In a post on DIY MFA, Disha Walia says an interesting plot twist can help you write through the sometimes difficult middle portion of your novel. “What I love about the second act is the plot twist or the radical change in the direction of the expected plot,” she says. “Always keep in mind this should not come off as making no sense to your readers. In fact, somehow your readers should be able to anticipate it.”
Some classic plot twists include:
- Old Acquaintances. The return of someone from your hero’s past is easy to conjure but difficult to render in a compelling way. “This plot twist must be delivered in a way that does not make your readers feel cheated,” Walia says. “To have a speculative take on this plot twist, have this old acquaintance be the key to some major event.”
- The Lie. “Have something or someone your character desperately needs turn out to be a lie,” Walia suggests. “Not only is this going to throw off their entire course of action, but it can help uncover a side to your character that has never been seen before.”
- Divine Intervention. “Life does not always go the way we want it to go,” Walia says. “Something or the other is bound to happen that is out of our control or totally unexpected.”
- Vanish Without A Trace. In contrast to the reappearing acquaintance, in this twist, someone your protagonist relies upon vanishes. Be careful that this twist doesn’t detract from the main point of your story, and keep in mind that the vanishing doesn’t have to been mysterious or criminal. A supporting character could leave town or simply be unavailable to your protagonist at a key moment.
