Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45517
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Stripped of all the self-aware, meta jargon, the problem is that your hero isn't well suited to a big, action-packed showdown -- **she's more likely to win with her wits than her fists**. Given that, I'd lead the reader to expect the big, action packed showdown, _allow her to be physically overpowered_, and only then reveal that she's already anticipated this outcome, and secretly solved it in advance using her wits. (Bonus points if her physical defeat is an essential part of her ultimate strategic victory!) _The Sting_ is a good example of this kind of reversal. You'll have to work hard, however, if you want to play fair with your readers on this one --_The Sting_ is only semi-successful from that point of view.

> "What the --? The train is stopping? But that's impossible."  
> "Not at all. You see, _you_ were fighting to win. _I_ was fighting to keep you distracted."

The reason this should work is that you've done the work to establish your hero as a master strategist. So **the seeming action ending will seem like a cheat to the reader** --as indeed it did to you, the author. Then when you reveal the action ending was just a sham, it should feel right to the reader, in a very satisfying way, _if you've done the work._

Original score: 3