>>68890485>how can I do a "gut punch" betrayal though?There are two directions you can go in, a sudden betrayal and a built up betrayal.
For the sudden betrayal route you effectively use the comedy to distract the reader and make them think it's not coming then bam! Gut punch betrayal that pivots the rest of the chapter to drama. You're going to go for shock and awe here so make it hurt, and don't let it up till the scene breaks.
Meanwhile with a built up betrayal you use dramatic irony. The audience knows it's coming, but the viewpoint character doesn't. Comedy used here should have that undercurrent asking when the anvil will drop. So in effect the entire chapter will be build up to one huge hit, with the context from preceding chapter adding to the punch. Basically this would be the type of twist you build an entire chapter/arc around then hit when it hurts.
