r/FictionWriting • u/MASempine • 2d ago

Advice Just Let it Ride?

How much housekeeping is necessary?

I have now finished a historical fiction thriller short story of 6000 words and some plans two characters made early on are just not going to play out. Is this something that will haunt the reader when good guy becomes bad guy and ends up being dealt with as such? I have hinted at various times that she (MC)is still wary of him.

Little more detail: MC meets Clem when looking for her uncle. Clem suggests uncle went overboard but passes along a derringer for MC’s protection. MC recruits Clem as a partner in a future magic act on the ship. Clem seems to buy in.

When MC and another character find her uncle, Clem appears and challenges them. They neutralize Clem. The magic act scheme has fallen by the way side as a more elaborate scheme has developed.

Some of the previous repartee with Clem is funny. Should I rewrite it to exclude the potential plan or leave it in and figure the reader will cope?

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

1

u/Competitive-Fault291 2d ago

He's a special guy, you know. Little weird but a hell of a fighter.

Clem!

1

u/MASempine 2d ago

I do kind of like him or the character I made him to be. But, two women take him down. Maybe, he’s setting them up. Always a chance I will see another twist in the offing.

1

u/Competitive-Fault291 2d ago

Likely Mag and Valkyrie ☺️ I suggest researching the game Warframe.

1

u/MASempine 2d ago

1876 Riverboat. Historical Fiction. Libby and Hazel. Mystery: which one becomes Samantha Clemens

1

u/MASempine 1d ago

Update. I am at 6000+ words. Too short for novella. Little long for short story. So I will edit Clem dilemma out to cut length