After I’ve read through a draft for the umpteenth time, I think of the little details that could go before a dramatic scene. I try and slip in clues and foreshadow, long before the climax. I hope the reader if only in part picks up on the fact the character doesn’t like spiders or was told something by someone in a bedtime story that the character emulates or recalls before firing the gun.
In Zeta – Resin Pines, the title Resin is an anagram of the protagonist's surname Siren, and his first name Snipe is an anagram of Pines. Both play a bigger part in the overall story, but I don’t want to give away the plot. Others appear throughout the story, and I’m confident that the majority of readers will never pick up on any, but some might and I had fun appealing to readers of all levels.
I believe hints and clues can make a good wholesome read but should never form a critical part of the story to be understood. I want the story to be easy to read and entertaining regardless of a reader picking up on every little detail along the way.