01/15 Workshop: "One Night:750 Words and Then Some" by Ruby Rosa Bresinsky

In the initial reading it is hard to parse exactly what Brezinsky is saying in "One Night," but there are are subtle markers that assist the reader in creating something of a story about people in a room exchanging stories while one person transcribes. At least, that is a loose framework, which allows the reader to excuse false starts and red herrings. To an extent, this works, but at times there the story is bogged down with competing unconventional flourishes. That is to say, for instance, that dialogue is simultaneously unattributed, non-indented, lacking quotation marks, and sometimes parenthetical. While I can understand a desire to disorient, it is also important not to discourage the reader for the sake of being unconventional. This situation with dialogue, combined with a loose narrative structure and anti-climaxes makes for a long run through this piece with little time to breath.

To this, the answer perhaps is everything in moderation. Tighten this up and it has potential. Also, I think the story really starts at "I said, Piss on your face..."