Discomfort, Desire, and Drugs: Talking with Ben Gwin
Ben Gwin discusses his debut novel, Clean Time: The True Story of Ronald Regan Middleton, the book’s unique structure, and writing satire.
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Posts Tagged: narrative structure
Down the Rabbit Hole of Experimental Fiction: Michael J. Seidlinger on Becoming a Reader
Michael J. Seidlinger discusses returning to House of Leaves for Ig Publishing’s “Bookmarked” series.
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The Rumpus Interview with Raphael Cormack
Raphael Cormack discusses The Book of Khartoum: A City in Short Fiction, a collection of short stories he co-edited and translated, the editorial process, and the responsibilities that accompany translating writing.
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The Rumpus Interview with Asali Solomon
Asali Solomon discusses her debut novel, Disgruntled, narrative structure, the mythology of memory and place, and returning to Philadelphia after years away.
...moreMapping the Brain
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley published a new study about brain activity in people listening to podcasts, the New York Times reported. “Using novel computational methods, the group broke down the stories into units of meaning: social elements, for example, like friends and parties, as well as locations and emotions. They found that […]
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The Rumpus Interview with William Cusick
Director William Cusick discusses his new film, Pop Meets the Void, its unconventional narrative structure, simultaneously acting and directing, and the universal urge to create.
...moreN.K. Jemison on Experimental Fantasy
Over at Electric Literature, Tobias Carroll interviews fantasy author N.K. Jemison about her character- and world-building processes, the evolution of her publication history, and narrative structure. I read pretty widely, not just fantasy, so I don’t feel particularly wedded to the genre conventions. Fortunately, my publisher has been supportive in letting me explore, and my […]
...morePlotting Plot
With the help of math and computers, a University of Nebraska English professor has been plotting the basic shapes of novels (spoiler: there are six), but this time in a new way. Instead of focusing on plot as action, Matthew Jockers is tracking the positive or negative charge of words to reveal plot as emotional […]
...moreGoodnight Structure, Goodnight Narrative Form
The classic children’s book Goodnight Moon is a model example of successful narrative structure, argues Aimee Bender in the New York Times. The story follows enough traditional patterns to be satisfying, but also deviates in new and unique ways: “Goodnight Moon” does two things right away: It sets up a world and then it subverts […]
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