We have this misplaced focus now on âpreserving the surpriseâ that comes out in really obvious ways like the Game of Thrones finale and Marvelâs slow decline as they refuse to tell their actors or composers anything that they could actually use to add depth to the story⌠but I find it really interesting the subtle ways this focus has affected our media without us even realizing as well.
Iâm currently catching up on an Animorphs podcast by @dorkbajirchronicles, and a ton of places online recommend to new readers to read two of the books out of publishing order in order to preserve this one big reveal, so thatâs what they did⌠and it fell SO FLAT. The casters ended up concluding that maybe itâs just because the series is geared toward kids and theyâre adults, but I think the real explanation is that the reveal ISNâT what people think itâs meant to be.Â
When the readers find out with the characters (out of publishing order), yes itâs a huge reveal⌠but it feels cheap, because itâs not meant to happen in this way. We are meant to find out ten books prior and spend the next chunk of time positively WRITHING with this giant chunk of knowledge that the characters donât have!! It is so much more weighty that way!! The pull for us isnât the surprise of finding out at the same time as them - itâs the intrigue of âI know this thing that they donât know and WHEN are they going to find out??? HOW are they going to find out??? ARE they going to find out??? How will they react???â
And I think that set of questions - the I SEE IT COMING BUT WHEN AND HOW - are what weâve slowly lost in recent years. The best stories are re-consumable even when we know whatâs going to happen. If the only hook is that people donât know where you are going, and thereâs no foreshadowing so they canât even try to predict it⌠youâre doing a bad job.
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