Writing Starting Your Story: In Medias Res & Basic Writing Tips.

[Deleted member 113259]

I tried, but from (checks thread) your second comment, I have had the sinking suspicion that you are just trolling me rather than participating in an actual argument. You have had zero conviction, and are just adding hypotheticals, examples, and further parts to your story piece meal. You have done nothing to prove my numerous reasons, as to why it isn't medias res, wrong. Instead, you are simply stringing me along.

I'm leaving for a shower, troll.

This was an argument? I thought we were constructing a story together.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

This was an argument? I thought we were constructing a story together.

 

[Bartun]

Cool! My story starts In Media Res. Might take your advice for my next edit run.

 

[T.K._Paradox]

Now what if, hypothetically speaking, asking for a friend type stuff... What if the main character is so lazy that it is his first time seeing the world outside his, home, and has no connections with any other characters?

It would be very difficult to write in the style of In Medias Res for a wallflower main character... Unless they had attachments to the outside world or other characters before the story began.

You see sheltered/lazy main characters are very difficult for you to write In Medias Res. The way I see it the way you are laying out your story it seems more a Blank Slate style beginning rather than In Medias Res.

Whilst your secondary and tertiary main characters might have progressed further into the plot line your primary/central main character is the most important when it comes to the world building.

And from the way you are describing it your main character it would suit your story better to write in Blank Slate style rather than In Medias Res.

However if you do wish to pursue In Medias Res I would recommend doing one of the following:

1. The main character has a double life and the absence of connections is actually false.

2. The main character interacts with the core of the story is very little intentionally, and something in the past caused them to spark of this shut-in behavior.

3. The connections with the core of the story is accidental and has happened before, and the main character just has very loose connections to the world around them through the core of the story despite not wanting to be bothered.

And I would like to end on a note for you and @TheMonotonePuppet:

I understand your cynicism of people that pretend to be willfully ignorant, and you defended In Medias Res well and I commend you for that.

However sometimes we have to realize that intention is lost through the Internet and some people actually wish to learn.

I understand where both you might be upset or confused with each, and I hope we have undone those misunderstandings.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Cool! My story starts In Media Res. Might take your advice for my next edit run.

How many edit runs are you on by now?

 

[Bartun]

How many edit runs are you on by now?

Two, and I'll go for a third one after finishing the current arc.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Two, and I'll go for a third one after finishing the current arc.

Are edit runs separate from the edits you do based off of reader feedback and read through a before, during, and after posting? The number surprised me. Seems a bit small. For my first 2?chapters, they went through at least 30 edit pass-throughs (only 3 of those were full story edits for all chapters at once) AFTER I had posted it (not including the amount of revision during the making of it.

 

[Bartun]

Are edit runs separate from the edits you do based off of reader feedback and read through a before, during, and after posting? The number surprised me. Seems a bit small. For my first 2?chapters, they went through at least 30 edit pass-throughs (only 3 of those were full story edits for all chapters at once) AFTER I had posted it (not including the amount of revision during the making of it.

Oh, I made countless minor edits here and there. I lost count of how many times I edited my chapters, especially since I notice errors and stuff only AFTER publishing.

What I meant for the edit run is complete story edits. English isn't my first language and my writing shows that. There are idioms, tricks, and stuff that I only learned along the way. I want to improve the quality of my story and the earlier chapters are falling behind compared to my current ones.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

No, it could be like this:
Guy: *leaves his house.
Policeman: Civilian, I need you to follow me. Johnny Fernandez is attacking the city.
Guy: Who the hell is Johnny Fernandez?

Holy crap. You are a special sort of stupid.

see this line?

Guy: Who the hell is Johnny Fernandez?

THE FACT THE MC DOES NOT KNOW WHO JOHNNY FERNANDEZ IS MEANS THIS CANNOT BE IN MEDIA RES.

However...

Guy: *leaves his house*, "Sup?"
Policeman: *Walks up to MC and they perform an exploding fistbump before slapping each hand against the other twice and finally winding up grabbing the other person at the wrist and doing a hypermasculine Bro-Shake*, "C'mon. It's just as you said. Here." *Hands the MC a can of Lima beans*, "It is time for you to end your self imposed exile because of... THE INCIDENT. I hope all the mediation was worth something."
Guy: "Goddamnit. I knew that bastard wasn't dead. I never wanted to be more wrong in my life." *He eyed the can as he got into the side car and fully strapped himself in the five point harness*, "I just pray we reach Heaven's Pillar in time." *Guy prepared to fight to stay awake as the Epstine-Krugger class Dynamo started to whine as it spun up to speed, and the glowing Brunelli Sphere started to form around their world war two era German style Two man messenger motorcycle as he hears Crognar The Infinite speak into his mind.
Crognar The Infinite: "I will answer your prayer once more, but this time... I WILL CLAIM WHAT I AM DUE."
Guy: "And what is due?"
Crognar The Infinite: "Bring me the KIDNEYS of JOHNNY FERNANDEZ"
Guy:

That's In Media Res.

 

[Deleted member 113259]

Holy crap. You are a special sort of stupid.

see this line?

THE FACT THE MC DOES NOT KNOW WHO JOHNNY FERNANDEZ IS MEANS THIS CANNOT BE IN MEDIA RES.

However...

Guy: *leaves his house*, "Sup?"
Policeman: *Walks up to MC and they perform an exploding fistbump before slapping each hand against the other twice and finally winding up grabbing the other person at the wrist and doing a hypermasculine Bro-Shake*, "C'mon. It's just as you said. Here." *Hands the MC a can of Lima beans*, "It is time for you to end your self imposed exile because of... THE INCIDENT. I hope all the mediation was worth something."
Guy: "Goddamnit. I knew that bastard wasn't dead. I never wanted to be more wrong in my life." *He eyed the can as he got into the side car and fully strapped himself in the five point harness*, "I just pray we reach Heaven's Pillar in time." *Guy prepared to fight to stay awake as the Epstine-Krugger class Dynamo started to whine as it spun up to speed, and the glowing Brunelli Sphere started to form around their world war two era German style Two man messenger motorcycle as he hears Crognar The Infinite speak into his mind.
Crognar The Infinite: "I will answer your prayer once more, but this time... I WILL CLAIM WHAT I AM DUE."
Guy: "And what is due?"
Crognar The Infinite: "Bring me the KIDNEYS of JOHNNY FERNANDEZ"
Guy: View attachment 20802

That's In Media Res.

Yay, the story got written.
I'm impressed you caught on to 'Policeman' being the second main character.