How To Create Intrigue In Your Book
For some genres, like crime and thrillers, withholding information from the reader is key to developing twists and maintaining the element of surprise. It’s this that creates intrigue and encourages the reader to keep reading.
Other genres may also benefit from withholding information in order to create suspense, tension, and surprising reveals for the audience.
Giving the reader everything early on may result in a lack of investment, as the reader no longer has unanswered questions.
So how can you develop intrigue in your book?
Getting it right
Before I jump into the “how” of withholding information, let me first state that while it can certainly add intrigue to your story, it has to be necessary.
Withholding information — particularly in first person POV — can quickly feel contrived if it appears the author is working too hard to have secrets.
This can result in frustrated readers and unrealistic character narrations or interactions.
Avoid withholding information (without good reason) that would naturally or logically be revealed to the character.
The 3 types of reveals
The reader knows what the character knows. This is the most common type of information sharing seen in books written from a single, limited point of view. This means neither the reader nor POV character has access to any other information.
The reader knows more than the character. This can occur when there are multiple points of view or an omniscient narrator who can give the reader privileged insights. This can create dramatic irony and tension when the reader knows something the character is yet to discover.
The character knows more than the reader. This means the narrator is unreliable and withholding information from the reader through misdirection or lack of communication. If not done well, this can cause the reader immense frustration.
#1 Give your reader enough to invest
The first and most important thing to note is that you need to give your reader enough to invest in the characters and the story.
Withholding important points like motivations, stakes, or goals don’t always work in your favour as these are what help hook the reader, so try to establish these clearly unless it is a deliberate misdirection.
You need to give your reader something to make them want more. If they have nothing to go on and feel like an outsider in your story they’re not going to emotionally invest enough to keep reading.
#2 Foreshadow to create intrigue
The most obvious way to develop reveals without giving it away is to foreshadow it. This means briefly introducing an idea or plot point early on and then revealing its true significance later on.
This allows you to hide something in plain sight so that the hint is there for the later reveal. Foreshadowing can be included as symbolism, motifs, dialogue, or physical objects.
For example, in the film Titanic, the dialogue about the Titanic being “unsinkable” is direct foreshadowing of the tragedy that will take place.
#3 Introduce incorrect assumptions
If you plan to withhold a character’s true purpose, intentions, or motivations, one way to do this is through incorrect assumptions.
For example, your POV character may make assumptions about a character’s objectives that turn out to be false.
This is seen in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone when Harry suspects Snape of stealing the stone. This creates misdirection and focuses the readers’ attention on the wrong person/wrong objective.
#4 Use revelations as plot devices
If certain information must be revealed at specific times (such as betrayals or true intentions) this can act as a good plot device and turning point for the story.
For example, the midpoint may be a betrayal, or a major plot point may be the reveal of someone’s true identity.
These reveals can be particularly effective when foreshadowing has been done to build up to it.
Finding what works
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
Will not knowing this impact the readers’ ability to understand or empathise with your POV/main character?
Will the information reveal develop the stakes or plot?
Does withholding the information feel realistic when you consider who your POV character is?
What set up will work for the information reveal — foreshadowing, misdirection, or something else?
The best way to know if you’re withholding information correctly is to get feedback from other writers, beta readers, or editors and coaches. With feedback, you can know if your story is working the way you think it is.
If you’d like a professional pair of eyes on your manuscript so you can know how well you are developing intrigue alongside character and plot, my 8-Week Coaching & Critique combines in-depth editing with 1:1 collaboration to ensure your book is matching your vision.
