5 out of 5

Good storytelling simply endures.  I think I’m often hard on writers – of books, movies, comics – who rely on ‘hooks’ to carry us through their tales, hooks being the elevator pitch concept of “…and he’s an alien!” Or “…but they’re all dead!” that’s intended to instantly transform the mundane into the interesting.  This has its place, of course, but too often ones Exclamation Point! Addition covers up (or tries to cover up) a lack of actual consideration for, y’know, the story and characters.

So on the flipside, let us praise, via Lily Boyd’s Toby, the non-hook story; the immense effectiveness of writing a simple concept to its fullest.  A short tale of grieving – Greta’s sadness over the loss of her dog, Toby, put down after a biting incident – is not a new concept, but is told with the type of frankness and.understanding that makes such “not new” stories capable of being retold and retold by new voices, made fresh with their perspective.  And it’s not as easy as just tapping into ones own experiences: Boyd picks up Greta’s tale a few months after the fact, flipping between day to day drudgery – people asking if she’s over it now – and recalling the times leading up to the event.  Sequencing like this, and keeping the telling compact bit effective, takes talent, and that’s why we don’t always need a hook to sell us.