Harper’s Harpings – Readers Have Brains and A Memory

I find myself with a split personality at the moment.

I’m reading a twisty thriller and I am commenting in my head ‘I have a brain and a memory, you’ve hammered that point home too many times’.

I’m also editing as well, I find myself commenting, again in my head ‘have I made this point clear, is the clue too obscure?’

So what is the right balance?

I am not entirely sure, as ever, however, telling me repeatedly about the fact that someone doesn’t like spiders for example sticks out like a sore thumb.

As a writer I struggle with reminders in books. I don’t want to give the whole plot away but I want the reader to go ‘oh yeah, she said that in book one’. If I shout about it too much, the reader will guess the ending.

Dilemma.

Two beta readers who have read book one and of the trilogy I’ve written have both said that I haven’t explained about a certain part, but I have. I don’t want to harp on about it because it will spoil the intrigue. As I know the plot and who does what when how can I distance myself to get it right?

How much do I spoon feed and how much do I allow the reader to work it out themselves. Do they want to work it out themselves?

If you have been following these blogs about my journey as a writer, I have finally decided on my book titles. It has only taken 18 months, so not too bad eh?!

Have you read books with irritating repeats of facts, or read books that weren’t vocal enough about certain facts.  How do you strike the balance?

Thanks for reading.

Grace

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Harper’s Motto: You will not be everybody’s favourite flavour, but that’s ok, because they will not always be your favourite flavour.   Be who you want to be and you will attract the people who will support you no matter what.

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