166 - Plotting with an Unreliable Narrator

Episode 166 - Plotting with an Unreliable Narrator with Jane Cleland

December 27, 2022

Matty Dalrymple talks with Jane Cleland about PLOTTING WITH AN UNRELIABLE NARRATOR, including examples of successfully drawn unreliable narrators and how they impact story structure; the importance of not relying on coincidence; the role of intentionality; the importance of enabling your reader to be empathetic toward the narrator; the value of reading for what Jane calls TRDs: plot twists, plot reversals, and moments of heightened danger; and getting the reader to ask, “I should have seen that coming—but how could I?”

Jane K. Cleland writes the multiple award-winning and bestselling Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries published by St. Martin’s Minotaur. Her short stories and novella are published by Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. She’s also written the bestselling and Agatha Award-winning how-to books, Mastering Plot Twists and Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot. She is a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine and chairs the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella Award. Jane has an MFA in professional and creative writing and an MBA in marketing and management. She is a lecturer at Lehman College and a frequent workshop facilitator and guest author at writing conferences and university programs.

"The number one reason I hear from agents that they turn down projects is that they do not find the protagonist relatable, and I think the way you create relatability is through empathy. Empathy means, I get it. I can walk a mile in your shoes. I feel what you're feeling." —Jane Cleland

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Episode 166 - Plotting with an Unreliable Narrator with Jane Cleland

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