Some characters lose track of time and memories because they blacked out at a crucial moment in the narrative. This intrigues and keeps readers deep inside the text as they figure out what the black out means regarding clues to a greater mystery.
Missing passages of time stir us deep inside. Losing ourselves in a black out experience is fearful and, for some, exciting. It can happen to anyone at any time.
When reading of someone else’s black out experience, we want to know why and how it happened. Well-read fiction readers go beyond these feelings and seek answers about why the author brought the black out to the story in the first place. They’ll suspect something is going on, but suspicion isn’t enough to solve a mystery — and they know authors write twists to keep readers on their toes.
Fiction is a funny thing. It can take us anywhere. These gaps in a character’s memory force readers to make assumptions and take leaps. We leap, assume, and go where the author wants to take us.
[The killer must’ve opened an unlocked door, committed the murder, returned the knife to where it belonged and then locked the door behind him. John, who was present, said the door was already locked, and no one could’ve got in from the outside. He’s confident the knife never left the cabinet… but he bumped his head ten minutes earlier and woke up on the floor half an hour later.]
We leap and find intrigue.
Many things cause blackouts.
A toxic but non-lethal drug will do it. A violent clunk to the head is a popular choice. But what if the writer doesn’t want to use either of these methods and chooses to apply high stress to a character instead?
Situational dissociation is a form of blacking out. It differs as the sufferer is awake and active when it occurs.
The condition is triggered whenever certain environmental and psychological conditions are met. It’s a challenging plot style because it requires the character to participate in certain events while the dissociation occurs and forget them when it’s over.
Is it possible to live one life and not be aware of a temporary other?
We are going to find out.
– Michael Forman (Dark Fiction Author – See Below)
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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