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A Question on Writing?
I want to surprise my readers by making someone do something shocking but I am laying hints in the pages so that he doesn't suddenly does what he does and makes the story unrealistic. Should I? Or is it ruining the surprise?
3 Answers
- ?Lv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
What you are talking about is forewarning. And it's a good thing. You can't completely spring a surprise on your readers. But, they also shouldn't predict what's coming. Your job as a writer is to hint at something that they may or may not pick up on. When it happens, they slap their foreheads and say, "I should have seen that coming!"
Think about good books that have done that or even movies with twists. Remember where the hints were there and you wish you had picked up on them but you didn't and when the event happened it all made sense.
This is tricky writing. When it's done well, you have a great story.
Good luck.
- 8 years ago
I think it's good to leave hints, as long as you're not foreshadowing so that the readers are completely expecting it to happen. I think it's good to have them make a guess about what will happen, but be partially sure as to whether it'll actually occur or not.
- 8 years ago
Just the tiniest of hints, little clues. Barely anything there, and when it happens... BAM! Total surprise and shock. You either want them to really crave and anticipate it, or you want them completely, hair raisingly surprised.
