Discussion 1: In Medias Res – Jumping Into the Middle of Things
Purpose: To discuss the effect of beginning one of your stories halfway through its
current storyline.
Objective: Decide what structural methods and devices might be used to tell your story
from the middle.
Word count: 200-600.
Due: See activity’s instructions on FSO
In Latin, in medias res translates roughly to “into the middle of things.” This phrase
refers to stories that begin in the middle or toward the end of the chronological story and
then creatively convey the missing elements from the chronological beginning through
flashbacks, backstory, dialogue and exposition.
Some famous examples: Reservoir Dogs, The Iliad, God of War, The Thin Red Line.
Note: Stories that are primarily flashback (called a “frame story”) are not in medias res
because the main story is chronological.
Prompt:
Pick one of your original stories or scripts. You may use a story you wrote in either
Creative Skills Development or Visual Thinking and Writing. Flip to the middle of that
story. If your story is three pages, that means go to the middle of page two. If your story
is 90 pages, that means go to page 45.
Now, pick the most dynamic paragraph, conversation or character action or interaction
from the middle of that page. It can be a few lines or a couple paragraphs. Copy that
piece of your story into this week’s discussion board (this part should be no more than
100 words).
Imagine this is the new beginning of your story! For the purposes of this discussion, this
is where your story sets into motion. It does not have to be clear from the few lines that
you post what your story is about. Often, stories that begin in medias res can be
mysterious, intense, even confusing—but there has to be something about the beginning
the compels the reader (or viewer) to want to know more.
Next, put ************************** just below the new beginning of your story
and answer the following questions for this discussion:
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Does the new beginning “hook” the reader in some way? Why should the reader
want to know more? If it could be more effective as an opening to your story,
how would you approach revising or changing it?
How does starting your story from the middle change your story? What new
challenges does it create from a writing perspective?
Literary Techniques and Story Development
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What literary techniques could you use to “fill in” the reader on any story they
have missed? Give specific examples.
Do you find that parts of your original story are no longer needed? Why?
Are there advantages to starting your story with the medias in res beginning? Are
there also disadvantages?
TURNING IN:
Because this is a discussion post, the above discussion should be posted under the Week
1 In Medias Res discussion thread.
CHECK YOUR WORK:
1. Is your story excerpt less than 100 words?
2. Did you answer all of the questions provided in the prompt completely with
specific examples?
3. If you had trouble, did you contact FSO Support at 1-877-4FSOFIX?
4. Did you proofread and check your grammar, spelling, and mechanics?
5. Did you stay within the length requirements for the assignment?
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
1. You will be graded on following these instructions carefully. Not meeting the
word count or content objective will result in a low grade.
2. Make sure you are reading over your work carefully before submitting it.
Grammar is a part of all of your assignments in this class and points will be
deducted for mistakes. Make sure to run spell check and grammar check.
3. Remember this is a professional and academic setting and your language and
word choice should reflect that.
4. Remember word counts are there for a reason and you must adhere to them.
RESPONDING TO YOUR PEERS:
For all discussion boards, you are encouraged to read and comment on your classmates’
posts. The point of using a discussion board is to discuss, so feel free to offer advice,
feedback, or just point out what you liked about another student’s work. You are also
encouraged to ask questions of each other and use this space to get to know one another.
By doing this, you will be providing yourself with a better online experience.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Please review the Academic Integrity section of the course Syllabus and ensure that your
assignment does not plagiarize* or violate any academic integrity principles of Full Sail
University before submitting it. Violation of this policy can have severe consequences.
Literary Techniques and Story Development