surprise!

I've often heard writers discussing new work and saying 'i saw that coming' or 'i didn't see that coming' in reference to narrative. They attribute considerable significance to this element of surprise in the story, in fact it seems to make or break their enjoyment of the work.

Until now this always baffled me a bit.

I have an 'all round' experience of performing, acting, directing, devising, management and technical support as well as writing (in theatre and some film). I can relate to and enjoy so many different elements of a production that the predictability or unpredictability of the story is not so imperative to my enjoyment. If the storyline is not very dynamic I tend to find there's a different emphasis, it will be visual or physical or technical or experimental, and i will enjoy these features.

However, now I have specialised i must assume a writer's perspective, and it has been brought to my attention  that a greater element of surprise is required in my own writing.

So, i'm keeping a beady eye out for and having a real think about surprising work.

Last night I saw 'Dead of Night' by Imprint Theatre Company ; a ventriloquist dummy (actually an actress performing the dummy) who appeared from a chest that had been located on the stage for the duration of the performance was a delicious surprise. The actress had been inside the chest for over an hour before she emerged. The fact that the dummy was eerily convincing was very engaging, and the fact that part way through the story the dummy actually began to speak for itself was yet another fresh, surprising offering.

Another great example can be found in Laurence Timm's 'Chinnery' the first five chapters of which can be found here . Have a read and you'll see what happens in chapter five. What i particularly like about this element of surprise is that suddenly we're presented with an entirely new mode of exposition. We're also introduced to lots of new things in this chapter in a wonderfully economic way, a new 'underground' environment, an organisation behind the scenes, a new character (the other voice in the transcript) and we see the story from another perspective. All very stimulating and exciting and unexpected.

I'm going to have to dig deeper to search out more subtle story surprises, the ones that the writer's say they didn't see coming. A story that springs to mind is Jim Cartwright's 'Two' where the loss of the Publican and his Wife's Son in a car accident is revealed, the juxtaposition of the horror of this incident set against the colourful backdrop of pub life. Could i see that coming though? It's certainly clear that something is coming, there are allusions leading up to the climax.

Something for me to continue thinking about and exploring.

one story 3 ways part 1

1st person, present tense

‘Bloody taxis,’ I say as I fall out of the taxi, ‘don’t make the bloody door holes big enough.’ I’m always falling out of them. Spend a lot of time on the floor. Glynn pays the driver. Good job ‘cos I’m skint.

I find my way inside. No point in dawdling about on the pavement. It’s not my usual kind of place. It’s upmarket. You have to show that you’re confident, to make sure you blend in with the clientele.

I can hear my heels clacking on the marble floor. It echoes. There’s a high ceiling.

I like it, it’s very contemporary. Brown sofas and low glass tables and the same brown leather on the stools at the bar, where I wait, for my companion to catch up and buy a round.

I peruse the cocktail menu and order the most expensive on the list.

Glynn finally plucks up the courage to come inside. He’s wearing a suit jacket especially for the occasion. He’s also wearing trainers. I look at him enduringly until he submits and lets me put his debit card behind the bar for a tab.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have done that, but I bet he thinks all his Christmases have come at once; out on a night on the town with me. 

one story 3 ways part 2

3^rd person, past tense

The taxi pulled up in the City Centre, and she tumbled out of it, giggling. She had already consumed two bottles of wine before she’d even left the house. Her male companion exited the cab more sensibly and paid the driver as she straightened herself and headed impatiently for their destination.

She pushed through the glass doors of the upmarket cocktail bar and made her way into the contemporary setting, brown leather sofas and low glass tables, with the same leather on tall steel struts for stools at the highly polished granite bar.

Her companion did not follow immediately, he paused, apprehensively outside. He was not as at ease with the scenario, unaccustomed to the ambience of establishments such as this one and already wary of the level of inebriation being demonstrated by the friend who had strode on ahead.

Her shoes clack, clack, clacked on the marble flooring under foot, drawing attention to her, turning heads and disturbing conversation. These were the same scuffed plastic heels that had tripped and stumbled along the City Centre’s pavements many, many nights before.

Feeling slightly vulnerable, standing alone at the bar and not wanting to lose face; she busied herself, grasping for a menu, making a quick assessment before she set the Barman to work on two of the most expensive champagne cocktails on the list. 

The Barman hesitated very slightly. There was something brazen in her request that stirred his gut, but he could not put his finger on what.  A seductive glint in her eye put a stop to his thoughts and he was giddy for a moment with her mischief; encouraged to follow through on her order.

When her companion finally plucked up the courage to come inside, head down, trying to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible, he was greeted with a Kir Royale and the expectant look that indicated it was his responsibility to pay for the drinks.

He searched the pockets of his ill fitting garment, his first ever suit jacket, purchased for him by his Mother, and pulled out a grubby canvas wallet that was as inappropriate as his footwear. When he was presented with the bill, folded over discreetly on a little silver platter he looked shocked and confused. He wasn’t even aware that alcoholic drinks could cost as much as this.

He needn’t have worried though as he was assisted in making the payment, in fact his debit card was liberated and placed in the till for a tab.  The barman exhaled and relaxed again, someone was now liable for what ever damage this frivolous young woman might cause.

She smiled at the barman cheekily, sensing his thoughts, crossing her legs and winding her ankles. She kicked the back of her shoe off and then on again, and off and then back on as she coaxed her paying companion up onto the bar stool next to hers.