The box of mysteries - and when to reveal them
Can I run a quick question past all you lovely Scribbles readers?
I have a bit of a dilemma. In StarMark, there's a box:
The box contains a few items of sentimental value. Their stories can never be told because the owner of the box has died. The reader will 'look' inside this box very early on in the story and 'see' the objects. However, there is one item 'seen' at this point whose significance is revealed much later.
This is a deliberate ploy on my part as the writer: to apparently reveal everything from the start. But recent comments have forced me to rethink whether a big reveal up front is the best way to handle this particular situation.
So - as a reader - would you be disappointed that you'd seen everything straight off? And if you were disappointed initially, would you feel better when the 'Aha!' reveal moment occurred? Or, would you prefer to keep dipping into the box to see a little bit more each time? Prolong the suspense of the reveal?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
I have a bit of a dilemma. In StarMark, there's a box:
 |
| A bit like this one. |
The box contains a few items of sentimental value. Their stories can never be told because the owner of the box has died. The reader will 'look' inside this box very early on in the story and 'see' the objects. However, there is one item 'seen' at this point whose significance is revealed much later.
This is a deliberate ploy on my part as the writer: to apparently reveal everything from the start. But recent comments have forced me to rethink whether a big reveal up front is the best way to handle this particular situation.
So - as a reader - would you be disappointed that you'd seen everything straight off? And if you were disappointed initially, would you feel better when the 'Aha!' reveal moment occurred? Or, would you prefer to keep dipping into the box to see a little bit more each time? Prolong the suspense of the reveal?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.