Normally I would call this style postmodern. You're constantly breaking the fourth wall: interrupting the story to talk about it as a story, placing it in a literary tradition, (correctly) positing that the reader hasn't read a little O. Henry but not much (you know us too well, lol).
But it doesn't feel postmodern. I'm reminded of the moment in Money Matters where you just drop the narrative and talk about why you're writing the way you're writing. If anything, it feels like an older way of storytelling rather than a weird new experimental way of storytelling. Again, you mention Henry Fielding in Money Matters.
I don't think anyone but you is writing this way. I've read enough of your stuff to know a bit about your journey, and I think it took exactly that journey to lead you to this style. And it is so good! Just compulsively readable and absurdly entertaining. I would read a thousand of these stories.
I loved this story but I also love the perspective that allows you to see the dynamics you depict with such clarity. That part is probably not teachable, you have to have ideas about how the world works!
This also reminded me a lot of how a friend (who's a successful writer) talks about story construction, though he says "begin with a conflict" rather than a desire. But it's equally formulaic and IMO equally persuasive.
This was so excellent. I will refer to this structure in either the next story I write. I will probably post a couple more old, reedited ones first, but this is so clean.
That last line!
Loved the story and the way you walked us through it.
I love how you walked us through your short story with this! Brilliantly helpful!
Normally I would call this style postmodern. You're constantly breaking the fourth wall: interrupting the story to talk about it as a story, placing it in a literary tradition, (correctly) positing that the reader hasn't read a little O. Henry but not much (you know us too well, lol).
But it doesn't feel postmodern. I'm reminded of the moment in Money Matters where you just drop the narrative and talk about why you're writing the way you're writing. If anything, it feels like an older way of storytelling rather than a weird new experimental way of storytelling. Again, you mention Henry Fielding in Money Matters.
I don't think anyone but you is writing this way. I've read enough of your stuff to know a bit about your journey, and I think it took exactly that journey to lead you to this style. And it is so good! Just compulsively readable and absurdly entertaining. I would read a thousand of these stories.
wisdom
I enjoyed your story.
I loved this story but I also love the perspective that allows you to see the dynamics you depict with such clarity. That part is probably not teachable, you have to have ideas about how the world works!
This also reminded me a lot of how a friend (who's a successful writer) talks about story construction, though he says "begin with a conflict" rather than a desire. But it's equally formulaic and IMO equally persuasive.
This was so excellent. I will refer to this structure in either the next story I write. I will probably post a couple more old, reedited ones first, but this is so clean.
"job taken by AI" is the icing on the cake