Question

english 12 a - mrs. taylor 25-26
writing a narrative application essay
standing alone in my family’s barn, i thought about how much hard work and time my parents had invested—how much hard work and time we had all invested—in maintaining a fully operational farm. i did not remember a time when my clothes had not reeked of manure or my hair had not held fast to brittle pieces of straw. what would happen if my parents had to sell the farm so we could move closer to my grandparents? just as i was attempting to imagine a life in the city, a sudden commotion erupted and interrupted my thoughts. with animals squawking and dust flying, i scrambled to pinpoint the source of this unexpected intrusion. in seconds that felt more like minutes, i was successful ... and i could scarcely believe what my eyes were seeing.
nick would like to rearrange his plot so that it begins with the commotion in the barn. which statement best describes how starting in the middle of an exciting part will affect the plot?
nick will need to provide a more detailed conclusion to make up for the events he did not include. nick will need to provide other exciting details in order to maintain the reader’s attention. nick will need to go back and relate the events that led up to that moment in the story.

Explanation:

When starting a narrative in the middle of an exciting event (in medias res), the writer needs to fill in the backstory (exposition) to explain how the story reached that exciting moment. The first option is incorrect because a conclusion's detail isn't related to missing events from the start. The second option is incorrect as the existing exciting moment is the hook, and the issue is not about adding more exciting details but providing context for the opening scene. The third option is correct because starting in the middle means the earlier events (that led to the commotion) need to be explained later in the story to give context and complete the narrative.

Answer:

Nick will need to go back and relate the events that led up to that moment in the story.