Tips for Excellent Twists
Tips for Excellent Twists
As readers, we crave that jaw-dropping feeling that leaves us slightly stunned, with the book open in our lap as we process the unexpected. Wouldn’t it be great if writing twists were as easy and enjoyable as reading them?
To understand what makes an effective plot twist, you have to know what doesn’t work. We’ve all read books that threw such severe curveballs, we felt gypped. As writers, we try not to evoke that kind of reaction. This takes an objective insight into our story arcs and plotlines, because twists are tricky. But that’s exactly why readers love them.
What kind of plot elements to avoid:
Contrived. Did we plant a poisonous apple in Adam’s tree?
Predictable. In the study, with the candlestick…
Impossible. She wrestled a crocodile to save him.
Convenient. The boy next door did it, because he was right there!
Shock value. Her uncle, presumed dead, was miraculously reborn.
So, enough of what not to do. Let’s talk about what to do!
How can we build a story with an effective plot twist?
Rethink conflict resolution.
Every good story needs high-risk stakes and tension-building conflict. How that conflict is resolved provides opportunity to create juicy twists! Have fun with it. Ask yourself, “what if…?” Try writing a few different outcomes. Dare yourself to be dark. (Just make sure it’s believable and works with your story. See above…what to avoid.)
- In Catcher’s Keeper, I rewrote history to spare John Lennon’s life—he didn’t die that day, but someone else did!
Build multi-dimensional characters.
No human is purely good or purely evil. Your characters shouldn’t be either. Create sympathetic, relatable characters who have serious flaws. There’s nothing more intriguing than a good character committing an immoral act…or a wicked character finding redemption.
- One of my favorite characters in Boy on Hold initially comes across as a total bully, but by the end we learn he’s a caring individual desperate to be loved.
Kill your darlings.
Typically meant to shave off unnecessary prose, when writing twists, “kill your darlings” could mean something else entirely. In creating an effective twist, you may need to literally kill off a favorite character. (Or make that golden-boy hero turn villainous.)
- I wrote four separate endings of The Secret Cure before finally making my favorite character a murderer. I came to the decision after taking a step back and approaching the story as a reader would, asking myself: What would readers want to see happen?
Leave clues early.
As readers process the surprise in your story, they will no doubt reflect on how it all unfolded. Looking back, they should see clues they had missed in earlier pages. (Pantsers, not to worry. You can always place those strategic breadcrumbs later, during revision.)
- Probably the best example of this would be the movie The Sixth Sense.
Get to the why.
A good twist usually involves some shady or immoral action. To make it believable, you’ll need to address why your character chose that action. The why might be hidden within a character’s backstory or it may be part of a subplot. Avoid giving a lengthy (“telling”) explanation after-the-fact.
- The villain in The Secret Cure uses women for his own personal gain, and we learn why through flashbacks of his childhood: his father was a master manipulator.
Don’t forget the denouement!
Readers don’t want to be scratching their heads at the end of your story. After the twist, make sure your ending ties up loose ends. Try not to leave unanswered questions. This is sometimes harder to pull off than the actual twist. If the “wound” feels too fresh, try doing it in an epilogue. Readers are always interested in what happens Six Months Later… And remember, not every story is a HEA. (bwa-ha-ha-ha!)
- The shock of the who-done-it reveal in Boy on Hold is tempered by finding forgiveness in the epilogue.
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Johannah Davies (JD) Spero’s writing career took off when her first release, Catcher’s Keeper, was a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013. Her small town mystery series has won similar acclaim. Boy on Hold won 2020 IPPY Gold for Best Mystery/Thriller ebook and Boy Released was a 2021 Indies Today Finalist.
Check out her bestselling romantic suspense, The Secret Cure. With a Masters in Education, Spero leverages her years as a high school English teacher in author presentations and writing workshops across the country. Having lived in various cities from St. Petersburg (Russia) to Boston, she now lives with her family in the Adirondack region in upstate NY, where she was born and raised.
www.jdspero.com
@jdspero
IG @johannahspero
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In her mid-30s, Rosalie Giordano is in the prime of her life. Long saved from the manipulative hands of her mother, she’s been married to her fairy tale hero for ten blissful years. Vincent is sweet and strong, and stunning as hell—and completely enamored of her.
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As her health improves, a slow burn of vengeance simmers in her heart. With the help of her homecare nurse, she regains full mobility. While hiding the truth from her husband, she uncovers the extent of his betrayal…and learns he is not at all who he seems. Their planned anniversary trip overseas gives her the perfect occasion for revenge.
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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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