Foretellings, Part 2

I really enjoyed my last blog about futures: Fixed, Flexible or Fractured, but I’ve realized that I left one out. The future in your story can also be a Fake-Out! This happens when a prediction is made, usually something dramatic, which does come true but in an unexpected way.

Perhaps a battle is coming and the king is told he will “fall while defending the realm.” This makes it sound like he will die, right? But maybe this is a comedic fantasy. The king literally trips and falls during the battle. A blow that would have taken his head off misses, instead.

Perhaps a spoiled princess is assured by the oracle that she will “marry a prince and reign for forty years.” But this is a hard fantasy. Her fated prince is a horrible person, and she ends up imprisoned in a tower all that time.

Using this technique, the author sets up a prophecy that drives tension: the king is destined to fall in battle. This will shadow the tale and keep the reader worried for the king. Or if the reader is annoyed by the spoiled princess, her unjustified success will turn to despair — and the schadenfreude reigns supreme.

There is a risk, of course, that a prophetic Fake-Out will alienate readers who feel manipulated by the writer. Yet, if it’s well done, a Fake-Out maintains the consistency of the foretelling while providing a fun surprise. It can be a great ending for a fantastic tale.

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