On literaryterms.net a plot twist is described as an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely changes the direction or outcome of the plot from the direction it was likely to go. It’s a hugely popular and frequently used narrative technique in fiction. Plot twists are designed to disrupt things in a story that the audience thinks they already know or have figured out. The author achieves this “twisting” of the plot by providing a huge shock or surprise, one that is either completely unexpected or was perhaps foreshadowed through earlier details or events.
Plot twists are not a mandatory thing to do, yet people love to be surprised. You see when you read a book or see a movie your brain turns into a detective. You want to be known in advance what is going on. What is next, What is going to happen. If done correctly this will surprise your audience and throw them for an unexpected territory and have their minds blown.
Of course, plot twists can’t just come out of nowhere. It is called a plot twist, so it must be attached to the plot. If you just bring something unexpected not tied to the plot you could be going to the DEUX EX MACHINA territory, and that is a huge problem. You need to set them and start giving clues or foreshadow what is coming out.
A movie I’ve written about before is the Prestige. This movie tells you the plot twist since the first scene, and most of the audience is mesmerized by the story arc that ignores the hints given. Dark Matter’s plot twist, Gone Girl, Jane Eyre, Harry Potter, and the Deathly Hollows, Get Ready Player One, Fight Club, and so on. Sometimes people just want to forget about real life. They want to be entertained and when it comes with something unexpected that makes them feel a whole new of emotions, you know that recommendations and reviews are going to pour into the books.
You need examples on plot twists? How about trying these.
- Kill one of the most important characters.
- A flashback or cutaway reveals information that the audience has but the story’s characters do not.
- When the main conflict appears to be resolved, an unforeseen turn of events introduces one additional conflict to overcome.
- An ostensibly important story element turns out to be inconsequential
- A supposed ally of the protagonist turns out to be the bad guy.
- Have your big reveal instigate a twist ending.
One thing you don’t want is for people finishing your story, shrugging and saying, it was predictable, That’s the whole point of the plot twist. Making that U-turn so the audience loses control of what they were grasping. So how do you prepare that plot twist so it is effective?
- Change your writer hat. Turn into the reader and ask yourself, will it surprise me?
- Use misdirection. Tell everyone something but mean something else. Use symbolisms, nicknames, or even scientific names. Do you remember Zootopia and the Night Howlers? They put wolves, howling at night.
- Foreshadows. The little girl on the prestige asking: “Where’s his brother?” Shrek, when Fiona serves the eggs of the bird that exploded, later revealing that she was an ogre.
- Use your characters to the setup. Like in chess, use them as pawns.
- Before revealing it make sure it is connected to the plot.
- Make sure it is well hidden and cover so once it is revealed it has the punch or evokes the emotion you were looking for.
Do you have another way to create plot twists? Let me know in the comments below. That’s all I have for now. I hope you guys are good, and for now… keep writing mis amigos.