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I'm writing a story. This story will be longer than a short story and shorter than a novel.

The story is of a hacker. He is at a stage in life where he wants to reflect therefore he writes his story of his dealings with cyber crimes. While writing his story, he attains clarity about his own true self.

Would it be better to put the revelations at the end of his life story or to share that insight where the relevant text arises?

Reference for the Story: Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker
By Kevin Mitnick

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    @What The writer is also a hacker.His story about cyber crime.I think my edited version of the question is a better representation of what I am actually asking.
    – Meterbuchus
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 9:11
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    Well, I do agree with Elemecca. If you remove all the good stuff from the middle and pack all in the end, the middle will be terribly bland, but leave something good for the end. Also, do make sure these revelations are worthwhile. There are few more disappointing endings than a boring, plain man discovering to be a boring, plain man.
    – SF.
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 9:46
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    Enlightenment as currently used covers a lot more than "true" enlightenment. Why is he/she "hacking"? Writing about that could lead to a re-evaluation of goals. Was it worth it? Was it done in service of the "right" cause? Did all that "hacking" really change who they are? Etc. Maybe "insight" would be better than "enlightenment". Or maybe they could merge with a machine, etc. to attain some sort of techno-enlightenment, if you can find a way to make it believable and not B-movie material.
    – Joe
    Commented Nov 15, 2013 at 10:35
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    Enlightenment with a "small e" ;) or even the real deal is demonstrated by actions (show, don't tell). The actions can also be realizations which are part of the story. What usually happens to people is that a large number of relatively small insights add up inconspicuously and at some point a sort of critical mass is reached where the person's overall outlook or actions change enough so that they notice that they have grown/changed. Often, it takes someone else to notice the changes because gradual change can seem like nothing is happening to the person changing....
    – Joe
    Commented Nov 15, 2013 at 10:45
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    Continued... Sometimes a major event can trigger a major internal change - like getting caught criminally hacking, being betrayed, or some other trauma. In any case, it would be much better for the reader to figure it out by seeing the effects of the changes/realizations rather than having them labelled as such by the author or by the protagonist.
    – Joe
    Commented Nov 15, 2013 at 10:51

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I would share the insight where relevant. It's no fun to leave all of the good stuff at the end. In my experience, writing is a journey, and we need to be privy to all aspects of it. This includes the vital balancing act between flow and insanity inside the character's head.

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  • especially if that's longer than a short story, the reader will be bored to death if you pick out all the juicy bits from the middle to leave them for dessert.
    – SF.
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 8:57
  • Keep in mind that some readers skip to the end and read it first. So you'd better give them a reason to read the rest.
    – dmm
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 20:28
  • @dmm Heh -_- That was a joke, right?
    – Mussri
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 20:51

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