A question of structure

Quite a few entries have come into the Global Short Story Competition in recent months which seek to do things differently.

One which came in this weekend was a case in point, telling the story in a series of dispassionate reports. Very effective.

The challenge of structure is a fascinating one and I love to see how the writers sending in stories address the problem.

Many of you go for the traditional idea of a beginning, middle and an end told in simple narrative form but a significant number opt for flashback.

Both are effective although flashback does carry the gamble with it that you know what happens at the end of the story. Nevertheless, flashback can work very well. Just look at the Colombo television detective show to see how knowing the end does not ruin the enjoyment of the rest of the story.

A number of you opt for diary entries, taking the story day by day. I think this is a terrific way to do it because it gives your story a natural structure right from the off.

Diaries were hugely popular as a fictional tool in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries and had started to die off a little before Bridget Jones returned the genre to mass appeal in the Nineties.

I think that another reason why diaries are so popular is the Net and the many writers are increasingly using the structure and language of blogs and emails to tell their stories.

You can enter this month's competition at www.inscribemedia.co.uk

John Dean.