Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Wake Me Up

This is topic Wake Me Up in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by lehollis (Member # 2883) on :

I'm working out a story in my head. When I look at the best place to start it, it is when the character wakes up. I'm afraid to this because it seems trite.

Here is some information. This isn't a normal morning for the character, and there is a realization when he wakes up. He was drugged and someone is there and they have some critical information, a hook, that leads into the story.

Is the cliché waking up as the story begins? Or is the cliché waking up to what seems like another ordinary day?

This bothers me because this is the second time I've found myself starting a story with the character waking up. The first seemed right, but it wasn't in the end. (In that case, it merely needed to be a book and not a short story.)

I can see myself starting later, mid-story as it were, but then I feel I would be trying to pack too much information into the opening of the story and confusing my reader.

[This message has been edited by lehollis (edited June 09, 2007).]

Posted by Grijalva (Member # 3295) on :

I always felt the old epic genre had it right, with the old latin quote, "En Medias Res," or something like that, but it means, "start in the middle."

Find where you think your story begins, and where it ends, then start right in the middle.

Posted by Balthasar (Member # 5399) on :

So long as why your character is sleeping the moment before the story begins is essential to the story, then do it.

Posted by KJSanders (Member # 4346) on :

You could show us what he's doing or thinking about when he gets drugged. That would help establish who he is and what he normally does, to contrast how his life changes. Unless the point is that he doesn't remember anything except waking up.

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

I gave it up a while back when I realized I was writing three stories in a row where the character woke up that morning...I restructured the last one and have made conscious effort to avoid it after that.

Still, it happens. The story I'm working on now kinda begins with the lead character waking up (if you want to be technical about it---the matter's more complex.) After I finished the rough draft, I looked for a later point to start things up, found it, and did. I had to cut some stuff off anyway; it was too long.

Posted by HuntGod (Member # 2259) on :

How important is it that the reader not know what the character did while drugged?

If it is only important that the protag not remember, you could start the story with what he did while drugged and then move into his wakening, ignorant of his actions.

If it is important that neither the reader nor the protag know what happened while he was drugged then I agree with the other posters, start somewhere further along.

You could also start the story at some point prior to the drugging, then have the drugged portion, then have him awakening.

Ex. Bob raised his glass for yet another toast, cheerfuly downing drinks as they were offered...then the blacked out period, followed by him waking up not knowing where he is or how he got there etc.

Posted by debhoag (Member # 5493) on :

i say write it first, post the 13, and let people give you some feedback. I always figure that if I can get the thing out on paper, then restructuring, formatting and stuff is the easy part. In other words, GET STARTED!

Posted by lehollis (Member # 2883) on :

Concerning the drugging, he wasn't asleep because of the drug. The drug had other effects and caused certain actions, which trigger the story. He will be instantly aware that he was drugged, as well as what he did while drugged. The story involves how he deals with the situation and how the events change him.

I'm adamant about not starting while he is drunk and drugged, because that isn't his normal personality. The reader sees him doing things he wouldn't normally do, and will get the wrong idea about this guy. Specifically, there would be little sympathy even knowing he was drugged at the time. I'm just not happy detailing a scene where the POV character has no ability to choose and does stupid things. Personally, I hate those scenes. (I disliked Spider-Man III for a similar reason.)

Fading out during the drunk and drugged part is a good idea, but I don't want to start before the drunkenness and drugging because there is no story at that point. It might show his character, but it isn't in the context of the story. I'd have no conflict.

Starting when he wakes up with the antagonist in the room to clarify the bits he doesn't remember only has the risk of a "waking up opening."

I am already a huge fan of starting as close to the end as possible. However, I've made the mistake of starting a story too late before. In this case, starting later would risk either an info-dump or confusing the reader, which is why my dilemma exists. If it were easy to start later, I would happily do so.

Perhaps I could have him starting a few minutes after waking, while he's trying to comprehend/remember what is going on. That avoids the cliché somewhat without leaving the reader too confused.

I may have to just write it up and post it in F&F and see what kind of feedback I get, but my primary question is if this would seem cliché to you.

Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :

Where does a story begin. This has been a question asked over and over, and it is so simplistic I'm amazed at how many books and people have yet to figure this one out. I'll not take credit for it, since I got it from a writing book that finally made a good explanation of where to begin.

Each story has a character, and each character has a normal life (in whatever world/universe they might inhabit). They do most things in a repetitive manner. Even if the details change, their lives are more or less the same old thing. Then one day, it all changes. The routine is broken, and the story begins. We can start a bit before, a bit after, or right at the moment of change. No matter, we still need to start close to that point.

Let's look at the beginning in question. If you start the morning of, then you are afraid of the cliché opening. I agree that is probably not the best place to start. So there is before or after. If you start after, then you have to go back and explain what his life was prior to the change. It can be done, but usually a harder feet than just showing it off to start with. If you start the day prior to the change, well then you get to show some of the normalcy that is about to be destroyed and when the change occurs, then the reader can see that the change is different. I suggest making a try at a day prior, see how that works, if not, try a day after...or do both, and see which one you find works better.

As for the comment about starting in the middle of the story...I'll have to disagree. The reader doesn't care about the characters when they begin, and they will very much miss the reasons they should by being thrown into the middle of the story itself. It's a little bit like starting a movie in the mid point of it. You don't know what's going on, and there are so many things you would have to be filled in on prior to understanding. Start at the beginning of the story. Leave the Middle where it belongs, in the middle.

Posted by lehollis (Member # 2883) on :

I appreciate the advice, from all, but honestly my question isn't about where to begin the story. Really, my question is simply, "Is it cliché to begin with the character waking up, as long as it isn't a normal waking up situation?"

Advice on where to begin is plentiful, OSC's Character's and Viewpoint, back to classics, such as Gardner's The Art of Fiction. Personally, I think OSC's advice was the best, thus far. I like how he related it to the MICE principle, too. (If I'm remembering the chapter correctly.)

The advice to begin in the middle is classic, but it is not literal. It means to cut out unnecessary details so that one doesn't start before the story begins. Starting the day before would be a great example of unneeded details.

quote:
If you start the day prior to the change, well then you get to show some of the normalcy that is about to be destroyed and when the change occurs, then the reader can see that the change is different. I suggest making a try at a day prior.

I'm confused where the hook would be in that, then. Why would the reader keep reading through an entire day of nothing happening? If it were a novel, I might have room for that.

Posted by debhoag (Member # 5493) on :

People wake up in stories all the time. and go to sleep, sing, dance, and make banana cream pies. I don't see the big deal about it being a cliche to start the story as the character wakes up, it's just one of the typical things people do. They have to be doing SOMETHING when the story starts. That's when your MC confronts the change. I do like the bit about a character does the same thing routinely, and the change starts when the routine is changed. If your character confronts the change when he comes to, that's his starting point. Go for it! Write it, post it, someone will tell you if it doesn't work. Lord Darkstorm, dude, thanks for sharing. that was pretty cool.

Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :

It doesn't matter if you think it's cliche. It only matters if the editor to whom you're trying to sell the manuscript does.

Posted by jdt (Member # 3889) on :

I don't know how your story progresses, but here's a thought. What if the story starts with something like this:

Your character is running from the consquences of whatever it was he did while he was drugged and remembering what happened while he is trying to figure out who did this to him and why.

FWIW.

Joe

Posted by AstroStewart (Member # 2597) on :

I don't think a character waking up is the cliche. It's when your story starts with a character waking up, looking at himself in the mirror, thinking about how normal his life is, etc., that's cliche. If your character wakes up, knowing he was just drugged, with the antagonist in the room with him right off the bat... well that sounds like a good hook to me, personally.

Posted by Skribent (Member # 5143) on :

Octavia Butler does it in Fledgling. I suggest picking it up in the store or library and reading the beginning to get an idea of how to pull it off. I didn't find it cliche at all when I read it. But then again, it's Octavia Butler!