: Re: How to write a character that isn't who they claim? I am currently writing a character that isn't who they claim to be. This character's true identity and affiliation will become known in the

It all depends on your intention.

1) You want your reader to be suspicious about the character, but not know the true explanation. In this case you can put spotlight on this character, show some mystery and hidden depth, but leave a number of other possible explanations to his actions.

2) You want your reader to be totally oblivious, and only in last chapter smack his head - "How could I miss that?!" In this case you have to keep the spotlight somewhere else. The character should be fully consistent with his assumed identity, and if there's something strange going on, there always must be some other suspect.

In both cases you have to introduce the idea of a persona who is the real identity of your character. Shroud this persona in mystery, make the other characters look for him and try to learn about him without knowing that he is hiding in plain sight.

P.S. I think J. K. Rowling is using the idea of false identity too much, almost to the point that I know that newly introduced major characters are rarely the people they are pretending to be.

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: Where should I pitch a book of short stories in English accompanied by French translations? I have a collection of original short stories, all of which have been published in English in literary

: Re: How to write a character that isn't who they claim? I am currently writing a character that isn't who they claim to be. This character's true identity and affiliation will become known in the

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: Avoiding -ly Words "I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs," said Stephen King. He went on to explain that they should be used sparingly, not as a crutch to avoid writing a more

: How do you get a character to tell a short story? Writing noobie here. I'm at a point in my story where one of the characters recalls a memory from their past and talks about the impact

: It is a bit stereotypical, but for good reason. The two are opposing forces. I don't mean in the sense of physical frozen water and whatever the hell fire is, but in the sense of endothermic

: Where should I pitch a book of short stories in English accompanied by French translations? I have a collection of original short stories, all of which have been published in English in literary

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