In a post on Writer Unboxed, Greer Macallister says all writers – plotters and pantsers – can benefit from the element of surprise. “Are all surprises good? Absolutely not,” she says. “”But barring extreme left-field surprises, there are three ways that writers can wield the power of surprise to our advantage.”
- Surprise your characters. It’s easy to surprise your characters, because you know what’s happening in all corners of their world. “How a character reacts to something unexpected—surprise party to sudden death and anything in between—can be a great moment of character development,” Macallister writes. “Surprises also have a way of goosing the plot.”
- Surprise your reader. Sometimes you might surprise your characters and your reader at the same time, but it’s not necessary. Taking your story into unexpected territory or subverting your readers’ expectations are great ways to surprise. “There are plenty of things characters know that readers don’t, and revealing them at the right time can be just the kind of surprise that rockets a plot into motion,” Macallister says.
- Surprise yourself. Finally, try to surprise yourself. “Set challenges for yourself, just to see what happens,” Macallister recommends. “Can you write a romantic scene where the characters don’t even touch? Can you take a scene you’ve already written that you’re not happy with and shake it up by adding a character, constraining the characters you do have, or relocating the action? Even if you don’t end up with something publishing-ready, you may create something that helps you either on this project or the next.”
