Submitted 09/14/09 13:43:50 by Nancy Rotan from Morganton NC.

Q Where is the rest of the story "Mother:Please Fly Home Now" that begins on 1A of today's paper?

Answered 09/14/09 15:03:56 by Rick Thames

A: Nancy, the rest of this mother's story, which is about Hurricane Hugo, will appear in days to come. You are reading what we call a "serial narrative." You may notice the note at the top of the story that says "fourth of 11 parts." It's a bit like a continuing series on television. Each day, a reader can follow the development of the "plot." Only, this "plot" is a real-life drama. This drama, which we are calling "Hugo's Wrath," concludes on Sunday, Sept. 20. Why not just bring you the whole story at once? We chose this method for at least a couple of reasons. For one, we wanted to give readers an opportunity to experience the suspense and surprise of Hugo as others originally experienced it. The storm evolved as a news story over many days. Second, we wanted to present readers an account of Hugo that was both fresh and easy to follow in its approach. The serial can offer slices of the big story that are both quick and interesting reading. My hunch is that many people will like this approach. But I'm sure that others would prefer one rather long story. Let us know which you prefer.