tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6771775388110854391.post6968183195929596596..comments2024-01-29T06:21:11.353+00:00Comments on Sarah Duncan's Blog: Playing Fair With ReadersSarah Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12530089356370140344noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6771775388110854391.post-37869294626154995292012-04-12T08:05:06.655+01:002012-04-12T08:05:06.655+01:00Liz - yes, much better to guess correctly early th...Liz - yes, much better to guess correctly early than be disappointed. The satisfaction!<br /><br />Kathryn - I was going to start with that quote, but got confused by how to spell Chekhov and gave up...<br /><br />Louise - I agree, it can be hard to get the balance right between subtlety and writing the bleedin' obvious.Sarah Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12530089356370140344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6771775388110854391.post-24572994284321270162012-04-11T10:38:57.753+01:002012-04-11T10:38:57.753+01:00I agree with this. But it can be tricky to be subt...I agree with this. But it can be tricky to be subtle with the clues. I don't want to bash readers over the head with them at the same time I don't want the clues to go unnoticed. I do love dropping clues though, one of the best parts of writing.Louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00456086542084627953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6771775388110854391.post-90755929176466541762012-04-11T10:12:16.439+01:002012-04-11T10:12:16.439+01:00Great post. I would add that the opposite also app...Great post. I would add that the opposite also applies: if you give the reader information that seems to be important, you can't then abandon it, let the thread tail off, or pretend it never existed. The old saying is that if there's a gun on stage in the first act, then by the third act someone should have fired it. Again, it's all about playing fair...Kathryn Pricenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6771775388110854391.post-58705765993063951072012-04-11T10:05:13.874+01:002012-04-11T10:05:13.874+01:00Completely agree with this, Sarah. Almost better t...Completely agree with this, Sarah. Almost better to have the reader guess too early whodunnit than leave them fuming at the end because they couldn't possibly have known.Elizabeth Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09407958362024218785noreply@blogger.com