What is the "In Media Res" technique of storytelling?

 What is “In Media Res”?

"In Media Res" (Latin for "in the midst of things") is a powerful storytelling technique where the narrative plunges the audience directly into a critical, exciting, or significant moment of the story, skipping over the initial exposition and setup. Instead of beginning with a traditional "once upon a time," the reader/viewer is immediately immersed in the action or a pivotal scene. It jolts the reader directly into the “heart of the action.” The preceding events, character backstories, and the "how we got here" are then revealed gradually through flashbacks, dialogue, or indirect exposition as the story progresses. This method is designed to grab attention immediately, create suspense, and cultivate a sense of mystery, compelling the audience to understand what led to the current situation.

 

Let’s take the example of this story opening paragraph to understand the concept of “In Media Res”

 

The Case of the Missing Cake

The aroma of singed hair filled the kitchen. Maya stared at the smoking microwave, a single, lonely spoon clutched in her charred hand. On the counter, a tray of what was once a glorious chocolate cake bubbled menacingly, spitting dark goop onto the gleaming white tiles. "Not again!" she shrieked, kicking a cupboard door. Her cat, Kitty Fluffnutter, dashed under the sofa with a terrified yowl.

 

How “In Media Res” is used in this paragraph?

 

What you immediately know after reading this paragraph?

Maya is in a disastrous kitchen, something went wrong with the chocolate cake, and she's very upset. There's a smoking microwave and a scared cat.

 

What you don’t know yet after reading this paragraph?

Why was she making cake?

What happened to he hair?

Why was the microwave smoking?

What does "Not again!" mean? Has this happened before?

Why is the cat called Captain Fluffnutter, and why is she so scared?

 

This was just the beginning of the story

If the story continued, then it would probably reveal these things

Maya was probably baking a cake for her grumpy old neighbour neighbour, Mrs. Dukie, whose pet dog just passed away

She accidentally put a metal spoon into the microwave while baking the cake which triggere the sparks and also, her singed hair.

The "Not again!" refers to her general clumsiness in the kitchen, a running gag in her life.

See how starting with the smoking microwave and singed hair is much more exciting than starting with Maya buying ingredients at the store? "In Media Res" grabs you by the collar and pulls you right into the heart of the action, making you desperately want to know what happened and how things got so crazy!