Hanging a Lantern (Season 2, Episode 2)

Amie Kaufman On Writing

There’s nothing worse than finding yourself slowly growing more confused as you read a book – realizing that you’re not sure if you’re meant to know what’s going on, in which case there’s a problem, because you don’t, or whether the author wants you to stick with them because all will be revealed in good time. How do we as writers reassure them, and show them that they should stick with us? The answer to this dilemma is that we hang a lantern: shine a light on the unanswered questions they have, making them visible and acknowledging them. It’s our way of saying ‘that’s here on purpose – I know it’s there, and I’m going to do something about it. Stick with me, and all will become clear.’ Today we’re going to talk about three situations where hanging a lantern will help.

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