It intrigues your readers and draws them in. Start with the expectations of a genre and then turn things on their head, subvert conventions and be a bit of a tease.
It keeps you on your toes as a writer so you don’t slip into clichés and stereotypes. And what can be more fun than to flirt with your readers as a way to invite them into the world of your novel?
It could also give you a standout book to make agents and publishers to sit up and take notice.
Yang May Ooi, bestselling author of The Flame Tree