Entry 1: An Example of Excellent Storytelling

"Lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn't mean there isn't an answer to them. It's just that scientists haven't found the answer yet.

For example, some people believe in the ghosts of people who have come back from the dead. And Uncle Terry said that he saw a ghost in a shoe shop in a shopping center in Northampton because he was going down into the basement when he saw someone dressed in gray walk across the bottom of the stairs. But when he got to the bottom of the stairs the basement was empty and there were no doors. When he told the lady on the till upstairs, they said it was called Tuck and he was a ghost of a Franciscan friar who used to live in the monastery which was on the same site hundreds of years ago, which was why the shopping center was called Greyfriars Shopping Center, and they were used to him and not frightened at all.

Eventually scientists will discover something that explains ghosts, just like they discovered electricity, which explained lightning, and it might be something about people's brains, or something about the earth's magnetic field, or it might be some new force altogether. And then ghosts won't be mysteries. They will be like electricity and rainbows and non-stick frying pans" (Haddon 100).

- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time


This passage immediately comes to mind as a prime example of excellent storytelling not only because of the way the account ties back into itself, but because the voice of the speaker emanates so clearly from each sentence that one can actually feel a connection to the character. The main character in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher, is a teenage boy with Asperger's who's considered to be an idiot-savant. From this passage alone, the speaker evokes a childish tone, using diction such as "Uncle Terry" and beginning sentences with "But" and "And." However, by the end of the story, as he explains the logic behind his trailing recount of his uncle's experience with ghosts, Christopher reveals a sense of insight about the world and a knowledge of science that well exceeds his story-telling abilities and backs up the initial claim that "scientists haven't found the answer yet." From this short section alone, the protagonist of the novel can be almost fully characterized, which makes for some excellent, purposeful storytelling.

P.S. - Yes, the passage is slightly longer than requested, but I don't believe it could be trimmed without losing its full effect... I apologize for the overabundance of words.