Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 389: The Narrative Trick! (Bonus Chapter)
Lionel got up and went to his desk, found a pen and a piece of paper, and drew a line on the paper and marked a few dots.

"Imagine this divides the narrative time of the story into at least three phases."

He pointed to the piece of paper and said, "The first phase is the 'in-progress' phase, which is the time when Watson personally experienced everything at the Baskerville estate."

The second phase is when Watson writes letters, regularly recording what he sees and hears and sending it to Holmes, who remains in London.

The third stage is "Watson's Retrospective," which refers to the comments and reflections he added many years later when he compiled these materials and wrote the story.

Lionel looked up and stared at Conan Doyle: "The point is that Watson's feelings about the same thing at the time and place, his feelings when he was writing to Holmes to report, and his feelings when he looked back on it many years later must have been different."

We must fully utilize the natural time and information gaps between these three points in time to create a narrative illusion.

Conan Doyle seemed to understand something. He picked up the sketch that Lionel had drawn and carefully examined and pondered it over and over again.

Lionel didn't disturb him until Conan Doyle put down his paper, then continued to explain: "Therefore, when writing, there must be a clear distinction between the chapters on 'when Watson was writing' and the chapters on 'the events in progress'."

The former is more like an immediate work report, which may contain personal speculation and current emotions; while the latter, in a diary, may reveal more details that he was not aware of at the time, or his deep-seated doubts and fears.

This difference in form of expression is itself a narrative tool.

At this point, Lionel paused again, waiting for Conan Doyle to process his words.

As Conan Doyle pondered, his eyes gradually brightened; he seemed to have grasped something.

After a long while, he suddenly spoke up: "I understand... It's like when we look at the same thing, we think it's obvious at the time, but when we look back on it later, we may find many doubts."

Or, when we write a letter to describe something to someone, we unconsciously emphasize certain aspects while ignoring others…

Lionel nodded approvingly: "That's right! This is one of the 'narrative tricks'."

But there's another crucial element in this story, which I call the 'hidden detective.'

"'Hidden Detective'?" Conan Doyle's newly clarified thoughts were once again confused by this new term.

"Yes. For most of the story, Holmes does not go to Dart Marsh himself, but instead has Watson accompany Sir Henry Baskerville to the manor alone."

The reader, and Watson, the narrator, both believe that Holmes is far away in London. But in reality…

Lionel lowered his voice, his tone becoming mysterious: "Holmes secretly infiltrated the swamp, hiding in a stone hut in the wilderness, conducting his investigation alone."

Conan Doyle gaped in astonishment: "Holmes deceived Watson?"

Lionel corrected him: "It's not entirely deception, more like a strategy, a strategy of concealment. This is what's called 'unreliable narrative'!"
Because the entire story is told from Watson's perspective, and Watson 'believes' that Holmes was not present, his narration naturally reinforces this 'absence'.

Readers trust Watson as the narrator, and thus, like Watson, fall into this cognitive trap.

Only at the very end, when Holmes suddenly appears and reveals the mystery, will the reader be shocked to discover that the detective had been at the scene all along, observing everything like a ghost.

Conan Doyle fell into deep thought, taking longer than before.

Five minutes later, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with fervor and excitement.

"This...this is ingenious! By controlling the narrative perspective and information, the reader's expectations and judgments are manipulated...this completely subverts the traditional, straightforward storytelling style!"

Conan Doyle could no longer sit still. He stood up and paced back and forth in the room, puffing on his cigar. "Lionel, you mean that Holmes didn't actually 'deceive' Watson—at least not in the crucial moments?"
During the time he concealed his whereabouts, he actually still obtained information that Watson did not know through his meticulousness and rationality!
How he obtained this information is actually irrelevant to Watson's experiences and the superficial progression of the story.

Because his act of hiding itself did not directly affect the series of events Watson encountered at the manor?

Hearing Conan Doyle say that, Lionel smiled with satisfaction.

Conan Doyle's understanding was spot-on; he even pointed out a detail in the original novel that was often overlooked—

Holmes's "incubation period" in the swamp was more dramatic than it was actually investigative.

Lionel stood up and patted Conan Doyle on the shoulder: "Absolutely right, Arthur, that's the problem we need to solve too."

His concealment cannot be merely a narrative trick, nor can it be solely for the sake of making the final revelation dramatic.

The way he obtained key information was no more complicated than the way we discussed in our previous stories.

But we need to use a clever narrative style to make everything seem mysterious and enigmatic...

In short, this is a game of dance between author, detective, and reader; until the very end, no one knows who the real star of the ball will be!

Conan Doyle was so excited he could barely smoke his cigar. He put the cigar on the ashtray and looked at the paper over and over again.

Lionel walked up to him, his tone suddenly becoming unusually serious: "And, Arthur, this time, I hope you can complete this work independently."

Conan Doyle was stunned: "Completed independently? Me? But... the previous 'A Study in Scarlet' and 'The Sign of Four' were mainly done by you... I also..."

Lionel interrupted him, his tone firm: "You are no longer simply a provider of information or a copyist, Arthur."

You studied under Professor Bell and participated in the work of the 'crime lab,' developing your own understanding of medicine, reasoning, and writing.

You are fully capable of handling a novel like this. I have already outlined the core plot, main characters, and atmosphere of terror for this new story…

And most importantly, it tells you the techniques of 'narrative tricks' and 'unreliable narratives'.

Now I need you to take the pen and give it flesh and blood, and soul!

Lionel gazed at Conan Doyle's pale face, a mixture of shock and excitement welling up within him, a sense of relief rising within him—the day had finally come!

He said slowly, “It’s time, Arthur. You should become a true creator, not just a shadow of ‘Lionel Sorel’.”

If you finish *The Hound of the Baskervilles* well enough, then your name—Arthur Conan Doyle—will be placed before mine.

A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the occasional crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace.

Conan Doyle stared at Lionel, as if he were truly getting to know this mentor and friend for the first time.

Immediately, an unprecedented surge of heat rushed to his limbs and bones, and his heart pounded violently in his chest, almost breaking his ribs.

He spoke in a trembling voice, "Okay...okay!"

(This is the end of the fourth update. I originally planned to write the fifth, but I'm just too tired to continue...)
(End of this chapter)