This is the same great story from a couple of days ago, looked at from another angle.
"Lather and Nothing Else" by Hernando Tellez (very short)
Here's an example of one of the most simple kinds of plot. A question is posed in the beginning and not answered until the end. That's all it takes to pull us through and make the narrative feel like it has forward motion.
Notice how the writer takes his time getting to the answer, yet each paragraph takes us closer--he doesn't go off in another direction.
In one of my classes recently someone brought up the question of "changing the subject" in a narrative--moving away from something that has emotional heat, and is maybe difficult to write about. It's pretty clear where the emotional heat is located in this story, and the author never really moves away from it or changes the subject. At the same time, you could legitimately call this a quiet, slow, or subtle story.
Here's an example of one of the most simple kinds of plot. A question is posed in the beginning and not answered until the end. That's all it takes to pull us through and make the narrative feel like it has forward motion.
Notice how the writer takes his time getting to the answer, yet each paragraph takes us closer--he doesn't go off in another direction.
In one of my classes recently someone brought up the question of "changing the subject" in a narrative--moving away from something that has emotional heat, and is maybe difficult to write about. It's pretty clear where the emotional heat is located in this story, and the author never really moves away from it or changes the subject. At the same time, you could legitimately call this a quiet, slow, or subtle story.
Write
Set the timer for fifteen minutes and write a scene in which a question is posed in the beginning and not answered until the end. This could be something as simple as whether the main character gets a sandwich she's hungry for, or it could be something bigger.
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