concept
Latin
also: Latin Phrases
In Medias Res
/ɪn ˈmiːdiəs reɪz/
lit. “into the middle of things”
Starting a story in the middle of the action, with the backstory filled in later.
Origin
Named by the Roman poet Horace in his Ars Poetica (c. 19 BCE), praising Homer for starting the Iliad mid-war. The technique is as old as oral epic: drop the audience into the action; expose context only when it matters.
Modern usage
Standard vocabulary in screenwriting and creative-writing classes. Many prestige TV pilots open in medias res before flashing back six months.
Tags
narrative
opening
structure