I love this kind of thing. It’s one of the reasons I keep coming back to short stories: this ability to tell a story in the most unexpected of ways.
This week I read a story by Jennifer Egan that looks like a ‘to do’ list. It’s not. Well, not entirely.
13. Renew meds
14. Investigate poisons
a. Flammable
b. Powders
c. Gasses
d. Pills
e. Herbal
f. Chemical
g. Musical
1. Ask kids
With almost every new item on the list, the reader gets closer to figuring out what is going on.
It’s not just a puzzle though. There’s humor too: that “Renew meds….investigate poisons”! I can almost hear the “Oh, that reminds me…”, which is the way I make “to do” lists (usually without such murderous intent).
This was fun, and reminded me that Jennifer Egan’s most famous novel A Visit From The Goon Squad is, not only a collection of related stories, it contains a section that is a Powerpoint presentation!
Don’t let anyone tell you what you can write, when you’re writing a short story!