Hey guys My cousin is writing a story and she's almost doing the same thing I do in my latest story: she keeps the narrator an unknown person until near the end of the novel. I told her it's not a good idea for her. The reason is that MY story is not about the narrator and she/he just tells the story, she/he even says that in the story; that she/he may be a part of it, but the story is not about her/him . and then I give clues until the middle/near the end of the story the reader is given direct statement to know if they were right about their guess... But my cousin's story is about its narrator... I think she should not keep the person's identity secret. I don't know... What do you guys think? What's your opinion about her narrator and mine?
A narrator doesn't necessarily have to be known, but he or she can be. It really depends on the story, so I would say that neither of you is wrong in choosing to disclose or keep hidden the narrator's identity. Also, if your cousin's story is about the narrator, I'm confused as to how she can keep the narrator's identity secret till the end. There has to be something that readers know or learn about the narrator through his interactions with his/her environment.
I like it! This world would benefit a great deal if they don't always know what is around the next corner. How boring knowing the answer to everything and being thoroughly protected and padded is. Imagine never taking a risk or never struggling just a bit. Yeah, yeah, I know, this is different - this is literature and we must all be eloquent and civil. If your cousin likes her work and everyone else hates it, who lost out? It wasn't your cousin, she still wrote something that touched her heart. To each his own.
