers should be very careful about the beginning of a story.
An action story should start with a striking incident that catches the
reader's attention at once and forecasts subsequent happenings. In
every case this first incident must have in it the essence of the end
of the story and should be perfectly logical to the reader after he
has finished the reading. A story in which the setting is emphasized
can well begin, with a description and contain a number of
descriptions and expositions, distributed with a sense of propriety
throughout the theme. A good method to use in the opening of a
character story is that of conversation. An excellent example of a
sharp use of this device is Mrs. Freeman's _Revolt of Mother_, where
the first paragraph is a single spoken word.
Every incident included in the story should be tested for its value in
the development of the theme. An incident that does not amplify
certain phases of the story has no right to be included, and great
care should be used in an effort to incorporate just the material
necessary for the proper evolution of the thought. The problem is not
so much what can be secured to be included in the story, but rather,
after making a thorough collection of the material, what of all these
points should be cast out.
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