
“Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Not necessarily in that order.”
Variant: A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end... but not necessarily in that order.
“Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Not necessarily in that order.”
Interview with Don Swaim (1986)
Interview with Don Swaim (1986)
John on a story he wrote when he was in elementary school Nov. 26th: Writing Advice (And Notes on Surnameless Tiffany) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gf69J1Go98&feature=channel
YouTube
“It is rare for a novel to have an ending as good as its middle and beginning…”
“An Unread Book”, p. 25
The Third Book of Criticism (1969)
“A happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story”
“The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.”
The Last Unicorn (1968)
Context: The true secret in being a hero lies in knowing the order of things. … Things must happen when it is time for them to happen. Quests may not simply be abandoned; prophecies may not be left to rot like unpicked fruit; unicorns may go unrescued for a very long time, but not forever. The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.