What the F*ck is "In Medias Res"

If you are looking for writing advice or even in creative writing classes you have read or heard about this term. The thing with it is… its rather hard to grasp the meaning of it unless you have a very clear example and an understanding of plot. The official definition of the latin term is:

The Latin phrase meaning 'into the middle of things', applied to the common technique of storytelling by which the narrator begins the story at some exciting point in the middle of the action, thereby gaining the reader's interest before explaining preceding events by analepses ('flashbacks') at some later stage.

Oxford Reference

The story is not always in the order that we will narrate it.

Plot and story are two separate things. While the story is the whole series of events from beginning to end, the plot is how we will tell those events to our audience. In other words, plot is what makes story-telling interesting.

If we told stories, as the poet Horace said, from the egg, there is a great chance that we will bore our reader with details that are not necessary. As readers we want to know things, that much is true, but we crave something happening. Here is where in medias res becomes a great technique to spare the inactive bits of our story and throw our audience head on the important parts.

To use some widely known examples, think of The Iliad, -exactly what Horace is talking about-. It does not start with Helen coming out of the egg, as the myth goes, but with the war already on going. The story, though, started whit the goddesses having a fight over who was the prettiest and involving Paris, but what we read is quite different.

Combine narrative techniques

Think that your character is a farmer who wants to overthrow a tyrant in power. Of course you could start the story with him being mistreated by noblemen, or even loosing someone that he loves because of this other character. Nevertheless, starting with him in prison, with iron shackles around his hands and plotting to get out will give it more interest since the beginning. 

Having started at this point will then give you the opportunity to make your character mysterious, why is he in prison? Why do the guards specially hate him? And having your audience attention allows you to give them drops of information that will build your characters story. Maybe he is desperate to get out and find the love of his life that was about to be murdered by the king when he got arrested, but he was also childhood friends with the main guard and escaping means having him executed. 

It can be as simple or complicated as you want at this point, after all everything that has happened before is a possibility.

More examples

If there is an ultimate writing advice you will always hear is: Read. Of course it is generic, but it is the only way you will realise every technique and plot structure by yourself, it is experience. On the other hand, not everything you read is necessarily useful for this purpose. 

Let's say you want to read ten books to analyse the in medias res resource. If those books do not have a strong use of it, it will be pointless to read them with that in mind. In that sense books can be a bit like food: snacks, or vegetables.

For that purpose I will recommend to you some readings that have a masterful use of this technique, so you don't have to go wandering around and looking for them:

1.- Paradise Lost by John Milton

The fall of Satan is well known for the Judaeo-Christian tradition. In this book the poem starts when Satan is already in hell, but he is now organizing his forces to make a come back. (yes, that is the plot of our example with a twist).

2.- The Odyssey attributed to Homer

I feel this book is more ignored by the general public than it should be, after all many great books have been written with it in mind. The story here does not start with Odysseus being born etc., not even with him at all but with his son Telemachus. He is now a young prince in his coming of age and has to travel to find news about his father and thus learn what has come of him while his mother's suitors threaten his state and life.

I will skip Shakespeare and Dante because I believe they are really well known and maybe some of you will want a more updated example.

3.-Anton Chejóv flash fiction The failure

If you are more of a short story type, flash fiction is always a great go to. Chéjov is a master of plot and twists. In this short story he starts in medias res which makes the story shorter and funnier.

4.-Strange Pilgrims by García Márquez

These stories are a wonderful example on how story and plot are different. He is well known for his unusual approach to plot, and if you have the time to read 12 short stories there is a ton you can learn from him.

5.- Flash Fictions by Alberto Chimal

If you love those short and powerfull stories I cannot stress enough to read this author. He has a unique approach to fantasy in these little texts that is at the same time fantastic and fun. Of course, many of them use in medias res to work.

So these are only five authors to start with, but there are many more and I am sure there is a list somewhere on the internet to go to. The second more important thing, besides reading, is to keep practicing until you are satisfied with the results,

Mel.