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Q&A Intentionally leaving out a part of the story, for a more interesting reveal?

In the story I am writing, I have a character who is working on a project and will present it to a group of judges who will mark it in a sort of examination. The project is a source of stress for t...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Erdrik Ironrose‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T08:18:35Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/34303
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar Erdrik Ironrose‭ · 2019-12-08T08:18:35Z (almost 5 years ago)
In the story I am writing, I have a character who is working on a project and will present it to a group of judges who will mark it in a sort of examination. The project is a source of stress for the character, and also provides a sort of paradigm shift for them.

Though the story takes place across the project's creation, from conceptualisation, through creation, to presentation, I do not want to tell the reader what the project actually is until it is revealed in the presentation.

The problem is the narration is usually coming from this character's perspective and I want to show the character's thoughts and the elaborate process in which they are creating the project. They become a hermit for a time to get it done, moving furniture, skipping meals, bringing in many odd materials to their bedroom and more.

My question is: what are the effects of intentionally omitting obvious information from the reader for a bigger reveal later? What can be done to minimise any damage it could cause?

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2018-03-15T08:39:22Z (over 6 years ago)
Original score: 12