blue-peach14 reblogged
Your Characters Are Lying! How to Spin Lies & Keep the Reader Guessing
As everyone knows, when anyone in pretty much anything says, “I’m fine” or some variant of that, you know it’s a lie. We’re practically programed to think that nowadays, so first, keep that in mind when you’re writing, next, let’s talk about how to get more clever than that. Let’s talk lies:
- Lies are seductive. I don’t mean that in a romantic context, though it can exist there too, but basically, the rule is that whatever is said, you’ll want to believe it. Even if it’s far-fetched. You want it to be true.
- Why is the character lying? The reason will be character development, so make it good. Explore the possibilities behind their motives, make them sneaky.
- Why is the character being lied to? What does the character want so badly that they might possibly believe this lie? This is more character development whether or not the character believes the lie.
- Plan your lies. You don’t have to plan it all out, but make sure you know who knows what about who. This is a way you can be really sneaky. Even if the reader knows everything, it’s still exciting to see how it all unfolds.
As far as lies go, its a great way to show character as well as adding an extra layer of conflict and tension. It can get confusing but a few properly executed lies will add an extra layer of dimension to your story. Happy writing!
