A Romantic Relationship in Reverse

[Guttersnipe]

I'm currently trying to write a story of a relationship told backwards (not literally; that would be a pain), with the story starting at the end of it, ending in the beginning. All I really know right now is that I want it to start with the woman negatively comparing her partner to her ex, and end with the death of her ex. I feel this is a good idea, but I don't know what the other details should be. I don't want to draw on my personal past relationships, but I do want to portray it realistically. Romance, whether fantastical or not, has never been my cup of tea. However, I feel the gimmick here makes it more unique. I just don't know how to go about writing it--should each "sub-chapter" be a day, a journal entry, or what? Any pointers?

 

[The Judge]

In The Last Time They Met, Anita Shreve shows a relationship where in Part One of the book the characters are in early middle age and meeting for the first time in years, in Part Two we're shown their adulterous affair years earlier, and in Part Three they're teenagers meeting for the first time -- in each Part the time moves forward, so day one, then day two etc -- but she does this in order to have a plot twist on the very last page, which obviously wouldn't work if the book had started with them as teenagers.

Not a relationship, but in The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey the story is told backwards over four days, and again there's a (kind of ) twist which meant the story could only be told in that fashion, and in film there's Memento, of course, which again hinges on what happened at the beginning, which if we'd seen it first would have rendered it a non-story.

So I take it you do have a plot twist or a very good reason for telling the story backwards.

As for the writing, if I were doing it, I'd probably outline the story in the correct order -- perhaps even write some of it -- so that I could be sure of the plot, then I'd reverse the order of the scenes. I'd keep each scene to a specific time -- a day or a week or a month or year, whatever works for the plot and the time the relationship takes to unfold. Journal entries might work, if the character is one who keeps a journal in meticulous detail, complete with dialogue etc, otherwise it might feel repetitive and cramped. Or perhaps a mix of brief diary entries (eg "Saw the doctor. Confirmed I'm pregnant") with the full detail given in non-journal narrative would work.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Merci beaucoup, @The Judge

 

[Flaviosky]

don't want to draw on my personal past relationships, but I do want to portray it realistically

The thing is, some of that experience is going to be useful to portrait reactions and emotions. Not necessarily acting the way you'd do, but if you know that, for example, you did something right or wrong in a specific situation, then you know how it would be if they did the opposite.

I believe that it's hard not to bring anything yours when you're trying to portrait human behaviour.

 

[alexvss]

I'm currently trying to write a story of a relationship told backwards (not literally; that would be a pain), with the story starting at the end of it, ending in the beginning. All I really know right now is that I want it to start with the woman negatively comparing her partner to her ex, and end with the death of her ex. I feel this is a good idea, but I don't know what the other details should be. I don't want to draw on my personal past relationships, but I do want to portray it realistically. Romance, whether fantastical or not, has never been my cup of tea. However, I feel the gimmick here makes it more unique. I just don't know how to go about writing it--should each "sub-chapter" be a day, a journal entry, or what? Any pointers?

500 days of Summer?

 

[Guttersnipe]

500 days of Summer?

That wasn't what I was going for. As I understand, they told their story a bit more randomly.

 

[msstice]

If I did this, I'd do a journal, presented backwards. The movie "Memento" was a very cool experiment in this but it hinged a lot on the short term memory deficit angle

Spoiler

With the twist being that he tricked/betrayed himself, exploiting his own condition

In the case of your idea, I think it has lots of potential because the journal entries have no obligation to be complete in their explanation. So things like:

I passed an ice cream truck today. I almost bought a cone. Chocolate cone with Vanilla. Two scoops. I sat on the bench with it until it began to melt and the white drops ran down my arm, sticky in the heat. I dropped it in the black mouth of the trash can next to the bench, a white snowflake melting in the darkness.

And many entries later, the reader is rewarded by an episode as to why this is significant.

 

[Swank]

My question is: What makes the story attractive to readers?

That isn't a judgement - I think it is likely the key to how to tell the story in the order you want to. It sounds like a whole bunch of tragedy with both a break-up and a death. So what's the hook?

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

I like this idea of telling the romantic story backwards. I even have a great opening line:

"My mother was right about you!" I snarled, raising my foot to stomp on his white knuckles, clenched over the edge of the cliff.

 

[Guttersnipe]

My question is: What makes the story attractive to readers?

That isn't a judgement - I think it is likely the key to how to tell the story in the order you want to. It sounds like a whole bunch of tragedy with both a break-up and a death. So what's the hook?

I really don't know. I want it to be tragic. Maybe the writing itself will suffice, if good enough? Maybe I can make the end have a silver lining? I'm not sure if by "hook" if you are talking about the beginning.

 

[Swank]

I really don't know. I want it to be tragic. Maybe the writing itself will suffice, if good enough? Maybe I can make the end have a silver lining? I'm not sure if by "hook" if you are talking about the beginning.

I mean, what would make the book attractive to read and recommend?

 

[Guttersnipe]

I mean, what would make the book attractive to read and recommend?

Not a book. I could give it a philosophical spin, I suppose. Even if it isn't happy, it can be interesting.

 

[Swank]

Not a book. I could give it a philosophical spin, I suppose. Even if it isn't happy, it can be interesting.

Then maybe that philosophical underpinning suggests how you organize the telling and structure.

 

[therapist]

I can only think of tragic endings to telling a romance story this way. My mind immedietly went to an ending where we realize the woman killed her ex because that ex didn't compare to a previous lover. (And makes us think back to the start where she negatively compares her current partner to her ex)
Is there any way to give this a happy ending?
Also I have no clue how to write a good romance plot, but I would assume doing journal entries would be the best because you can time jump easily.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I can only think of tragic endings to telling a romance story this way. My mind immedietly went to an ending where we realize the woman killed her ex because that ex didn't compare to a previous lover. (And makes us think back to the start where she negatively compares her current partner to her ex)
Is there any way to give this a happy ending?
Also I have no clue how to write a good romance plot, but I would assume doing journal entries would be the best because you can time jump easily.

Of journals, particularly from high school, I still have an abundance. And I'm better at sad endings than good in general, so I'm trying especially hard to come up with a happier ending.

 

[msstice]

My wife fell as I hacked her hand off with my axe. My child screamed again as the bodiless fingers spasmed and dug deeper into his frail arm. I pried off the black claws one by one from his skin. They crackled like paper as they came off in puffs of black powder. They were withered by the time they hit the floor.

I cradled my child gently in my arms. The axe clanked as it fell on the stone roof.

"Now," I said. "Let me tell you about your real mother."



I think any of us could wring a happy ending out of this one, na?

 

[Guttersnipe]

Yikes! I wasn't going for horror, but that's all pretty chilling, @msstice! Sounds like a forgotten Brothers Grimm tale! You raise a good point, though.

 

[Astro Pen]

You can't really write romance beyond the superficial without putting a bit of yourself into it. That is why most people struggle with it. It will include some insecurities and tears. Particularly endings which, like say major depression or infidelity are not really possible to describe unless you have experienced them.
I'm realising, while thinking about this, that particularly in sci-fi, relationships are seldom realistically deep and meaningful, they just are a form of 'McGuffin'. A motivating device. That is why we never really care about lovers in sf. The lover is just someone to be rescued or whatever.

 

[msstice]

That is why we never really care about lovers in sf

<Rips up plans for Romeo and Juliette set in the asteroid belt.>

 

[JaedenGray]

Hey there! It's been a while since this post was first made, but I can't help but be intrigued by the idea you've come up with - reverse romance? Wow, that sounds awesome and unique! I think journal entries could be a great way to approach your story - as you said, maybe something like each entry being a different day and building up to the death of the ex, with thought from MC comparing her partner to her ex. That's an intriguing way to create tension.