@ATS Writers- Can You Help Me With A Literary Device Question?

I am up late working on my LF2021 short story, and am having difficulty with my ending. I am hoping that one of you can help me.

My story is a tragedy, the conclusion of which is a catastrophe. After the catastrophe, I need to add another chapter that takes place earlier in the story, from a different point of view, to explain how the catastrophe came to be. Confusing? I will try to give an example with a quick BS story mock up:



-Story:
Tensions between the U.S. and N. Korea reach a critical point. War is imminent. Bombers are scrambled on both sides, while diplomats try to deescalate the situation on the ground. A U.S. air force bomber crew receives encrypted orders while in the air to drop their payload on Pyongyang. The orders can't be confirmed, and the crew assumes that communications are compromised.

-Ending:
After heavy arguing between the pilot and copilot, the Captain follows SOP, which dictates that in the absence of confirming or new orders, the original orders received must be followed. They drop their payload, killing millions. War ensues.

-Additional Chapter:
Flashback to earlier- The Chinese government, monitoring the situation between the U.S. and N. Korea, and intent on starting a war between the two, uses stolen U.S. military encryption codes to send a message to a U.S bomber already in the air, with orders to drop their payload on N. Korea. Immediately after, the Chinese destroy all U.S. military communications satellites to stop the orders from being rescinded or contradicted.



My intent would be to show that the catastrophe didn't have to occur, but to show it after the fact. Would this be an example of Denouement? Can a Denouement depict a scene from before the catastrophe; from earlier in the story?

Am I going about this all wrong? Is there a better way to write such a thing?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated, and thank you.

*Again, this is not my actual story. It is overtly bad, because it is an example lol

a reply to: DreadKnock

Hmm do what everyone else does, blame Trump can’t go wrong

a reply to: Brotherman

lol I will take that into consideration, TY

a reply to: DreadKnock

To answer your question ... yes it would be.

You are a writer.

All of the rules of a language are formulated by professors most of whom could not write a bedtime story.

Forget the rules and the fancy claptrap.

If you want to split your infinitives the split them. It is your language!

Don't be lulled into rules. I laugh when a blogger with 31 blogs tries to tell me how to write and the right way and the wrong way.

Or some Authors that believe that the way they set about writing a book is the way you should too.

Do your own thing and find YOUR very own writing style.

P

a reply to: DreadKnock

Something I believe wholeheartedly may fit here.

Follow your Gut……..

a reply to: DreadKnock

I think you'd have reveal some kind of secret to make that work.

Just my 2 cents.

Good luck!

a reply to: pheonix358

Oh my, thank you very much. You have just given weight to what my instincts were already telling me. I have this horrible tendency to overthink myself into paralysis. Would you believe that I actually wrote an outline for my story, and drew storyboards lol? I know the contest is just for fun, as it should be, and I am probably taking it too seriously. Its been a long time since I tried to be creative- I forgot how fun it is! For me, its about giving back to the community, which has been a positive thing in my life since I joined.

I hear you. Writing is an artform, treat it as such.

Thank you again.

a reply to: PiratesCut

Roger that. That's kind of what phoenix358 was saying too.

Thank you.

a reply to: Sookiechacha

oooh.. that is an interesting perspective. I will definitely mull that over! I was even thinking of doing the ending like an epilogue, instead- like an after action report that explained what happened, or an analysis by someone present but not seen at the time.

Much obliged.

a reply to: DreadKnock

Your plot is very similar, if modernized, to that of "Fail Safe" by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler.

Also, destruction of all US military communications satellites is currently beyond North Korea's technological capability and would immediately draw US military command suspicion of intervention by a third party.

Further, hostile action against NK would not likely be conducted via "bombers"; cruise missiles, either launched from South Korea or ballistic missile submarines off the NK coast would be the stand-off choice. And since US subs are capable of communications via ELF, they do not depend on communications satellites to confirm launch orders.

Might want to do a bit more technical research before you finalize your manuscript

There are many on this forum with far more knowledge on these topics than I.

a reply to: Mantiss2021

Thank you for your reply, and notes. Those are very reasonable points that you brought up. Fortunately that's not my actual short story- just something I threw together on the fly to help illustrate what I thought might be a confusing question. Please note the last line of my OP, where I indicated such.

The story I actually intend to submit is about 2 lovers in Texas. I hope you end up reading it in the short story contest, I would love your opinions. Stark honesty is worth its weight in gold, to me.

BTW is Fail Safe a good read? Would you suggest it?

Thanks again.

You are making this difficult for yourself.

Self editing is the answer. Reread the story numerous times to find the missing link WITHOUT stress by pushing yourself through the hole.

No bulls in a China shop.


a reply to: DreadKnock

a reply to: DeathSlayer

I know I am lol. I'm kind of already regretting having asked such a ridiculous thing in my OP. I should have just written the stupid thing already, and been done with it. Meh.

Self editing is always good advice. I see what you mean about pushing through. No Bulls in a China Shop- Got it.

Thank you.

a reply to: DreadKnock
I think the literary effect is better if obscure clues to the intended explanation are planted earier, and only clarified and confirmed at the end. E.g. in that example the downing of the satellites should be mentioned as it occurs, and only the reason should be mysterious. Part of the story could be told from the viewpoint of the baffled government at home, watching the aircraft move and speculating on the possibility of false messages having been sent by somebody unknown.
Also there could be a side-plot of a struggle for power inbetween personalities inPeking involving some policy dispute, left unspecified, and the denouement could be a conversation at the end revealing that the winning argument was for the scheme you've just outlined.

If the "twist" at the end is all totally new, there's a danger that it resembles the "Deus ex machina" literary device.

a reply to: DISRAELI

Holy Smokes, DISRAELI..
First off, thank you very much for that thoughtful and detailed response. I had not looked at it that way At All! And of course that makes perfect sense. So many ideas are going through my head now.. this is exactly why I asked for help. My only complaint would be that now I'm too excited to sleep lol.

Good stuff.. really good stuff.

Cheers, mate!

A clunky solution would be to have an end part that is not formally part of the story, but appears to be something akin to an "official report" or "event debriefing" that covers events which led to your main story. But like Disraeli mentioned, there should be hints along the way, else the "debriefing" will come off like a fifth wheel.

Cheers

a reply to: DreadKnock

This might be silly advice.

Nevertheless.


As soon as you post your story your brain might come up with a solution to the story arc when it's too late.

If you complete it and send it to someone whose opinion you highly value, you might game the psychology behind it and then send the completed and satisfying version in to the contest.

Also, don't be afraid to break the rules, creativity shouldn't run on a predetermined roadmap.

Good luck, I wish I still possessed the creativity I had when I was younger.

a reply to: DreadKnock

Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue, with nothin' better to do than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose...?

Sorry I couldn’t resist.

Doing a final reveal by flashback is fairly common. Murder mysteries, Twilight Zone episodes, spy thrillers. Very common in Quintin Tarantino movies as additional reveals.

This device was used in the movie Contagion. Paltrow's character is already ill when the movie begins, and a thread of the plot is CDC investigators racing to backtrack and reconstruct what happened in an effort to help understand the disease and control. You get plenty of clues, but not the complete picture until the very end where the movie flashes back to Day 1 and the very origins of the outbreak and you see.

originally posted by: DreadKnock
I am up late working on my LF2021 short story, and am having difficulty with my ending. I am hoping that one of you can help me.

I'm anxious to see what you'll post up for us.. only a few days left in the Contest for you to submit a story, (or any one else wishing to add an story entry).

The above tips, suggestions, etc. are all great but in the end you have to feel good about what "You" have written. So the go with your gut (to me) is the strongest candidate for "Tip of the Week".

And if your like me.. even after submitting, I find myself editing the story after Ive posted it up. This is where the 20 minutes ATS allows us to make revision's on a thread or post comes in real handy.


Go with your GUT !
Johnny