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”
Recently, my phone suggested that I “create memories” of 2020 by sifting through my photos, and helpfully, it offered up the first one of the year.
It was taken at a funeral.
My first thought was, “Sheesh, phone, read the room. 2020!”
Fifteen minutes later, though, I was thinking, “On the day of that funeral, Covid19 was arriving in California from China and in NYC from Europe. We were dimly aware a new virus had been identified, but did not yet understand that the seeds of the pandemic were floating down around us and taking root.” My next thought was, “If this was in a story, that funeral scene would make great foreshadowing.”