Isn't there a tension between what you don't need to hide vs. the reveal at the end? Meaning hiding facts just to be coy or clever works against your story; when I come across that, it takes me out of the story, makes me aware of the artifice instead of lost in the art. But, particularly in writing crime and suspense, you're not exactly hiding shit but you're trying to find an ending that's both surprising and, once the reader gets there, inevitable.
Yes, that is exactly it - hiding to be clever, or obfuscation in general (because you think it's somehow literary), are both mistakes that take readers out of the story.
Crime/suspense is tricky, in that you want some sort of surprise or twist... but not as a gimmick. And yes, it has to be inevitable. When it's done well, it's a wonder. But it can also be done really badly.
Maybe what I'm trying to say is "Don't hide (without a damn good reason). And even then, the reveal has to be surprising but, on reflection, seem inevitable.
Isn't there a tension between what you don't need to hide vs. the reveal at the end? Meaning hiding facts just to be coy or clever works against your story; when I come across that, it takes me out of the story, makes me aware of the artifice instead of lost in the art. But, particularly in writing crime and suspense, you're not exactly hiding shit but you're trying to find an ending that's both surprising and, once the reader gets there, inevitable.
Yes, that is exactly it - hiding to be clever, or obfuscation in general (because you think it's somehow literary), are both mistakes that take readers out of the story.
Crime/suspense is tricky, in that you want some sort of surprise or twist... but not as a gimmick. And yes, it has to be inevitable. When it's done well, it's a wonder. But it can also be done really badly.
Maybe what I'm trying to say is "Don't hide (without a damn good reason). And even then, the reveal has to be surprising but, on reflection, seem inevitable.
Yes. And it's one of the many reasons that writing is so hard.