SWRT 251 | Ambiguity in Story

April 28, 2022

person typing on MacBook Pro on brown wooden table during daytime photo

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn talk about that slippery subject, ambiguity. What is it? How does it function in story? How & why it can disappoint or disgruntle readers (like Kathryn!). How it’s different from a hook. More!

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VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

What we talked about:

How do you define ambiguity? (0:24)

What is the difference between intrigue and ambiguity? (1:22)

Could you use ambiguity in the middle of a story? (3:30)

Do you care what the reader thinks about the ambiguity? (7:04)

Giving the reader responsibility for the ending. (8:25)

Should you resolve everything? (13:25)

How can you have a satisfying ambiguous ending? (17:20)

How can you use ambiguous elements? (22:13)

What are the payoffs of ambiguity? (26:34)

LINKS

Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.

Things we mentioned:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Nocturnal Animals
The Herd by Alida Winternheimer

Want more about these topics? Check out:

SWRT 7: Endings
SWRT 063 Short Stories – How they differ from the Novel

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.

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About Your Hosts

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she is also a notable in Best American Essays and winner of the Page Turner Award. Author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series, Alida lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.

Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com