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How to plausibly write a character with a hidden skills


Should foreshadowing be close to the main event?How best to avoid the appearance of Deus Ex Machina with established character?Is a character with a hidden Power too strong?Writing Longer FlashbacksIs the following deus-ex-machina? If so, should I remove it?How do you force a turning point in a narrative that is supposed to be precisely about the lack of such devices?How much detail should I go into for a character taking advantage of physics expertise?How do I plot the defeat of an all-knowing, god-like antagonist?Intentionally writing a Deus Ex Machina?Is it okay to switch protagonists between books, if the main protagonist is a hidden “actor”?Deus Ex Machina — How to identify?How to use deus ex machina safely?Is a stroke of luck acceptable after a series of unfavorable events?How to foreshadow to avoid a 'deus ex machina'-construction






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3















TLDR



How to keep a character's skillset hidden, when it will be key in the story later on? This must be done without magic and as subtly as humanly possible.





I am working on a medieval fantasy story, where there is a basic premise of magic - it has essentially all but gone from the world but a select few can do basic conjuring (nothing crazy, no wands, no masterful spell casting, just basic stuff almost bordering on illusions). I want the answer to not use magic however - she is not one of those people who have that ability, she is not particularly special in this regard.



Now, in my story there are multiple story lines, flashbacks (via the MC), and a multitude of characters. The story line that this concerns directly involves my MC and his "partner", let's call her Jane. The MC essentially recruited this partner, and we (reader and MC) meet Jane at the same time. Jane is to poise as his romantic interest for a job, although these two are not romantically involved whatsoever. She is a strong character in her own right (think Catlyn Stark, Hermonie Granger, Starbuck in the most recent Battlestar Galactica). The MC hires her and brings Jane along for what we could call a heist. He hires her strictly because she gives off an aire of grace, intelligence and poise (add to that she is attractive) - all things he needs her to exploit to accomplish their task.



About Jane



Jane, is foreign to the land in which our story takes place. She, due to her past, keeps her story hidden and doesn't share much, unless she needs to and even then it's usually through action.



She is




  • well spoken, and incredibly intelligent

  • can read and write (a skill she doesn't tend to hide),

  • multi-lingual (keeps hidden, but speaks both the old tongue, her language, and the common language of the region) as well as having no tangible accent (so even being foreign is hidden for the most part to the undiscerning eye)

  • basic field medicine and herbology

  • she is also excellent with a dagger, too small for a sword (most people carry some variant of a knightly sword) --- this is a skill she keeps hidden and the skill in question actually.


Question



How can I write about her, letting tidbits of the story go into her background while allowing her to utilize this skill when the required to do so as a result of the story arc? I have gotten far enough in, that I can retcon it to make sense and add details (subtle is fine). I would like her to be a catalyst for change in the story, and killing a particular someone would be the spark that changes things.



I want to avoid a situation where this character essentially steals the spotlight for a moment from our MC via Deus Ex Machina. But I am at a loss as to how to keep this character a tightly guarded mystery, and not have that phenomenon in my story. (I have Checkov's gun covered - she has a dagger she uses incidentally in a non-violent manner).



NOTES




  1. This is not a duplicate of the this question, as it deals with magic or super powers not a hidden skillset.

  2. Nor is it a dupe of this question, "How best to avoid the appearance of Deus Ex Machina with established character?" addresses it, kind of. Amadeus' answer briefly touches on it - but doesn't go into detail. Below is the portion of his answer which made me conclude I should ask my own question.



Now you DO want there to be an element of surprise or suspense, not that the TP was capable of saving them, you want that to be plausible from the beginning. The surprise should be that the reader is led to believe the TP must be dead or imprisoned, and then somehow survived and managed to escape himself, to get there on time to save them.





  1. I have a feeling that utilizing some form of foreshadowing is the key to this question --- but I can't put my finger on the solution. This question here is where I drew some of my ideas from for other events within the same story.










share|improve this question

































    3















    TLDR



    How to keep a character's skillset hidden, when it will be key in the story later on? This must be done without magic and as subtly as humanly possible.





    I am working on a medieval fantasy story, where there is a basic premise of magic - it has essentially all but gone from the world but a select few can do basic conjuring (nothing crazy, no wands, no masterful spell casting, just basic stuff almost bordering on illusions). I want the answer to not use magic however - she is not one of those people who have that ability, she is not particularly special in this regard.



    Now, in my story there are multiple story lines, flashbacks (via the MC), and a multitude of characters. The story line that this concerns directly involves my MC and his "partner", let's call her Jane. The MC essentially recruited this partner, and we (reader and MC) meet Jane at the same time. Jane is to poise as his romantic interest for a job, although these two are not romantically involved whatsoever. She is a strong character in her own right (think Catlyn Stark, Hermonie Granger, Starbuck in the most recent Battlestar Galactica). The MC hires her and brings Jane along for what we could call a heist. He hires her strictly because she gives off an aire of grace, intelligence and poise (add to that she is attractive) - all things he needs her to exploit to accomplish their task.



    About Jane



    Jane, is foreign to the land in which our story takes place. She, due to her past, keeps her story hidden and doesn't share much, unless she needs to and even then it's usually through action.



    She is




    • well spoken, and incredibly intelligent

    • can read and write (a skill she doesn't tend to hide),

    • multi-lingual (keeps hidden, but speaks both the old tongue, her language, and the common language of the region) as well as having no tangible accent (so even being foreign is hidden for the most part to the undiscerning eye)

    • basic field medicine and herbology

    • she is also excellent with a dagger, too small for a sword (most people carry some variant of a knightly sword) --- this is a skill she keeps hidden and the skill in question actually.


    Question



    How can I write about her, letting tidbits of the story go into her background while allowing her to utilize this skill when the required to do so as a result of the story arc? I have gotten far enough in, that I can retcon it to make sense and add details (subtle is fine). I would like her to be a catalyst for change in the story, and killing a particular someone would be the spark that changes things.



    I want to avoid a situation where this character essentially steals the spotlight for a moment from our MC via Deus Ex Machina. But I am at a loss as to how to keep this character a tightly guarded mystery, and not have that phenomenon in my story. (I have Checkov's gun covered - she has a dagger she uses incidentally in a non-violent manner).



    NOTES




    1. This is not a duplicate of the this question, as it deals with magic or super powers not a hidden skillset.

    2. Nor is it a dupe of this question, "How best to avoid the appearance of Deus Ex Machina with established character?" addresses it, kind of. Amadeus' answer briefly touches on it - but doesn't go into detail. Below is the portion of his answer which made me conclude I should ask my own question.



    Now you DO want there to be an element of surprise or suspense, not that the TP was capable of saving them, you want that to be plausible from the beginning. The surprise should be that the reader is led to believe the TP must be dead or imprisoned, and then somehow survived and managed to escape himself, to get there on time to save them.





    1. I have a feeling that utilizing some form of foreshadowing is the key to this question --- but I can't put my finger on the solution. This question here is where I drew some of my ideas from for other events within the same story.










    share|improve this question





























      3












      3








      3








      TLDR



      How to keep a character's skillset hidden, when it will be key in the story later on? This must be done without magic and as subtly as humanly possible.





      I am working on a medieval fantasy story, where there is a basic premise of magic - it has essentially all but gone from the world but a select few can do basic conjuring (nothing crazy, no wands, no masterful spell casting, just basic stuff almost bordering on illusions). I want the answer to not use magic however - she is not one of those people who have that ability, she is not particularly special in this regard.



      Now, in my story there are multiple story lines, flashbacks (via the MC), and a multitude of characters. The story line that this concerns directly involves my MC and his "partner", let's call her Jane. The MC essentially recruited this partner, and we (reader and MC) meet Jane at the same time. Jane is to poise as his romantic interest for a job, although these two are not romantically involved whatsoever. She is a strong character in her own right (think Catlyn Stark, Hermonie Granger, Starbuck in the most recent Battlestar Galactica). The MC hires her and brings Jane along for what we could call a heist. He hires her strictly because she gives off an aire of grace, intelligence and poise (add to that she is attractive) - all things he needs her to exploit to accomplish their task.



      About Jane



      Jane, is foreign to the land in which our story takes place. She, due to her past, keeps her story hidden and doesn't share much, unless she needs to and even then it's usually through action.



      She is




      • well spoken, and incredibly intelligent

      • can read and write (a skill she doesn't tend to hide),

      • multi-lingual (keeps hidden, but speaks both the old tongue, her language, and the common language of the region) as well as having no tangible accent (so even being foreign is hidden for the most part to the undiscerning eye)

      • basic field medicine and herbology

      • she is also excellent with a dagger, too small for a sword (most people carry some variant of a knightly sword) --- this is a skill she keeps hidden and the skill in question actually.


      Question



      How can I write about her, letting tidbits of the story go into her background while allowing her to utilize this skill when the required to do so as a result of the story arc? I have gotten far enough in, that I can retcon it to make sense and add details (subtle is fine). I would like her to be a catalyst for change in the story, and killing a particular someone would be the spark that changes things.



      I want to avoid a situation where this character essentially steals the spotlight for a moment from our MC via Deus Ex Machina. But I am at a loss as to how to keep this character a tightly guarded mystery, and not have that phenomenon in my story. (I have Checkov's gun covered - she has a dagger she uses incidentally in a non-violent manner).



      NOTES




      1. This is not a duplicate of the this question, as it deals with magic or super powers not a hidden skillset.

      2. Nor is it a dupe of this question, "How best to avoid the appearance of Deus Ex Machina with established character?" addresses it, kind of. Amadeus' answer briefly touches on it - but doesn't go into detail. Below is the portion of his answer which made me conclude I should ask my own question.



      Now you DO want there to be an element of surprise or suspense, not that the TP was capable of saving them, you want that to be plausible from the beginning. The surprise should be that the reader is led to believe the TP must be dead or imprisoned, and then somehow survived and managed to escape himself, to get there on time to save them.





      1. I have a feeling that utilizing some form of foreshadowing is the key to this question --- but I can't put my finger on the solution. This question here is where I drew some of my ideas from for other events within the same story.










      share|improve this question
















      TLDR



      How to keep a character's skillset hidden, when it will be key in the story later on? This must be done without magic and as subtly as humanly possible.





      I am working on a medieval fantasy story, where there is a basic premise of magic - it has essentially all but gone from the world but a select few can do basic conjuring (nothing crazy, no wands, no masterful spell casting, just basic stuff almost bordering on illusions). I want the answer to not use magic however - she is not one of those people who have that ability, she is not particularly special in this regard.



      Now, in my story there are multiple story lines, flashbacks (via the MC), and a multitude of characters. The story line that this concerns directly involves my MC and his "partner", let's call her Jane. The MC essentially recruited this partner, and we (reader and MC) meet Jane at the same time. Jane is to poise as his romantic interest for a job, although these two are not romantically involved whatsoever. She is a strong character in her own right (think Catlyn Stark, Hermonie Granger, Starbuck in the most recent Battlestar Galactica). The MC hires her and brings Jane along for what we could call a heist. He hires her strictly because she gives off an aire of grace, intelligence and poise (add to that she is attractive) - all things he needs her to exploit to accomplish their task.



      About Jane



      Jane, is foreign to the land in which our story takes place. She, due to her past, keeps her story hidden and doesn't share much, unless she needs to and even then it's usually through action.



      She is




      • well spoken, and incredibly intelligent

      • can read and write (a skill she doesn't tend to hide),

      • multi-lingual (keeps hidden, but speaks both the old tongue, her language, and the common language of the region) as well as having no tangible accent (so even being foreign is hidden for the most part to the undiscerning eye)

      • basic field medicine and herbology

      • she is also excellent with a dagger, too small for a sword (most people carry some variant of a knightly sword) --- this is a skill she keeps hidden and the skill in question actually.


      Question



      How can I write about her, letting tidbits of the story go into her background while allowing her to utilize this skill when the required to do so as a result of the story arc? I have gotten far enough in, that I can retcon it to make sense and add details (subtle is fine). I would like her to be a catalyst for change in the story, and killing a particular someone would be the spark that changes things.



      I want to avoid a situation where this character essentially steals the spotlight for a moment from our MC via Deus Ex Machina. But I am at a loss as to how to keep this character a tightly guarded mystery, and not have that phenomenon in my story. (I have Checkov's gun covered - she has a dagger she uses incidentally in a non-violent manner).



      NOTES




      1. This is not a duplicate of the this question, as it deals with magic or super powers not a hidden skillset.

      2. Nor is it a dupe of this question, "How best to avoid the appearance of Deus Ex Machina with established character?" addresses it, kind of. Amadeus' answer briefly touches on it - but doesn't go into detail. Below is the portion of his answer which made me conclude I should ask my own question.



      Now you DO want there to be an element of surprise or suspense, not that the TP was capable of saving them, you want that to be plausible from the beginning. The surprise should be that the reader is led to believe the TP must be dead or imprisoned, and then somehow survived and managed to escape himself, to get there on time to save them.





      1. I have a feeling that utilizing some form of foreshadowing is the key to this question --- but I can't put my finger on the solution. This question here is where I drew some of my ideas from for other events within the same story.







      character-development plot deus-ex-machina






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 8 hours ago







      J Crosby

















      asked 8 hours ago









      J CrosbyJ Crosby

      2631 silver badge11 bronze badges




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          3 Answers
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          5
















          Sometimes characters surprise you.



          And that's okay.



          You're absolutely right to worry about a deus ex machina situation where a solution comes out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. This is the sort of thing that annoys readers, and for good reason.



          But this is a character whose past is not well known. She didn't grow up in the same culture as the rest of your characters. And knife work is something you'll already establish (even if most people use swords as weapons instead).



          You should also establish that she carries a dagger. That's pretty easy because daggers are common tools that people of that tech era (or even our modern one, especially on a journey) would carry for standard tasks like portioning out meat for a shared dinner, skinning/preparing animals to cook, or cutting plants make herbal remedies.



          Probably everyone in your story carries a dagger of some sort. Most also carry swords but Jane does not. The characters can comment on it, can even factor that into their assessment of how the group might defend itself if attacked.



          You can also establish Jane as someone who doesn't fear conflict and doesn't easily back down when insulted or challenged. Though it would work even if you make her a bit of a pushover, as lots of people step up when it's an emergency.



          When Jane suddenly proves she can fight well with a dagger, it will be a welcome surprise, not an eye-rolling one. If you've shown the reader that her personality is one that does what needs to be done (perhaps with killing an animal for food) and you've shown her skill with the knife (deftly skinning said animal), her suddenly fighting and killing a person or attacker is not going to be all that out of the blue.






          share|improve this answer





















          • 2





            I appreciate the insights about her development and the potential reaction of the readers. I am really trying hard to not have "eye-rolling" asides from a few terrible (on purpose) jokes. Your last two paragraphs kind of fit with how I have developed her thus far as a sort of "Chameleon" who blends in and steps up or down as required to blend in.

            – J Crosby
            6 hours ago



















          3
















          I'm going to pose to you that most of your question (especially all of the magic stuff and who your character is) is superfulous and could be summed up as:



          Question: How can I have a surprising character feature be used to solve a problem in a story without the reader feeling tricked or fealing like the author is making stuff up? How do I earn that moment?



          Answer: Construct an Inverted Mystery



          The answer is basically with carefully seeded prep. Looking back at the story, an astute observer should be able to recognize a reverse mystery. Usually a mystery's central result is presented at the beginning of a story and the story works to uncover why the mystery occurred. Here, you're presenting the mystery at the end of the story, but the foundational elements of mystery are not lost.



          Motive, Opportunity, and Means



          If your main character is going to have a secret ability, that they don't use or discuss, but then suddenly do at a very important moment you must have given enough before hand to imply that this is possible.



          Means



          It must be established that this sort of thing is possible. If your main character never shows that they can do it, someone else must by reference or direct observation. If this sort of thing has no prior appearance in the story then your reader won't trust that you aren't just making things up. If done well, then a reader might enter the pivotal scene thinking someone in the party/story might have this ability. Red Herring could be used here to imply it could be many people who have this ability.



          Opportunity



          Basic opportunity is established by your character being there. But, also you must answer "why not before," "why this moment", and establish that it is possible. There are likely many opportunities prior to this that magic could have been used to solve. To make this work, you'll have to have good reasons that magic couldn't or wouldn't have been used in prior settings. These reasons must be apparent to the reader and must also be apparent for why this moment is different. There are ways to handle this. Most of them involve consequences: direct antagonists, the price of using magic, or the social cost of having done so are common elements in fantasy. There is no right answer here, and you'll be wise to pick something that is similar, but different to what people have seen before.



          Motive



          This is really the crucial element that ties the prior elements all together; you'll notice I couldn't prevent motive from bleeding into the prior section. This situation where the feature is displayed needs to be personal. It must cause your character to overcome something. And after that personal quandry is solved, the only reasonable result is to reveal this. It needs to be the only way to solve the problem. It needs to come with a cost so that we understand that previously this was not desirable or possible. And it all has to logically make sense.



          If you are successful, the result is surprising, but inevitable when looking back over the story.





          Any more than this would likely get into how to write it, and that's a problem for you to solve. Do note that if this is something you want to do, you're going to have to make room for it in your story. Its good you understand your characters, but you can't let that get in the way of your objectives or prevent you from changing them or the story to make everything work better. I honestly and without malace didn't read the details of your story. Those are for you and I don't need them to answer the question. I advise you to trim them back so this doesn't get closed as "asking what to write."






          share|improve this answer




























          • I actually added the details to try and avoid the common problem of "Asking what to write." I appreciate your insights, and your word choice.

            – J Crosby
            6 hours ago



















          3
















          I think you don't have to show her USING the sword, you can hide the skill in plain sight: She knows about swords, she knows about sword-fighting, the terminology, the stances, the moves. Maybe even let her act some out, with a stick or a carrot or something, to demonstrate what someone did.



          She claims that earlier in life, as a kid, she was a superfan of the sport, she watched dozens of contests. Plus you already give her a great memory. Without lying, she just doesn't like to advertise that she's a sword fighter, she doesn't like the way people see her when they know that. Maybe she's trying to leave that behind. (None of which you have to tell the reader, until after the reveal, but you should have some reason in mind why she wouldn't bring it up).



          By analogy: My brother knows everything about football, he can quote stats, knows all the players names, their standing, who's hurt, the names of plays, all that. He doesn't PLAY football, never played football in school, but he knows everything.



          If your girl knows everything about sword fighting, it doesn't mean she's a sword fighter. But it won't feel like a deus Ex when, in a pinch, she IS a sword fighter.



          Your creative challenge is coming up with those drop-the-mike scenes where she knows things that others do not, perhaps that professionals do not.






          share|improve this answer





























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            3 Answers
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            3 Answers
            3






            active

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            active

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            active

            oldest

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            5
















            Sometimes characters surprise you.



            And that's okay.



            You're absolutely right to worry about a deus ex machina situation where a solution comes out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. This is the sort of thing that annoys readers, and for good reason.



            But this is a character whose past is not well known. She didn't grow up in the same culture as the rest of your characters. And knife work is something you'll already establish (even if most people use swords as weapons instead).



            You should also establish that she carries a dagger. That's pretty easy because daggers are common tools that people of that tech era (or even our modern one, especially on a journey) would carry for standard tasks like portioning out meat for a shared dinner, skinning/preparing animals to cook, or cutting plants make herbal remedies.



            Probably everyone in your story carries a dagger of some sort. Most also carry swords but Jane does not. The characters can comment on it, can even factor that into their assessment of how the group might defend itself if attacked.



            You can also establish Jane as someone who doesn't fear conflict and doesn't easily back down when insulted or challenged. Though it would work even if you make her a bit of a pushover, as lots of people step up when it's an emergency.



            When Jane suddenly proves she can fight well with a dagger, it will be a welcome surprise, not an eye-rolling one. If you've shown the reader that her personality is one that does what needs to be done (perhaps with killing an animal for food) and you've shown her skill with the knife (deftly skinning said animal), her suddenly fighting and killing a person or attacker is not going to be all that out of the blue.






            share|improve this answer





















            • 2





              I appreciate the insights about her development and the potential reaction of the readers. I am really trying hard to not have "eye-rolling" asides from a few terrible (on purpose) jokes. Your last two paragraphs kind of fit with how I have developed her thus far as a sort of "Chameleon" who blends in and steps up or down as required to blend in.

              – J Crosby
              6 hours ago
















            5
















            Sometimes characters surprise you.



            And that's okay.



            You're absolutely right to worry about a deus ex machina situation where a solution comes out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. This is the sort of thing that annoys readers, and for good reason.



            But this is a character whose past is not well known. She didn't grow up in the same culture as the rest of your characters. And knife work is something you'll already establish (even if most people use swords as weapons instead).



            You should also establish that she carries a dagger. That's pretty easy because daggers are common tools that people of that tech era (or even our modern one, especially on a journey) would carry for standard tasks like portioning out meat for a shared dinner, skinning/preparing animals to cook, or cutting plants make herbal remedies.



            Probably everyone in your story carries a dagger of some sort. Most also carry swords but Jane does not. The characters can comment on it, can even factor that into their assessment of how the group might defend itself if attacked.



            You can also establish Jane as someone who doesn't fear conflict and doesn't easily back down when insulted or challenged. Though it would work even if you make her a bit of a pushover, as lots of people step up when it's an emergency.



            When Jane suddenly proves she can fight well with a dagger, it will be a welcome surprise, not an eye-rolling one. If you've shown the reader that her personality is one that does what needs to be done (perhaps with killing an animal for food) and you've shown her skill with the knife (deftly skinning said animal), her suddenly fighting and killing a person or attacker is not going to be all that out of the blue.






            share|improve this answer





















            • 2





              I appreciate the insights about her development and the potential reaction of the readers. I am really trying hard to not have "eye-rolling" asides from a few terrible (on purpose) jokes. Your last two paragraphs kind of fit with how I have developed her thus far as a sort of "Chameleon" who blends in and steps up or down as required to blend in.

              – J Crosby
              6 hours ago














            5














            5










            5









            Sometimes characters surprise you.



            And that's okay.



            You're absolutely right to worry about a deus ex machina situation where a solution comes out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. This is the sort of thing that annoys readers, and for good reason.



            But this is a character whose past is not well known. She didn't grow up in the same culture as the rest of your characters. And knife work is something you'll already establish (even if most people use swords as weapons instead).



            You should also establish that she carries a dagger. That's pretty easy because daggers are common tools that people of that tech era (or even our modern one, especially on a journey) would carry for standard tasks like portioning out meat for a shared dinner, skinning/preparing animals to cook, or cutting plants make herbal remedies.



            Probably everyone in your story carries a dagger of some sort. Most also carry swords but Jane does not. The characters can comment on it, can even factor that into their assessment of how the group might defend itself if attacked.



            You can also establish Jane as someone who doesn't fear conflict and doesn't easily back down when insulted or challenged. Though it would work even if you make her a bit of a pushover, as lots of people step up when it's an emergency.



            When Jane suddenly proves she can fight well with a dagger, it will be a welcome surprise, not an eye-rolling one. If you've shown the reader that her personality is one that does what needs to be done (perhaps with killing an animal for food) and you've shown her skill with the knife (deftly skinning said animal), her suddenly fighting and killing a person or attacker is not going to be all that out of the blue.






            share|improve this answer













            Sometimes characters surprise you.



            And that's okay.



            You're absolutely right to worry about a deus ex machina situation where a solution comes out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. This is the sort of thing that annoys readers, and for good reason.



            But this is a character whose past is not well known. She didn't grow up in the same culture as the rest of your characters. And knife work is something you'll already establish (even if most people use swords as weapons instead).



            You should also establish that she carries a dagger. That's pretty easy because daggers are common tools that people of that tech era (or even our modern one, especially on a journey) would carry for standard tasks like portioning out meat for a shared dinner, skinning/preparing animals to cook, or cutting plants make herbal remedies.



            Probably everyone in your story carries a dagger of some sort. Most also carry swords but Jane does not. The characters can comment on it, can even factor that into their assessment of how the group might defend itself if attacked.



            You can also establish Jane as someone who doesn't fear conflict and doesn't easily back down when insulted or challenged. Though it would work even if you make her a bit of a pushover, as lots of people step up when it's an emergency.



            When Jane suddenly proves she can fight well with a dagger, it will be a welcome surprise, not an eye-rolling one. If you've shown the reader that her personality is one that does what needs to be done (perhaps with killing an animal for food) and you've shown her skill with the knife (deftly skinning said animal), her suddenly fighting and killing a person or attacker is not going to be all that out of the blue.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 7 hours ago









            CynCyn

            30.5k4 gold badges68 silver badges137 bronze badges




            30.5k4 gold badges68 silver badges137 bronze badges











            • 2





              I appreciate the insights about her development and the potential reaction of the readers. I am really trying hard to not have "eye-rolling" asides from a few terrible (on purpose) jokes. Your last two paragraphs kind of fit with how I have developed her thus far as a sort of "Chameleon" who blends in and steps up or down as required to blend in.

              – J Crosby
              6 hours ago














            • 2





              I appreciate the insights about her development and the potential reaction of the readers. I am really trying hard to not have "eye-rolling" asides from a few terrible (on purpose) jokes. Your last two paragraphs kind of fit with how I have developed her thus far as a sort of "Chameleon" who blends in and steps up or down as required to blend in.

              – J Crosby
              6 hours ago








            2




            2





            I appreciate the insights about her development and the potential reaction of the readers. I am really trying hard to not have "eye-rolling" asides from a few terrible (on purpose) jokes. Your last two paragraphs kind of fit with how I have developed her thus far as a sort of "Chameleon" who blends in and steps up or down as required to blend in.

            – J Crosby
            6 hours ago





            I appreciate the insights about her development and the potential reaction of the readers. I am really trying hard to not have "eye-rolling" asides from a few terrible (on purpose) jokes. Your last two paragraphs kind of fit with how I have developed her thus far as a sort of "Chameleon" who blends in and steps up or down as required to blend in.

            – J Crosby
            6 hours ago













            3
















            I'm going to pose to you that most of your question (especially all of the magic stuff and who your character is) is superfulous and could be summed up as:



            Question: How can I have a surprising character feature be used to solve a problem in a story without the reader feeling tricked or fealing like the author is making stuff up? How do I earn that moment?



            Answer: Construct an Inverted Mystery



            The answer is basically with carefully seeded prep. Looking back at the story, an astute observer should be able to recognize a reverse mystery. Usually a mystery's central result is presented at the beginning of a story and the story works to uncover why the mystery occurred. Here, you're presenting the mystery at the end of the story, but the foundational elements of mystery are not lost.



            Motive, Opportunity, and Means



            If your main character is going to have a secret ability, that they don't use or discuss, but then suddenly do at a very important moment you must have given enough before hand to imply that this is possible.



            Means



            It must be established that this sort of thing is possible. If your main character never shows that they can do it, someone else must by reference or direct observation. If this sort of thing has no prior appearance in the story then your reader won't trust that you aren't just making things up. If done well, then a reader might enter the pivotal scene thinking someone in the party/story might have this ability. Red Herring could be used here to imply it could be many people who have this ability.



            Opportunity



            Basic opportunity is established by your character being there. But, also you must answer "why not before," "why this moment", and establish that it is possible. There are likely many opportunities prior to this that magic could have been used to solve. To make this work, you'll have to have good reasons that magic couldn't or wouldn't have been used in prior settings. These reasons must be apparent to the reader and must also be apparent for why this moment is different. There are ways to handle this. Most of them involve consequences: direct antagonists, the price of using magic, or the social cost of having done so are common elements in fantasy. There is no right answer here, and you'll be wise to pick something that is similar, but different to what people have seen before.



            Motive



            This is really the crucial element that ties the prior elements all together; you'll notice I couldn't prevent motive from bleeding into the prior section. This situation where the feature is displayed needs to be personal. It must cause your character to overcome something. And after that personal quandry is solved, the only reasonable result is to reveal this. It needs to be the only way to solve the problem. It needs to come with a cost so that we understand that previously this was not desirable or possible. And it all has to logically make sense.



            If you are successful, the result is surprising, but inevitable when looking back over the story.





            Any more than this would likely get into how to write it, and that's a problem for you to solve. Do note that if this is something you want to do, you're going to have to make room for it in your story. Its good you understand your characters, but you can't let that get in the way of your objectives or prevent you from changing them or the story to make everything work better. I honestly and without malace didn't read the details of your story. Those are for you and I don't need them to answer the question. I advise you to trim them back so this doesn't get closed as "asking what to write."






            share|improve this answer




























            • I actually added the details to try and avoid the common problem of "Asking what to write." I appreciate your insights, and your word choice.

              – J Crosby
              6 hours ago
















            3
















            I'm going to pose to you that most of your question (especially all of the magic stuff and who your character is) is superfulous and could be summed up as:



            Question: How can I have a surprising character feature be used to solve a problem in a story without the reader feeling tricked or fealing like the author is making stuff up? How do I earn that moment?



            Answer: Construct an Inverted Mystery



            The answer is basically with carefully seeded prep. Looking back at the story, an astute observer should be able to recognize a reverse mystery. Usually a mystery's central result is presented at the beginning of a story and the story works to uncover why the mystery occurred. Here, you're presenting the mystery at the end of the story, but the foundational elements of mystery are not lost.



            Motive, Opportunity, and Means



            If your main character is going to have a secret ability, that they don't use or discuss, but then suddenly do at a very important moment you must have given enough before hand to imply that this is possible.



            Means



            It must be established that this sort of thing is possible. If your main character never shows that they can do it, someone else must by reference or direct observation. If this sort of thing has no prior appearance in the story then your reader won't trust that you aren't just making things up. If done well, then a reader might enter the pivotal scene thinking someone in the party/story might have this ability. Red Herring could be used here to imply it could be many people who have this ability.



            Opportunity



            Basic opportunity is established by your character being there. But, also you must answer "why not before," "why this moment", and establish that it is possible. There are likely many opportunities prior to this that magic could have been used to solve. To make this work, you'll have to have good reasons that magic couldn't or wouldn't have been used in prior settings. These reasons must be apparent to the reader and must also be apparent for why this moment is different. There are ways to handle this. Most of them involve consequences: direct antagonists, the price of using magic, or the social cost of having done so are common elements in fantasy. There is no right answer here, and you'll be wise to pick something that is similar, but different to what people have seen before.



            Motive



            This is really the crucial element that ties the prior elements all together; you'll notice I couldn't prevent motive from bleeding into the prior section. This situation where the feature is displayed needs to be personal. It must cause your character to overcome something. And after that personal quandry is solved, the only reasonable result is to reveal this. It needs to be the only way to solve the problem. It needs to come with a cost so that we understand that previously this was not desirable or possible. And it all has to logically make sense.



            If you are successful, the result is surprising, but inevitable when looking back over the story.





            Any more than this would likely get into how to write it, and that's a problem for you to solve. Do note that if this is something you want to do, you're going to have to make room for it in your story. Its good you understand your characters, but you can't let that get in the way of your objectives or prevent you from changing them or the story to make everything work better. I honestly and without malace didn't read the details of your story. Those are for you and I don't need them to answer the question. I advise you to trim them back so this doesn't get closed as "asking what to write."






            share|improve this answer




























            • I actually added the details to try and avoid the common problem of "Asking what to write." I appreciate your insights, and your word choice.

              – J Crosby
              6 hours ago














            3














            3










            3









            I'm going to pose to you that most of your question (especially all of the magic stuff and who your character is) is superfulous and could be summed up as:



            Question: How can I have a surprising character feature be used to solve a problem in a story without the reader feeling tricked or fealing like the author is making stuff up? How do I earn that moment?



            Answer: Construct an Inverted Mystery



            The answer is basically with carefully seeded prep. Looking back at the story, an astute observer should be able to recognize a reverse mystery. Usually a mystery's central result is presented at the beginning of a story and the story works to uncover why the mystery occurred. Here, you're presenting the mystery at the end of the story, but the foundational elements of mystery are not lost.



            Motive, Opportunity, and Means



            If your main character is going to have a secret ability, that they don't use or discuss, but then suddenly do at a very important moment you must have given enough before hand to imply that this is possible.



            Means



            It must be established that this sort of thing is possible. If your main character never shows that they can do it, someone else must by reference or direct observation. If this sort of thing has no prior appearance in the story then your reader won't trust that you aren't just making things up. If done well, then a reader might enter the pivotal scene thinking someone in the party/story might have this ability. Red Herring could be used here to imply it could be many people who have this ability.



            Opportunity



            Basic opportunity is established by your character being there. But, also you must answer "why not before," "why this moment", and establish that it is possible. There are likely many opportunities prior to this that magic could have been used to solve. To make this work, you'll have to have good reasons that magic couldn't or wouldn't have been used in prior settings. These reasons must be apparent to the reader and must also be apparent for why this moment is different. There are ways to handle this. Most of them involve consequences: direct antagonists, the price of using magic, or the social cost of having done so are common elements in fantasy. There is no right answer here, and you'll be wise to pick something that is similar, but different to what people have seen before.



            Motive



            This is really the crucial element that ties the prior elements all together; you'll notice I couldn't prevent motive from bleeding into the prior section. This situation where the feature is displayed needs to be personal. It must cause your character to overcome something. And after that personal quandry is solved, the only reasonable result is to reveal this. It needs to be the only way to solve the problem. It needs to come with a cost so that we understand that previously this was not desirable or possible. And it all has to logically make sense.



            If you are successful, the result is surprising, but inevitable when looking back over the story.





            Any more than this would likely get into how to write it, and that's a problem for you to solve. Do note that if this is something you want to do, you're going to have to make room for it in your story. Its good you understand your characters, but you can't let that get in the way of your objectives or prevent you from changing them or the story to make everything work better. I honestly and without malace didn't read the details of your story. Those are for you and I don't need them to answer the question. I advise you to trim them back so this doesn't get closed as "asking what to write."






            share|improve this answer















            I'm going to pose to you that most of your question (especially all of the magic stuff and who your character is) is superfulous and could be summed up as:



            Question: How can I have a surprising character feature be used to solve a problem in a story without the reader feeling tricked or fealing like the author is making stuff up? How do I earn that moment?



            Answer: Construct an Inverted Mystery



            The answer is basically with carefully seeded prep. Looking back at the story, an astute observer should be able to recognize a reverse mystery. Usually a mystery's central result is presented at the beginning of a story and the story works to uncover why the mystery occurred. Here, you're presenting the mystery at the end of the story, but the foundational elements of mystery are not lost.



            Motive, Opportunity, and Means



            If your main character is going to have a secret ability, that they don't use or discuss, but then suddenly do at a very important moment you must have given enough before hand to imply that this is possible.



            Means



            It must be established that this sort of thing is possible. If your main character never shows that they can do it, someone else must by reference or direct observation. If this sort of thing has no prior appearance in the story then your reader won't trust that you aren't just making things up. If done well, then a reader might enter the pivotal scene thinking someone in the party/story might have this ability. Red Herring could be used here to imply it could be many people who have this ability.



            Opportunity



            Basic opportunity is established by your character being there. But, also you must answer "why not before," "why this moment", and establish that it is possible. There are likely many opportunities prior to this that magic could have been used to solve. To make this work, you'll have to have good reasons that magic couldn't or wouldn't have been used in prior settings. These reasons must be apparent to the reader and must also be apparent for why this moment is different. There are ways to handle this. Most of them involve consequences: direct antagonists, the price of using magic, or the social cost of having done so are common elements in fantasy. There is no right answer here, and you'll be wise to pick something that is similar, but different to what people have seen before.



            Motive



            This is really the crucial element that ties the prior elements all together; you'll notice I couldn't prevent motive from bleeding into the prior section. This situation where the feature is displayed needs to be personal. It must cause your character to overcome something. And after that personal quandry is solved, the only reasonable result is to reveal this. It needs to be the only way to solve the problem. It needs to come with a cost so that we understand that previously this was not desirable or possible. And it all has to logically make sense.



            If you are successful, the result is surprising, but inevitable when looking back over the story.





            Any more than this would likely get into how to write it, and that's a problem for you to solve. Do note that if this is something you want to do, you're going to have to make room for it in your story. Its good you understand your characters, but you can't let that get in the way of your objectives or prevent you from changing them or the story to make everything work better. I honestly and without malace didn't read the details of your story. Those are for you and I don't need them to answer the question. I advise you to trim them back so this doesn't get closed as "asking what to write."







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 5 hours ago

























            answered 7 hours ago









            KirkKirk

            6,9731 gold badge9 silver badges41 bronze badges




            6,9731 gold badge9 silver badges41 bronze badges
















            • I actually added the details to try and avoid the common problem of "Asking what to write." I appreciate your insights, and your word choice.

              – J Crosby
              6 hours ago



















            • I actually added the details to try and avoid the common problem of "Asking what to write." I appreciate your insights, and your word choice.

              – J Crosby
              6 hours ago

















            I actually added the details to try and avoid the common problem of "Asking what to write." I appreciate your insights, and your word choice.

            – J Crosby
            6 hours ago





            I actually added the details to try and avoid the common problem of "Asking what to write." I appreciate your insights, and your word choice.

            – J Crosby
            6 hours ago











            3
















            I think you don't have to show her USING the sword, you can hide the skill in plain sight: She knows about swords, she knows about sword-fighting, the terminology, the stances, the moves. Maybe even let her act some out, with a stick or a carrot or something, to demonstrate what someone did.



            She claims that earlier in life, as a kid, she was a superfan of the sport, she watched dozens of contests. Plus you already give her a great memory. Without lying, she just doesn't like to advertise that she's a sword fighter, she doesn't like the way people see her when they know that. Maybe she's trying to leave that behind. (None of which you have to tell the reader, until after the reveal, but you should have some reason in mind why she wouldn't bring it up).



            By analogy: My brother knows everything about football, he can quote stats, knows all the players names, their standing, who's hurt, the names of plays, all that. He doesn't PLAY football, never played football in school, but he knows everything.



            If your girl knows everything about sword fighting, it doesn't mean she's a sword fighter. But it won't feel like a deus Ex when, in a pinch, she IS a sword fighter.



            Your creative challenge is coming up with those drop-the-mike scenes where she knows things that others do not, perhaps that professionals do not.






            share|improve this answer
































              3
















              I think you don't have to show her USING the sword, you can hide the skill in plain sight: She knows about swords, she knows about sword-fighting, the terminology, the stances, the moves. Maybe even let her act some out, with a stick or a carrot or something, to demonstrate what someone did.



              She claims that earlier in life, as a kid, she was a superfan of the sport, she watched dozens of contests. Plus you already give her a great memory. Without lying, she just doesn't like to advertise that she's a sword fighter, she doesn't like the way people see her when they know that. Maybe she's trying to leave that behind. (None of which you have to tell the reader, until after the reveal, but you should have some reason in mind why she wouldn't bring it up).



              By analogy: My brother knows everything about football, he can quote stats, knows all the players names, their standing, who's hurt, the names of plays, all that. He doesn't PLAY football, never played football in school, but he knows everything.



              If your girl knows everything about sword fighting, it doesn't mean she's a sword fighter. But it won't feel like a deus Ex when, in a pinch, she IS a sword fighter.



              Your creative challenge is coming up with those drop-the-mike scenes where she knows things that others do not, perhaps that professionals do not.






              share|improve this answer






























                3














                3










                3









                I think you don't have to show her USING the sword, you can hide the skill in plain sight: She knows about swords, she knows about sword-fighting, the terminology, the stances, the moves. Maybe even let her act some out, with a stick or a carrot or something, to demonstrate what someone did.



                She claims that earlier in life, as a kid, she was a superfan of the sport, she watched dozens of contests. Plus you already give her a great memory. Without lying, she just doesn't like to advertise that she's a sword fighter, she doesn't like the way people see her when they know that. Maybe she's trying to leave that behind. (None of which you have to tell the reader, until after the reveal, but you should have some reason in mind why she wouldn't bring it up).



                By analogy: My brother knows everything about football, he can quote stats, knows all the players names, their standing, who's hurt, the names of plays, all that. He doesn't PLAY football, never played football in school, but he knows everything.



                If your girl knows everything about sword fighting, it doesn't mean she's a sword fighter. But it won't feel like a deus Ex when, in a pinch, she IS a sword fighter.



                Your creative challenge is coming up with those drop-the-mike scenes where she knows things that others do not, perhaps that professionals do not.






                share|improve this answer















                I think you don't have to show her USING the sword, you can hide the skill in plain sight: She knows about swords, she knows about sword-fighting, the terminology, the stances, the moves. Maybe even let her act some out, with a stick or a carrot or something, to demonstrate what someone did.



                She claims that earlier in life, as a kid, she was a superfan of the sport, she watched dozens of contests. Plus you already give her a great memory. Without lying, she just doesn't like to advertise that she's a sword fighter, she doesn't like the way people see her when they know that. Maybe she's trying to leave that behind. (None of which you have to tell the reader, until after the reveal, but you should have some reason in mind why she wouldn't bring it up).



                By analogy: My brother knows everything about football, he can quote stats, knows all the players names, their standing, who's hurt, the names of plays, all that. He doesn't PLAY football, never played football in school, but he knows everything.



                If your girl knows everything about sword fighting, it doesn't mean she's a sword fighter. But it won't feel like a deus Ex when, in a pinch, she IS a sword fighter.



                Your creative challenge is coming up with those drop-the-mike scenes where she knows things that others do not, perhaps that professionals do not.







                share|improve this answer














                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer








                edited 4 hours ago

























                answered 6 hours ago









                AmadeusAmadeus

                76.5k7 gold badges103 silver badges249 bronze badges




                76.5k7 gold badges103 silver badges249 bronze badges


































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