I have an instance where my MC was looking for someone and ends up eavesdropping in on their conversation. She hears bits and pieces of their conversation (enough to make you suspicious about the 3 characters involved), but she doesnt hear enough to make her believe they are up to no good. I wouldnt call it "expository" information that she gets... Nothing is being explained of info being dumped. My MC is even like "who are they talking about? What are they talking about?" 2 chapters later, i have my MC exploring an old map and finding hidden passageways. As shes exploring these passage ways, it leads her to a secret chamber where she over hears another conversation involving 2 of the 3 people from before. This is when she realizes their plotting is really bad. 2 incidents of eavesdropping..... Is this bad? The character is overlooked by everyone in the beginning. Kind of the like boring sister that all the older siblings tend to ignore. So she's passive (in the beginning), stumbling into things and overhearing a lot and learning a lot. But i cant help but think that eavesdropping 2 important conversation...stumbling across them by chance, is a bit.... Much?
It was pretty much a staple of Enid Blyton's famous five as I recall... If it feels like a natural way for your plot to unravel, go for it and see whether your betas groan
You're totally fine. It's a common trick in fiction, and most tricks are overly-convenient by nature. Especially if you're using an old map with secret passages... how convenient is that? One, that somebody build secret passages in the first place (which couldn't have been too secret considering who many laborers the job would have needed), two, that somebody made a map of the secrets (further denuding their secrective nature), and, three, that the map was left laying around where nobody but the MC could find it, and usually at a convenient moment.
It's probably not a huge deal, but does it even need to be eavesdropping? If she gets consistently overlooked by other characters, maybe they aren't as careful what they discuss around her and let things slip even when they know she's there.
Ah ha! But where as the map is concerned... Older brother sees shes bored and basically says "here, read a book, stay out of the way. This was one of moms favorites" so reading the book, she realizes that the corridors in the book seem familiar. So she investigates, find the hidden passage and discovers the map in the book is a map of her castle. One of the mysteries is who wrote the book (and made the map), how it ended up in her moms possession, and why. I never thought about it that way
Absolutely. I can't remember what book or books it was but there was one that made a point of the fact that the servants (not OP's character but...) know everything about the upper classes, the building, the news, etc. Sort of a Lance Corporal underground where information travels faster than it logically can just because the lord of the manor needs someone standing by to refill his drink as he discusses the peace treaty or whatever.
I don't know. If it becomes a habit of character, is it ethical to eavesdrop on people? Does she WANT to overhear these conversations? Could that be a character flaw? As discussed as a plot device, the main character is always the lucky one, always happening upon some special piece of information or crucial detail. In the mythic, archetypal structure this is typically provided by a mentor character. Hope this helps, sarka
