A monthly letter from Gotham’s president, Alexander Steele (writing advice and other musings)
Yes, it’s been dark lately in our world.
I was recently transfixed by a feature article by Joel Gunter for BBC Africa. A bashful young man from Ghana, who we’ll call Azeteng, was fascinated, like me, by spy stories. Unlike me, he decided to undertake an espionage mission that would intimidate James Bond.
Continue reading “Spying the Light”
You know what might help you see the coming year in an exciting light? Picture your life as a picaresque.
A picaresque is a type of novel where a hero, often low-born or somewhat roguish, hits the road embarking on a series of adventures, encountering various characters, living by their wits, and after many highs and lows generally reaches a happy ending. (The term comes from picaro, Spanish for rogue.)
In my last letter, about Election Day USA, I called that time the climax of 2020, and I think it was. But now what?
After the climax in a story, there is often a denouement, where the tale has a chance to wind down.
By the very end, it’s best if the central conflict is resolved, but it’s also good if there’s a sense that the story will continue in some way, letting the viewer/reader continue playing things out in their imagination.
Continue reading “Denouement”