How to Write an Unreliable Narrator

In the last couple of weeks, I've been mulling over an idea: how do I create a narrator who is a flat out liar, but still relatable somehow (yes, Blogger, relatable is a word!)? I want to try to write a story in which the narrator contradicts him or herself constantly, leaving the reader guessing as to the truth of what is happening. Has anyone written or read something like that recently?

Obviously, I turned to Google and came up with some great articles on the subject:

What is an Unreliable Narrator? 1) Why are they unreliable? 2) Why is it important to the story? 3) How noticeable is it?

Seven Types of Unreliable Narrators: Is your narrator lying out of self-preservation? Is he or she a psychopath? Is he or she simply heavily biased in some way? This is a great starting point.

Using an Unreliable Narrator:  The narrator must provide information, but it doesn't necessarily have to be correct. Dun dun dun!

8 Tips to Writing Unreliable Narrators: Use secondary characters to hint at or highlight the narrator's unreliability.

Truth and Lies in Fiction: Flesh out your character. And remember not to cheat the reader.

There are a million more articles on this topic, but these ones are the ones that stood out to me. They've each got different tips for writing such a narrator, so I'm saving them here for later. :)

Do You Fudgel? Old English Words That We Should Definitely Bring Back

A friend of mine posted an article on Facebook that listed old English words that are still relevant today. I was nodding my head at every single one. You guys, we should totally start using these words again.

Which one do you think is most useful?

Compiled List of Facial Expressions for Fiction Writers

Basically, writing is putting down words on a page. A big part of that is knowing lots of words, or knowing how to find lots of words, so you don't use the same ones over and over again. For example, my characters in the draft I'm working on are constantly smirking or saying "sure." I know this, and I'm working on changing it. Reading is much more interesting when characters make more varied expressions and use varied vocabulary.

So I'm compiling a list of articles that describe facial expressions for writers. These will help me make my writing more dynamic, and will help me describe my characters more accurately. 

Thank you Internet!

16 Different Kinds of Smiles and What They Mean

Why All Smiles Are  Not the Same

Master List of Facial Expressions for Writers

100 Words for Facial Expressions

Happy wordsmithing.

- Emily

Clean Young Adult Novels on Instafreebie

I don't know about you, but as a parent of two young girls I think about how I'm going to filter the media they see as they grow up. It's not that I want them to think that life is always full of ponies and rainbows, but on the other hand you can't unsee something. Once you see something it floats around in your brain forever (and comes out at the most inconvenient times). That is why I'm thankful for lists like this one, which is full of clean young adult novels (no cursing or sex).

And the best part is that they're all free! Who doesn't love a free book? 

Book Gems in Kindle Unlimited

Finding a new (good) book to read can be a challenge when there are thousands of books out there. Thankfully, a fellow author has compiled a fantastic list of best sellers and obscure finds that are available through Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program. 

I can't wait to dive into a new book. Can you?

Find the list here.

Books and Short Stories I Read When I Want to Be Creeped Out

Some of these books/short stories are legitimately scary. Others are chilling reminders of the base selfishness of mankind, which, to me, is equally unsettling.

"The Voice in the Night" (William Hope Hodgson) - A ship's crew come across a voice in the night which asks them for provisions for himself and his young wife. They begin to wonder about him when he won't come into the light.

Animal Farm (George Orwell) - "All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others." I first read this in junior high, but it's just as relevant in our current social climate, if not more so. The ending is spine-tingling as well, but I'm not going to give it away!

"The Cask of Amontillado" (Edgar Allan Poe) - Are you claustrophobic? If not, you might be after reading this.

Dracula (Bram Stoker) - Did you know that in Stoker's novel, Dracula couldn't enter a residence unless he was invited in? Even so, he and his wives are just as scary now as they were when the novel was published in 1897.

The Little Foxes (Lillian Hellman) - In this play, Hellman explores the unhealthy dynamic between greedy, selfish siblings and their spouses as they vye for the largest share of a probable business success. But oh, the end!

My Summer Reading List

 I always have loved reading, but I tend to go through seasons during which I read a ton and seasons during which I don't read at all.  I am currently experiencing one of those "read everything" seasons.  Here's my summer reading list:

And I'm sure this list will grow as time goes by.  :)