How to 'hide' your plot

[2WayParadox]

You have your general plotline, you're writing scenes to fill out the story, everything'sgoing well in your little world of writing, but here's the issue:

You've taken into account that your plot can't fall from the sky, so you want to add some markers that are necessary support for your eventual plot. Do any of you have any thoughts about how you do this without revealing the plot? I'm greedy, I want to give away as little as possible for as long as possible.

 

[Feo Takahari]

I'd like to hear a little more about what exactly you want to hide. Is it just your twist, or is it your message, or your real protagonist? All three require different methods.

 

[2WayParadox]

My twist, some events are hidden from the protagonist and they lead to very serious events in the last part of the book. In a way, the protagonist is responsible for making the events happen, which hits her like a dozen trucks.

 

[cupiscent]

I second Feo's question. Because my first thought is "Don't hide your plot! Your plot is why people are here."

 

[2WayParadox]

I know, but what I'm meaning to say is that people aren't stupid and they can use their brains. They can figure out the plotline and is it still really fun to read after you've figured thigns out. I want to mislead them and then slap around the head with a twist that they didn't see coming but that they can accept.

 

[2WayParadox]

I think I need to be more specific.

The antagonist in my story is a spymaster, who's been working on a plan with his brother for a long time. Their ultimate goal is to gain control over the three city states on the peninsula that my character is travelling through.

Here comes the plot device: they have managed to establish a method of near instant messaging with similar properties as e-mail. As long as they define their own coordinates, define the coordinates of the target and have enough energy available to pull off the spell, they can use their technology. What this means it that the spymaster can set events into motion without the main character possibly knowing.

Whichever way it goes, the main character will be surprised. That the reader will probably appreciate. But my dilemma is the following:

do I let the reader experience the same surprise or do I give them something? And if I do, how much do I give them? Do I show my spymaster sending a message, thereby revealing that possibility? Will that make people find out what's coming?

That's my real question.

 

[Tom]

Breadcrumbs. Everything makes ripples, even the magical equivalent of top-secret communications.

Your MC might notice things starting to happen in the city-states--maybe the spymaster is stirring up resentment in the public consciousness toward the cities' leaders, to help his cause. Or if your MC has some magical talent, and your world's magic is geared that way, he/she could pass by a place where the spymaster sent off his last communique and notice a disturbance in the magic, or the residue of a cast spell. Or you could go the old-fashioned way and introduce some gossip about the shadowy figure that's been seen hanging about in murky taverns and dark alleys.

The revelation should be a surprise to your readers, but not a total surprise that comes out of nowhere. That's when suspension of disbelief snaps, falls, and shatters on the floor like a glass chandelier. Drop a few hints. Foreshadowing is the best way to do it in this situation.

And don't worry about readers picking up on it. They're smart, and a lot of them will pick through your prose, looking for clues, as meticulously as Sherlock. I worried that I was a little too subtle with my hints in one story, but several of my betas told me they'd had a pretty good idea of what the revelation would be.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

Are you already writing or are you currently planning or outlining?

My advice is to write, or outline, without showing much at all. Then go back and sprinkle in clues, foreshadowing, & red herrings where appropriate to both lead & misdirect your reader.

 

[2WayParadox]

I'm currently working on figuring out what scenes I want to write. That's the stage that makes things real for me, it's also the hardest stage that requires me to jumpstart my imagination in any way possible. I have my major points in the story, but exactly how to build the story around it, that's the challenge.

I'm not really a fan of sprinkling in clues after the facts, I don't think that suits me. I'd rather work that out through my choice in scenes. I don't know, I might be wrong about it, but it feels like it would be a little unnatural.

 

[spectre]

You can always have a scapegoat in your story. Your spymasters are sending texts through their spell it's causing conflict *here* which is making news. Your protagonist is worried about it as he/she hears it but there is no ready connection. It's a seed of chaos that seems to be making it's way naturally, and then you work your way around to revealing how the events are intertwined at the appropriate time. The protagonist sits in front of the news when he's pondering what's going on, sees nothing important but disturbing none the less...The key would be to be truly creative in creating a scapegoat, because readers are likely to assume it's a part of your storyline automatically, especially if it keeps appearing in the story. Subtle progression of the scapegoat theme would be necessary I think. First a news cast, then word of mouth in a café, then a charity relief poster....then *bam*, wet the spiderweb.

You could always create plot twists that affect both of your characters too, you don't have to constantly beat down your protagonist and keep your antagonist running and scheming. Nature always has a way of showing her hand for the big jackpots. What are the effects on the outcome of your story then?

Foreshadowing is a great tool though like so many others said in the post. Especially if you can use it effectively, I have missed a lot of foreshadowing events until the end of the story in some of the books I've read, that's what I aspire to in my own writing. Make them remember, but not connect the dots. So be colorful.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I'm not really a fan of sprinkling in clues after the facts, I don't think that suits me. I'd rather work that out through my choice in scenes. I don't know, I might be wrong about it, but it feels like it would be a little unnatural.

Have you tried it? It's standard practice for most writers I've read about or worked with.

Also understand, when I say to figure them out later, this can be accomplished during the outlining/planning stage too. Get your scenes planned, then you can see where foreshadowing or red herrings are needed and most effective. It doesn't have to occur after the drafting process.

 

[2WayParadox]

@avm: don't worry, I have a secondary protagonist and they're both very much affected by how things turn out. The antagonist gets his share of the fun with a delay.

I don't have anything coming to mind when it comes to foreshadowing yet, but I think the concept of 'seeds of chaos' is going to be useful to me.

@T.Allen.Smith: I'll keep that in mind

 

[K.S. Crooks]

I think part of what you need to consider is fore-shadowing. You can have your characters do or talk about things that seem innocent or trivial, yet later in the story they turn out to be important. An example of this is in the movie Aliens. Early on Ripley uses and exo-suit heavy lifter to help the marines move some equipment. At the end of the movie she uses the same suit to have a one-on-one battle with the alien queen. Her doing this is easy to believe because we already know she can use it.

Dropping bits of information along the way provides continuity for the story and it still allows you to hit the characters and reader with a surprise that takes things a huge step further. Also remember that surprises for the reader can come from how the characters learn or handle situations that the reader already knows about. It is like a murder mystery where you know who committed the crime, what you are waiting to see is if the detective can figure it out, then when they do, can they prove it. What the surprise is in your story should change as the characters and story grows. Hope this helps.