: Re: Is it bad for the narrative to lie? What I want to know is if it is bad for the narrative to lie to the reader. I get that using it in first person can be a good use for misdirection

You can mislead, but don't cheat.

Convincing your readers of something that isn't actually the case is a perfectly valid technique; it's only natural to want to keep some surprises in store, and finding out their foundational beliefs are wrong can be a powerful moment for a character.

However, it's very important that after the reveal, the reader can look back through what they've been told and think "ooh, now I get it," not "now there's a plot hole there, and a plot hole there...." You need to always keep in mind the true state of affairs, and ensure that while the misleading things you narrate are reasonable in the moment, they never outright contradict the truth. An objective third-person narrator is, as you say, generally expected to be honestâ€”but that doesn't mean they can't resort to technical truths and missed perspectives.

Even with that in mind, be careful to avoid eliding details the perspective characters ought to be aware of. If there's a crucial detail present in a scene that might unravel the deception, there's no need to highlight it, but make sure you mention it! A little suspicion is healthy, and clever readers will enjoy catching the clues, while if it only ever comes up post-reveal, it'll feel more like a retcon.

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: Re: Is it bad for the narrative to lie? What I want to know is if it is bad for the narrative to lie to the reader. I get that using it in first person can be a good use for misdirection

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: How do I ensure that my temper is not affecting my writing? Usually, when I read my old blog posts, one thing I evidently observe is that my posts are affected by my temper at that time.

: Help! How do I transition from a character voice to a narrator? How do you successfully transition from a first-person narrator, who is present only for the first few chapters of a book, to

: First, consider how much you actually want the love triangle element. If you've managed to write a compelling, believable couple with good chemistry, you've already done better than a lot

: MS Word correct the style of footnotes I am having an issue with a bad documents that one of my colleague formatted. The footnotes appear to have a Return too much... I tried clicking everywhere

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