Shouts From Down Under

I'll try not to be the author of confusion on purpose

In chipping away at the last couple of chapters of my Nano novel, I've realised that there is the most simple thing right in front of me, staring me in the face.

If I'm the author, and it takes me all that time to figure this out, maybe my readers will have no hope. Or have I hidden it that well?

Or, is it just that I'm a bit thick in the head, and normal people will get it quickly, or know it before the end of the first chapter, know what will happen already, know the ending, know the crescendo, the climaxic moment, the pinnacle of the plot.

It's been said that if you want your readers to focus on something in your narrative, if you want them to search for that thing, that invisible purpose, or that intangible but still very real theme, then DON'T MENTION IT AT ALL.

No, just skirt around it, hint at it maybe a little, imply it, make shadow puppets on the wall of it, speak in riddles, camoflague it, create decoys away from it, plant seeds that grow into false thinking, build a maze of stuff that diverts the reader up the garden path, but...whatever you do, don't say it. Don't.

Because they'll know, they'll get it don't worry. You don't have to spell it out.

It's what's missing that has to be what people are searching for, not all the stuff that's already here.

And some advice I heard today?

If we are in the place of confusion, well cheer up, because it always, ALWAYS leads to understanding. Look back on your life.

Wasn't it always the way?

Sparky