A story relies on the narrator to direct the readers through the story, but what happens when that guiding voice turns out to be a little bias? An unreliable narrator is an untrustworthy storyteller. These narrators might be telling a story a certain way on purpose, or they might only have limited. In any case, their story shouldn’t be believed, or at least questioned.

An unreliable narrator has been both admired and undeniably frustrating throughout literature. Holden Caulfield, from J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, set the standard for being an unreliable narrator. His unstable way of thinking, and his actions accompanied with his lies make his narration of his story something to be cautious of.

So, how does someone write this elusive character?

We’re All Human …

The first thing is to remember that we’re all human beings, even our characters. So when telling a story, there are obviously going to be things that are left out or seem bias. Especially since the unreliable narrator is usually a storyteller from the first-person point of view. The story is only coming through one set of eyes. In a way, all of our characters are going to be unreliable, but that is also what makes them realistic. If you’re going to want to make the “unreliable narrator” an overlying theme of the plot, then there are a couple of types to follow and different ways to do so:

The Lying Narrator – This narrator is a character who deliberately lies to the audience. An unreliable narrator cannot be trusted, so the way to make this abundantly clear is just to make them a liar. This can be done through contradictory actions or even admitting their faults outright. The audience will be on alert the whole time and it will make them want to see if they can catch them in their lies.

The Madman – At some point in time while reading, the audience will figure out that the narrator has a mental disorder of some kind that makes them dissociate or imagine things. They might have schizophrenia or maybe they haven’t slept in days and the world is a little too fuzzy. Bret Easton Ellis’ character, Patrick Bateman, in American Psycho is a perfect example. Spoiler Alert: The audience doesn’t find out until the end that literally the whole book is a horrifying figment of Bateman’s serial-killer imagination.

The Naïf – This is the kind of narrator that has a limited point of view or understanding of the world around them. Many times these narrators might be kids, or younger adults who seem naïve.

The Clever One – Making the narrator seem more clever than they are is a common theme that corresponds with their unreliability. Think of Nick Dunne and Amy Elliot in Gone Girl. Gillian Flynn covers this married couple with innocence and the image of somewhat-perfection. It isn’t until the reader really starts digging into the story that neither character seems to be what they thought. Amy might be a sociopath, or is she? The characters, and even the reader, is struggling with who to believe.

Ironically Authentic

 Again, your character needs to be believable and realistic. Even if they are not to be believed or thinking fully within the scopes of reality. When writing the unreliable narrator, the types above can help guide you, but there are other ways to show deceit or doubt in the narrator.

Give your secondary characters a chance! When a narrator or character is called out, it can be almost more satisfyingly creepy than having them admit it outright. It can also make the lies and the discrepancies seem more real to the reader. When the other characters start to notice that they’ve been the victims to these lies, it can create a connection and relationship with the reader who is going through the same emotions.

Also make sure to create a sort of pattern for these characters. It can be done slyly or overtly, but even the most dangerous of psychopaths have a rhythm they follow. Their tactics become predictable. While the reader or other characters might not catch on until later, it make it so much more fascinating and intriguing to realize the narrator/character has been doing the same thing the whole time. It might even make them go back and read it again to see if they can find the pattern.

No matter how you decide to write your unreliable narrator, always make certain that you push your boundaries with these characters – while also staying true to your style. Remember that a reader doesn’t go into a reading sesh with the intention of not believing the narrator. So, as horrible as it sounds, use that to your advantage – manipulate the reader . . . well, have the narrator manipulate the reader. And always remember to have fun!