Fantasy adventure novel. I'm debating... I have my 17 yo MC meeting new people in a training/school environment. I'm mainly in close 3rd, but I take the occasional chapter to delve into other POVs every once in a while. Would it be more interesting to: 1. Have her meet a new friend and get along great, only for the reader and MC find out at the same time that the "friend" was working against her the whole time... OR 2. Build more suspense by showing a chapter from the "friend"s POV that reveals her negative actions to the reader, but not the MC, and have the MC blissfully unaware until the "friend" pulls her big backstabbing move. I can't decide. Opinions?
I personally would do the second option. There's something about knowing something the MC doesn't and not being able to do anything about it that keeps me hooked, but maybe I'm just weird
I think option 1 hits harder because it gives the reader more time to get attached to that other character.
Good question. You've hit on perhaps the two most important literary devices in storytelling. 1. Option one is a reveal. Reveals work best for cliffhangers, plot-twists, and gotcha moments. To me, reveals always have more of a page turner, I-wonder-what-will-happen-next attitude to them. 2. Option two is dramatic irony, which works best for misdirection, suspense and subtext. They're more inclusive to the reader because they share "secret" information. This, to me, conjures more of a I-wonder-when-this-other-shoe-is-going-to-drop vibe, and as a writer you can either drop the shoe or not drop the shoe (misdirection). Either one will work. It really depends on the scene and what you want to get out of it. If you want your MC to be lulled into fall sense of security before the curses-foiled-again moment than go with the reveal. If you're trying to draw things out and use the reader's expectations against them (misdirection), go with the irony. It's tough to tell from the context, but unless "working against her" has drastic consequences I'd go with option 1. Reveals are tried and true and never get stale or overdone. Dramatic irony is much more powerful but is best used sparingly for key moments to avoid dilution. ETA: also, a lot of it depends on the plausibility of the information being revealed. In your case, a person working at cross-purposes toward another is a familiar thing that needs little explanation or supporting evidence, so you're fine there. If it were something a bit more out of left field, like, say, the killer suddenly opening fire on the hero with a rooftop sniper rifle, then that might feel a bit contrived or convenient. In which case, you'd be better showing the killer setting up on the hero first, if only so it doesn't appear as if the scene came out of nowhere.
I would go with Option 1. There's a real risk with Option 2 of making your main character look stupid. I also find it cheapens a story for me if it's in limited POV with one character until the author needs to "cheat" in order to give me information.
I agree with the others that you could use either, personally I would prefer to read the first one. I much prefer a shock like the first option gives to feeling frustrated by knowing what's coming and seeing it unfold like in the second option.
