On Letting Readers Wonder
Learn about how to leave readers wondering and how to win a query critique and 30-minute AMA.
Table of Contents
Books for Maui Auction
On August 8, a wildfire swept through Lāhainā, home to a vast number of Native Hawaiians, who are currently in great need. I’ve donated a query critique and a 30-minute AMA (Ask Me Anything); you can bid on it and other items from agents, editors, and authors through Books for Maui. The auction will remain open until Friday, August 25th at midnight HST.
Note on Newsletter Length
I’ve been condensing multiple topics into each post to reduce the number of emails you receive, but it can be tiring to read a lot at once. I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if you prefer longer emails with multiple topics or shorter emails covering a little bit at a time.
The Mysterious Narrator
Once in a while, you get the chance to leave readers wondering.
Say you end a chapter with this:
I opened the door. When I saw who it was, I fought to hold in a gasp. “What are YOU doing here?”
Normally, the next paragraph would reveal this mystery person, but the chapter ends. The story moves on, and the name isn’t revealed until sometime later.
This type of storytelling requires thought and planning. Whenever narrators keep readers out of the loop, there’s no space for careless writing.
If you’ve read Karen M. McManus’s One of Us is Lying, you’ve seen how a story can successfully reveal information one small bit at a time. The technique adds suspense and mystery without being overly confusing (and leads to one of my favorite moments).
Not all writers use this technique successfully, and more importantly, not all stories are suitable for it. As a reader, this type of story might even be frustrating and confusing.
As with everything else, if you consider hiding info from the reader, it can help to ask yourself:
What’s my intent?
If my intent is to add suspense, are there other ways to do that? If so, why choose this one in particular?
Suspense needs to have a worthy payoff.
The first step in using it effectively is making sure you’re doing it with intention; the second is to do it well.
Finding out the truth with the narrator is often enough of a shock. For the example above, would it add something to the story to conceal the identity of whoever’s behind the door? Imagine how disappointing it would be if several chapters later, the reveal ends up anticlimactic.
The same holds true for instances where you deceive the reader. If the reader jumps to conclusions, it’s up to you to use that to your advantage. Are those conclusions correct? Do you want the reader to feel satisfied because they figured it out or because they were shocked? (Either can be great, depending on the story you’re telling!)
Also, you don’t have to hide information for it to be interesting. You can build up to a huge moment with vivid details and quick pacing. You can leave room for a pleasant surprise. Just don’t reveal fifty crucial details at once.
Writers must earn readers’ trust and investment. Once you have it, don’t throw it away.