Topic: POV Question

I have a POV character (a cardinal) who has come face-to-face with a cloaked/hooded demonic being. Eventually, the cardinal grabs the being's hood and throws it back. The cardinal recognizes the being and says, "It's you!"

I want to add more material after this moment, but I'm wondering if it's reasonable for the POV character not to think about the real identity of the demonic being as the rest of the chapter unfolds. I'm trying to keep the true identity of the being from the reader at this stage of the story.

Thoughts?

Thanks
Dirk

Quote Post 1

Re: POV Question

It won't work, Dirk. The POV character knows the hooded demon/person/entity's identity the moment the cried "It's you!" There's no way he won't think of it. No way. You may conceal it from the reader during a while, but it depends on how deep into the POV character's mind you work. If all through the story you have narrated the story from deep within his mind, then you can't keep the identity from the reader, at all. If your narration is kinda objective, then there's room to keep the identity from the reader for a while, but not too long. It would feel like cheating.

You may want to read Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It's one of the few successful examples in which a POV character is able to keep important information from the reader without it feeling like cheating.

Kiss,

Gacela

Quote Post 2

Re: POV Question

Dirk B. wrote:

I have a POV character (a cardinal) who has come face-to-face with a cloaked/hooded demonic being. Eventually, the cardinal grabs the being's hood and throws it back. The cardinal recognizes the being and says, "It's you!"

I want to add more material after this moment, but I'm wondering if it's reasonable for the POV character not to think about the real identity of the demonic being as the rest of the chapter unfolds. I'm trying to keep the true identity of the being from the reader at this stage of the story.

Thoughts?

Thanks
Dirk

Transient Global Amnesia https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-con … c-20378531 caused by acute emotional distress as might be provoked by bad news, conflict or overwork.

Memphis Trace

Quote Post 3

Re: POV Question

“if it's reasonable for the POV character not to think about the real identity of the demonic being as the rest of the chapter unfolds. I'm trying to keep the true identity of the being from the reader at this stage of the story.“

Sure it’ll work.  It’s fiction. A real human couldn’t get it out of their mind, but as the writer, you control what is revealed to the reader and for how long to suspend the info.

The question is, do you have the skill as a writer to pull it off without it feeling contrived?  And if so, for how long?  The longer you withhold it from the reader, the more you risk being seen as breaking the bond of trust with your reader.

Quote Post 4

Re: POV Question

I thougth of a way to do it. The cardinal thinks he recognizes the hooded being, but he's not sure from where. He never gets a chance to see him without his hood.

Thank you, all, for your feedback.
Dirk

Quote Post 5

Re: POV Question

Dirk, I suggest reading either Harlen Corben or Lee Childs. They are masters at POV characters thinking about things and keeping them a secret from the reader. In one, Harlen's character was going to reveal something potentially devastating to his wife right before she was murdered. It was a crucial plot point, so Corben didn't want to reveal what it was.

You can do things like "It's you! How can it be you? I didn't want it to be you." And then have the demon eat him or whatever demons do. Or have him go home, shaken, think, "It was him. Damn. Why did it have to be him? And to think I felt like he was--" Knock on the door. Thought interrupted.

Whatever, my point is that there are ways.

Quote Post 6

Re: POV Question

Thank you, Rachel. I'll try a few different approaches to see which I like best.

Quote Post 7

Re: POV Question

The POV character may know anything you want them to know without having to reveal it to the reader.  A major character in my novel would be an example. The protagonist talks with this character quite frequently but no one else knows anything about this character though clues are left with each encounter.  A few readers have come close to guessing, but not one was sure of the true meaning of the character until finally repealed by the protagonist. No one ever expressed being "cheated" along the way. Why try to change your approach for no valid reason? Take care. Vern

Quote Post 8

Re: POV Question

I just read a chapter in a novel relevant to this. It was 1st person POV. The main character is watching a kidnapping go down, intervenes, accidentally shoots a cop but helps the kidnapping victim escape. He describes the old cop reaching for what he thinks is a gun and shoots him. He blows up the kidnapper's vehicle.  The reader goes along with it although wondering why the character, a good guy, is carrying revolvers and worries about him being a cop killer. Turns out to be an alaborate ruse. No cop was killed, they weren't real kidnappers, and the hero was part of the ruse. The reader is fooled, the POV is preserved, and if anything, the reader is relieved. All from 1st person POV, all with the POV character in the know, all with a plausible narrative that he wasn't in the know. You can do this, Dirk.

Quote Post 9