I’ve always loved reading about the stuff that happens behind the scenes, be it movies, music or writing. Understanding the thinking behind what a creator is doing, their motivations and grand plans has always interested me.

For some people, knowing too much can ruin the magic and cheapen the experience. I get this, because I have a similar feeling about spoilers. In recent years, particularly in movies, there seems to have developed an insatiable need by some to know what is going to happen. Similarly, movie trailers have gone from being exciting glimpses at what may be, to simply recapping all the important parts of the film in two minutes. Indeed, once you get used to watching them, you can pick out the edits which show the final scene, thereby negating any need to actually see the final thing!

I cannot grasp the logic of wanting to know what happens in a story before experiencing it. This obsession with not getting any surprises has even led to me abandon reading my favourite movie magazine. With all the things going on in our life, we rarely get to see films when they are first released, and I found myself turning through pages and pages of the magazine, leaving them unread as every one had the ‘spoiler alert’ tag at the top.

One of the signs of a well-told story is the need by the reader to know what happens next. It is this that keeps you turning the page when you know you have to get some sleep, or rescue your daughter from the swing. (Hey, she likes being in there, the shouting is just her expressing her pleasure and nothing whatsoever to do with hunger or cramp.)

So what magic is left when we already know what happens next? It’s a bit like watching sport when you know the result. However much you admire the skills on display, the edge just isn’t there.

I’m hoping that someone who likes spoilers reads this. If you do, please let me know why!