What Would You Do? MC Secrets

[Serra K]

Hi all,

I have a question and want to put it out there because I have tunnel vision rn.

My MC Kaden has a pretty big secret. Revealing it to anyone will cost him his life, and probably the lives of the king and queen mother also.

My question is: is it fair to withhold this from the reader as well? I'm planning on a big reveal at a pivotal point in the story (for a dramatic 'OMG that makes sense!' moment. POV is close 3rd. I'm too much in my head to figure out if this is acceptable.

Thanks!

 

[Pamela Jo]

It absolutely is. Whether it works that way or not is impossible to tell without reading the whole book to that point. Think about the secret that ends up taking Ed Stark's life. That's not revealed until pretty far in and appears to be just another unknown to be explained in the GRR `Martin world we're exploring. Just be sure the clues are there so when it is revealed the reader gets the AHA moment and feels it's worth it.

 

[Jake E]

I think it depends on what the secret is.

Some MC secrets are better kept from the reader for these omg moments and others are better given up front so that the tension of keeping it is at the fore.

For example;
In the tv series 'Merlin', Merlin must keep the fact he has magic a secret from everyone, including his best friends, or be killed. The viewers know this and it builds tension every time he has to do it near them.

So I think it hugely depends on the secret your MC is keeping.

J

 

[RK Wallis]

I'd also think in terms of verisimilitude. Is it in keeping with his character to keep this secret? If yes, your readers shouldn't feel jilted. An example (although not a secret): GRRM (spoiler) writes Ned Stark is such a way, we expect him to live. Hence, when Joffery says "bring me his head" we are shocked and dismayed to lose Ned. There's been no foreshadowing this could happen. However, it's totally in line with what readers expect from Joffery. So I'd let verisimilitude guide you.

 

[Brayati]

Foreshadowing and hints that allow the reader to guess what it might be can increase the sense of tension. By not withholding the full secret, and letting little slips that relate to it come onto the page, the reveal becomes much more than an Aha! moment - it gives the reader satisfaction in their reasoning skills (fully involved by the invite to 'see' what it might be).

 

[Hannah F]

Is this a close 3rd person pov? Does your MC generally share his thoughts with the reader? If this is something he is likely to frequently think about, it will make more sense for the reader to know the secret. If it's something that's not at the forefront of his thinking or if the reader does not have access to his thoughts, then look at which will create more tension: reader aware or reader unaware.

 

[Serra K]

Thank you all for your input! You've all come at it from unique angles, all of which help me to work out what will be the best way to tackle this

 

[Serra K]

Is this a close 3rd person pov? Does your MC generally share his thoughts with the reader?

Yes, it's close 3rd and Kaden is picky about what he shares with the reader. Partly because he is stoic by nature, and partly because he suppresses a lot of his past (at least the period of time after his daughter died and he got reckless).

letting little slips that relate to it come onto the page

This has been my approach so far. These are some of the most exciting scenes to write because they contain all the clues in them, and I'm hoping that the reveal will prod the reader to remember them and realise the answer had been there all along.

Is it in keeping with his character to keep this secret?

I believe so. He barely admits his actions to himself, and he's almost convinced himself that what he did was just a technical hitch.

Some MC secrets are better kept from the reader for these omg moments and others are better given up front so that the tension of keeping it is at the fore.

This was an eye opening comment for me, I hadn't thought of it in this way and it helped me to make the decision.

Just be sure the clues are there so when it is revealed the reader gets the AHA moment and feels it's worth it.

Good point PJ, I've gone back over the ms and looked for scenes that can be moulded to serve this purpose. These sections are some of the most satisfying to write!