Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Fri, Sep 20 2013
Is it okay to fool readers? Well, that depends...
Should we start a fictional story at the end, telling the tale as a flashback or dream? Some like this technique, but many readers feel cheated unless they know it's a flashback or dream. Spinning a good yarn and then suddenly informing the reader that they've been participating in a dream sequence can leave the reader feeling duped. Now, we might believe that the reader likes being duped. He or she already knows the tale is a fictional one. But we should realize that a plot well-crafted with twists and turns isn't the same as a bait-and-switch tactic in which the reader has already taken an exhilarating ride and suddenly has the writer call out, "Fooled ya!" after the reader exits the ride and is still enjoying a pleasing adrenalin rush.
posted at: 09:31 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
Should we start a fictional story at the end, telling the tale as a flashback or dream? Some like this technique, but many readers feel cheated unless they know it's a flashback or dream. Spinning a good yarn and then suddenly informing the reader that they've been participating in a dream sequence can leave the reader feeling duped. Now, we might believe that the reader likes being duped. He or she already knows the tale is a fictional one. But we should realize that a plot well-crafted with twists and turns isn't the same as a bait-and-switch tactic in which the reader has already taken an exhilarating ride and suddenly has the writer call out, "Fooled ya!" after the reader exits the ride and is still enjoying a pleasing adrenalin rush.
posted at: 09:31 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
