The Finish. (1707 Views)
Posted by:
Mall (IP Logged)
Date: May 22, 2002 11:00PM
Since so many are already offering opinions on the 3rd leg, I thought it might be worthwhile to point out why, in a sense, posts are like races, in that the finish is of critical importance. Which brings to mind P.J. O'Rourke classic "Learn To Write Good", which he billed an inside look at some of the secrets the pros use when they can't figure out a way to end a story with a lot of characters & a complicated plot. His advice was to finish with a sentence which fits in all circumstances but one, to wit "And then everyone was run over by a truck." The one exception of course is if the story is about trucks, in which case you finish with "And then all the trucks were run over by a mammoth truck."
I'm sure some of you are thinking, OK Mall, I understand what you're getting at, and what you're saying certainly seems like solid advice, but what does this have to do with an erstwhile hippophile & poster like myself? Lets say you're near the end of your post, a comprehensive & complicated analysis of the Belmont, and you're looking for a way to finish. Simple. "And then all the horses were run over by a mammoth truck named Essence of Dubai."
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.