: Re: Should I make my character suspect an upcoming twist or not? I have reached a point in my story in which the characters, who are in a sort of gang, will have to turn against each other.

@Mendez196

Vote Up Vote Down

An alternative answer:

You can leave it up to the reader to wonder whether the character knew.

This depends on your writing style, but it is actually possible to show everything the character actually physically does and much of the character's immediate reactions and responses to events, without describing anything at all of what the character knows, thinks, suspects, plans.

A mild form of this is in an action story of some sort when:

He described in a few words what he wanted done. The sentry nodded brightly and saluted, a sly grin spreading across his face. 'You can count on me, sir,' he said, slapping his rifle butt for emphasis, and Daniel moved on, satisfied.

Then the reader learns the plan later by seeing it in action.

Likewise, you don't have to show suspicion; you can just show the result. Someone suspecting an imminent betrayal is hardly likely to demonstrate the fact, which makes it difficult for an outsider to tell whether it is in fact suspected or not. So show what actually happens. Does the betrayal succeed? It sounds like you want it to. So, you could have it succeed, but have it be a near thing due to unexpected difficulty encountered by those betraying him.

Ultimately, it's your story, and what happens in it is up to you.

(0)

Login to post a comment!