Most of the time, ambiguity in our writing is a bad thing. It confuses the scene, makes readers pause to figure out what’s going on, and can even create hysterical sentences that ought to be serious.
But sometimes, a little ambiguity creates uncertainty, and uncertainty can be a strong and powerful hook.
The sitcom Angel From Hell is a great example of ambiguity that works (although sadly, as I’m writing this I discovered CBS just canceled it. But the device it uses still works, even if TV viewers didn’t click with it in this case)
