Give away the surprise ending, or not?

[DeeZire]

Sometimes, stories or movies like “End of the World” (Kirsten Dunce- naked!) start by giving away the tragic ending. In my story, a socially inept, creepy guy discovers his new wife is running a major hustle on him, so he burns the house down - with her in it.

My plan was to start with a paragraph about the empty lot, describing the melted tin garden shed and the charred foundation, and mention that although there are still rumors going around about what happened, only one person knows for sure. Then I’d open the story. The reader wouldn't know who burned down the house, or even if it was the house the story takes place in. I could mention the decaying neighborhood, so the reader might think it was a house nearby. It’s a slow-moving tale - around 11k words - which might benefit from the added tension.

Any thoughts?

 

[Stella_Omega]

Try it. it's just a preamble, really, and if you decide it doesn't work you can easily cut it away.

 

[sr71plt]

If the ending is given away, it doesn't qualify as a surprise ending, does it. Your scenario sounds interesting and seems a good one, if the elements, indeed, are rationalized and tied together at the end.

 

[TE999]

I'd consider that beginning more a foreshadowing because you dunno what caused it or why.

 

[PennLady]

I don't see why you couldn't do this. It's a different medium, but I see TV shows do this frequently. They'll start with a scene in the intro, then maybe after the credits, open with something like "36 hours earlier." So it circles back around.

To me, the scenario you propose is fine. All we know is the house is gone -- we don't know how or why, and therein could lie the surprise.

 

[DeeZire]

Sometimes it takes thinking out loud to reveal the obvious solution. I'm going to start with a "Present Day" paragraph describing the decaying neighborhood, and mention the burned down house in that context, and then begin the story with a "Two Years Ago" heading. Thanks for the suggestions. This is probably writing 101, but I skipped that course.

 

[SamScribble]

I’m reading a book at the moment that begins (almost) at the end of the story – except that when you start reading you have no idea that it is the end of the story.

Is it a surprise ending? No. By the time the reader has worked through all of the different twists and turns, the ending is almost inevitable – although no less engaging for its inevitability.

I’d say give it a go.

 

[D_Lynn]

A lot of Prologues are this way. They are a glimpse of what happens between the last chapter and the Epilogue. I think it works quite well as a hook.

I agree with Stella. Go for it, and if it doesn't work, cut it.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Sometimes it takes thinking out loud to reveal the obvious solution. I'm going to start with a "Present Day" paragraph describing the decaying neighborhood, and mention the burned down house in that context, and then begin the story with a "Two Years Ago" heading. Thanks for the suggestions. This is probably writing 101, but I skipped that course.

You can even mention the burned-down house briefly and in passing, so readers don't realise until late in the piece WHICH house is going to be torched...