Very interesting. I think you should go with the "wham episode". That way the focus stays on the immediate stories until you get up to the big reveal. But you should drop little hints throughout the stories. Is it first-person or third-person perspective?
Level 3 Social Justice Necromancer. Chaotic Good.
Elementalist
I say wait to reveal it until the character is one that the readers can sympathise with. If you reveal it from the get-go you'll lose at least some of those readers who want to read about "the good guys".
Of course, if this particular "side-story" happens far enough into the "campaign" that the readers already do sympathise with her, then the above is not a problem. Though where's the mystery if you have a plot twist and you visibly twist it like a wet scarf before you even approach the readers?
edited 4th Apr '15 12:56:48 AM by Kazeto
First post here on Tvtropes. I have a question about how to handle one of my characters being a serial killer. A little background first.
My story takes place in a world that I use for an tabletop RPG setting. The story follows an adventuring party which is composed of a pseudo Five-Man Band (certain characters fill multiple roles). There's no real over-arcing story, it's more loose story arcs as the party travels from town to town going on various quests. There are also various side plots that occur and are resolved throughout the story.
One of these side plots is that people are living in fear due to a serial killer stalking the land. In reality there are two serial killers. One is the original serial killer, the other is the leader of the party. She alters her murder methods so as to closely resemble the first killer not to be a copycat killer but to disguise her killings (she has a Dexter style urge to kill). A three way battle of wits ensues between her, the original serial killer (who hates having his work copied), and a bounty hunter with exceptional detective skills.
My question is whether or not I should reveal to the readers that she is a serial killer right off the bat or reveal it in a Wham Episode. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, readers would be able to more closely follow the battle of wits if they know that the leader is a serial killer. On the other hand, I would get the Wham Episode (I would hint at her being a killer before hand). I also think that having it apparent throughout would take focus away from the party’s adventures. If it’s revealed later on, I plan to have the serial killer subplot take center stage following the big reveal and it will be resolved with the party leader killing the serial killer and the detective and continuing the story (the group still has no idea that she is the serial killer after this).
Right now I’m thinking that waiting to reveal it is the way to go. What do you think fellow tropers?