Write a story that begins or ends with a page that starts with “While x was gone…” For example
While Mary was gone, John concealed a golden pin inside Mary’s desk. This pin would be the cause of etc., etc., etc. This is the beginning of the story.
While John was gone, Mary slipped a sealed letter into John’s backpack, which informed him she filed for divorce, thus ending their 40-year marriage and a sequence of events that is only hinted at since this is the ending of the story.
By placing this phrase anywhere in the story, you give space to some character or characters while others are gone. It’s a nice way to shift focus in a scene or story.
What other types of phrases have this power?