Assumptions, Assumptions...

A few weeks ago, I started reading Amie Kaufman’s new YA book, The Isles of the Gods, and I noticed something really interesting in the writing technique that I figured would be a good topic for the blog: the use of assumptions.

As you’ve probably noticed if you’ve been reading along, Kristin and I have brought up Amie Kaufman quite a few times in the blog because we’ve both enjoyed her work as an author, especially in terms of writing technique. I’m not going to get too much into the story because this is such a new book- I’ll cover that aspect of it a little bit more in my Monthly Reading Wrap-Up for August- but I will say, it’s probably one of my favorites among the books I’ve read of hers so far.

Ok, I’ll shut up now about how much I liked the book and get back on topic. Assumptions. Right.

Think about your favorite books. As a reader, you are only getting the information the author purposefully decides to give to you, right? Long before the book ever gets into your hands, they determine where the characters have been, what you need to know, and how to word that information in a way that’s most effective- or most useful- to their purposes in making you draw the conclusions the author needs or wants you to make.

Essentially, the author points you in the direction they need you to go. Still, it’s the technique that’s used to execute that point that can hype up the drama or intensity of the story.

For example, a few weeks ago, I wrote a blog talking about how some stories utilize the slow reveal, taking their time in giving the readers the full backstory of a character until the moment you absolutely have to know. (You can read that blog here if you think it sounds interesting.) As I mentioned there, one of the elements that can make a slow reveal like that impactful is being aware of and playing toward the reader’s assumptions. Have you only presented a character in one particular way up until a certain point, but everything gets turned on its head once you start filling in that backstory we’ve waited so long for? Have you purposefully guided the reader through circumstances that are leading them to draw the wrong conclusions, therefore giving you an opening to plot twist your readers later?

In the example I gave previously, I mentioned how trying to figure out what the reader might be assuming played a large role in the way we wrote our manuscript, The Visionary, which primarily features a mystery. In a plot like that, the way information is presented is crucial because you can’t accidentally have readers convinced the perpetrator of the crimes is one person, then reveal it’s someone you didn’t clearly point clues toward. You have to think like the reader, see what conclusions you’re leading them to and course-correct if that’s not the direction you need them to mentally go. One way we tried to gauge reader’s assumptions was when we first asked a few people to beta-read after our second draft, we made a point to frequently ask which suspects the readers might be leaning toward or if every twist and turn made logical sense beyond just entertainment.

Looking at all that we just went through, that’s referring to gauging the reader’s assumptions to guide them to the conclusions you want, misdirect to shock them later, or just keep an eye on what they’re thinking so the story makes sense and isn’t confusing.

Now, let’s talk about what The Isles of the Gods did. I will do my best to be as vague as possible and keep spoilers to a minimum.

So, a lot of what we just talked about addressed being aware of what the reader’s thinking so you can reshape those same assumptions as the story unfolds. But what about the inverse of that?

What about letting the information be obvious to the reader on purpose?

This was something I thought Amie Kaufman executed extremely well throughout the course of this book. It’s a little counterintuitive maybe to not hide information for story purposes, especially when everyone wants that big, shocking plot twist, but I would argue that because the reader was tipped off on certain aspects of the story, that it actually enhanced the reading experience. You, the reader, knows things the characters don’t, therefore you’re operating on a much different level of information and have a fuller picture of the circumstances and dangers at play throughout the story.

I think the main reason she was able to execute this technique so well is that the book is told from the varying perspectives of five different characters- good, bad, and morally grey. Because you’re in each character’s head, you know things about their pasts, situations, and thoughts that even the other characters might not be aware of- giving you a much fuller understanding of each of them and why they do what they do.

Beyond this, these are characters that are actively working against each other, so you’re privy to the plans of both sides, increasing the tension. You know what the good guys are planning, but because you’re also in the room with the bad guys, you have at least some idea of dangers that have been put in their way. Or there’s at least one point within the story where everything seems all fine and dandy and everything’s going to be fine. If you know anything about story, the second somebody says that everything is going to be fine, everything is about to fall to pieces. By tipping you off or letting you infer that trouble is coming, Kaufman is purposefully raising your blood pressure because you just know something terrible is going to go down, even if the characters don’t.

This technique is great for tension, but she also used it in a humorous way as well. Early on in the book, Selly (the main character) finds herself ranting about the prince of their country to a mysterious boy she’s just met. He never says who he is, but I’ve got a guess that even from this, you can probably tell who he is.

Isn’t that cool? Though she doesn’t actually say it, Kaufman lays out the scene in a way that lets you draw the exact conclusion she wants you to. By letting you assume the correct information, she’s making a scene like that even funnier because, unlike Selly, you know she’s just digging a deeper hole for herself the longer the conversation goes on.

Anyway, I just thought that was cool because The Isles of the Gods kind of did the opposite of how a lot of stories tend to play off assumptions. Instead of trying to lead you astray by your assumptions, she let you draw conclusions that heighted humor or tension, even without always fully revealing things until later.

Do you know of any great books or movies that play off the reader’s assumptions in a cool way? Are there any tips or tricks you know of in dealing with this topic if you’re a writer yourself? Let us know!

Thanks for reading. Write on.

-Kamryn