I am trying to describe a situation where the protagonist has intentionally left a door almost closed to make it appear closed, but has left enough of a gap for them to look through and spy. Therefore when describing the door I want it to read as though it is closed (because that is how it appears to the other characters), but at the same time subtly hint to the reader that it may not be completely closed. Otherwise if I describe it as closed, when the protagonist bursts through the door, the reader will feel cheated and wonder how the protagonist could see through the door to know when to attack. I have come up with the following examples:
- The door was apparently closed.
- The door looked closed.
But I'm not sure if there is a better way to describe this. It is a delicate balance between suggesting but not spoiling the element of surprise for the reader.
Best Answer
You could say that the door was to (Oxford):
and let the 'subtle hint' come from the ambiguity in that.