I Know Where This Is Going

A lot of times, Cassy will tell me that a book she read was really predictable... Then I'll read the same book and totally disagree with that opinion, because I didn't see the ending coming. There's one really big difference between us that causes that: Cassy looks forward while reading, and I don't.

I've never liked guessing at the next plot point or the ending or the hidden motivations of a character; it's just not my thing. When I guess the ending, you know it's obvious, because I'm not trying to guess it... in fact, a lot of times, I'm actively trying not to guess it. The only times I make an effort are mysteries (which I don't read often) and when I'm in the middle of writing myself (like I am now, for Camp NaNoWriMo) and don't have my own plot entirely planned out, so it's like I'm looking for ideas.

But sometimes you're wrong. And isn't that disappointing? You think you know what's going to happen to a character, or you've discovered the big twist, and then it's disproven a few chapters later.

That happened to me with this week's review book, Unremembered. I thought I knew the secret to where this amnesiac girl pulled from the airplane wreckage came from as soon as I read one of the details of how she was found. Then a few chapters later, nope, I was wrong. (Not TOTALLY wrong, but wrong enough.) So now I want to read the book I had mapped out in my head. I want to know what happens to the doppelganger of this character that popped into my head. But if I tried to write it, it would have to start with the same exact first few chapters as this book, and that, my friends, is plagiarism. I mean, I could write it for myself, but that's not my thing.

Does this happen to anyone else? I think this might be part of the reason I don't guess ahead... I get really disappointed on the occasions when I get it wrong.