Jack-In-The-Box

Originally posted in October:

      I love water. I love pretty docks on the water that aren't so rickety that my feet will pop a hole in one of the rotting boards I failed to pay attention to because I was so intent on watching someone kayak down the river.

      Let's hope that never happens.

      Yesterday I didn't post. I had no idea what to write. I hate those days. I did a lot of thinking last night or this morning (not sure which. Either way, I was in bed), though, and after thinking over the stuff I'd watched on TV recently, it occured to me what topic I could and most definitely should write.

      SURPRISE!

      Ahem.

      I want to be left guessing. Sure, it's fun to exclaim, "I KNEW SHE'D TRANSFORM INTO A DRAGON!" much to your friend, Cupcake's, dismay, because you haven't told her you started book two, but there's a different, more interesting satisfaction from having no earthly, sunly, or pluto-ly clue what's going on.

      I don't normally get into love stories. Actually, scratch that. I don't really at all. You want to impress me? Don't give me the cliche love triangle in which I already know exactly who the main character will end up with. However,  in a random Japanese show I started watching (because I'm weird like that and have this idea that if I watch Japanese TV, I'll automatically learn how to speak Japanese) they take things to more interesting levels:

      Girl A is in love with Boy B. But Boy A and Boy C are in love with her and she doesn't notice. I like this love triangle. Naturally, I think Boy B is a good choice for her, but then I also feel bad for Boy A. And Boy C would just be a hilariously unexpected match. You see? You leave the viewers without any clue as to who'll end up with who, and no one's being pulled back and forth. Girl A likes Boy B. No tug of war. End of story.

      Another example I have is from Hero by Mike Lupica. The main character has an uncle who he's known for years and automatically trusts. But another man shows up, claiming to be a close friend of his now deceased father and telling information that is contrary to his uncle's. Honestly, this could be cliche, but Mr. Lupica did it very well. I was constantly second guessing myself over who was right and who was wrong. I was horribly, horribly confused.

      Which is an odd feeling for me. I tend to have an idea to some extent of what's going to happen. Doesn't mean it's right, but I'm not all confused.

      Hmm. I need to get going, so I'd better wrap this up. Ahem. I want to be surprised. Do me like a jack-in-the-box--jump up and startle me when I least expect it. Make me so confused that I don't know which way you're taking me. Could your villain really be good? Could you convince me that he or she is the nicest person on the planet and then shock me with the world's largest bolt of electricity and show me otherwise?

MUAHAHA!

-Silence