In a new post, C.S. Lakin offers tips for creating perfect plot twists. “The challenge for the writer is to craft twists that are both unexpected and believable,” she says. “Ah, there’s the rub. How can your twists be believable if they’re unexpected?”
Hints and foreshadowing in early scenes are important. A twist or character that shows up out of nowhere will leave your reader feeling cheated or tricked. Misdirection is another method. “We humans make assumptions and come to conclusions about events we experience, and it’s believable that we may misinterpret what we see and hear,” Lakin says.
When creating a plot twist, figure out how you want your readers to react. Do you want them to be shocked, scared, angry? Keep that in mind while writing. Twists also should satisfy the following elements:
- Twists need to escalate the story or move it in another direction.
- The story must be able to stand on its own without the twist.
- The twist shouldn’t trick your reader.
Lakin offers a few tips for how to create a plot twist:
- Identify an important milestone event in your story.
- Make a list of 5-10 possible, believable scenarios connected to this milestone.
- Make a list of possible misdirections for each scenario.
- Come up with all kinds of ideas, crazy and logical.
Once you have some ideas for plot twists, look back in your story to see where you can plant hints and foreshadowing.
