Writing Creating effective plot twist.

[Yairy]

I was wondering how the writers here go about making effective plot twist for their stories. How do you go about setting the stage for your foreshadows? I have my own methods when setting the stage up for the big reveal and that's seeing everything in the light of being the reader. I usually make a list of all the information that the reader has so far. Then I look at the nugget of hints I gave them as a foreshadow. That way when I do reveal a twist it doesn't come out of the left field.

I would love some new tips/tricks to try as I write.

Note: I'm not asking for anyone to reveal spoilers of their works but their processes on setting up an effective plot twist.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Plot twists are overrated. Who needs them anyway.

 

[Moctemma]

I can't help with the current story I'm writing. I don't create/plan the plot twist, it happens to me as I write I'm surprised when a new idea I get, that should change the story, fits perfectly well with everything I've written so far.

The only plot twist I planned didn't get the reaction I expected, I guess for the readers it was more of a surprise, but nothing unexpected.

 

[MajorKerina]

It tends to be a little like a what if game for me I play when write. I will give myself some scene like a farting cow and wonder like "what if this was massively important?"

Like if I have a character and they live in a multiverse but there is only ONE version of them in the entire multiverse. Gosh, writer-self that is a weird thing. What if it MEANS something? But how? Then I play a game with possibilities until I get something I'm happy with and that becomes the twist. Then you just need to keep in mind ways you can encourage that to be consistent and make sense.

I had a great one once where I was like "Gosh darn it, I can't seem to get this character to meet the other one, things are going so slow...it would be better....wait...what if they already met and don't even know it?!" So you solve a problem and provide a twist for the readers. And from there you can introduce all sorts of things like that events are not occuring at the same time and so forth. Twists tend to emerge from problems you have which you need a good solution to.

 

[Macronomicon]

Best plot twists are written into the story from the very beginning, unfolding like an accordian. Start out with a mind blowing truth about the MC's parantage, or the world's existence, or whatver, then plot reveals backwards from the ultimate reveal, folding your accordian back up. And the best plot twists are ones that the readers have a chance to guess because you wrote the entire story with the full information while the characters have a limited view. they may not know why some things are the way they are, but you know, and the reader can guess. if the reader has no chance to guess the plot twist, it's going to upset and anger people more than amaze them, because there's no supporting evidence for the twist. Which is why it's best to bake the best twists in from the beginning. if you can.

 

[atgongumerki]

Why are plot twists needed?
I don't think I ever found a good reason to implement a major turn from the direction my story is going.
Or maybe I did and did not even notice it?!

 

[Alienix]

All experts have said it above. I learn plot twist from movies. I imitated and modified. One of the best plot twist I have seen is Darth Vader revealed he was Luke's father. And, Lea was Luke's sister.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

All experts have said it above. I learn plot twist from movies. I imitated and modified. One of the best plot twist I have seen is Darth Vader revealed he was Luke's father. And, Lea was Luke's sister.

That are both bad examples as they were never initially planned. The entire trilogy didn't even stand as Star Wars was intended to be only a single movie.

 

[Alienix]

That are both bad examples as they were never initially planned. The entire trilogy didn't even stand as Star Wars was intended to be only a single movie.

Opinion can vary. It is one of the best for me because of the feel when I watched it.


And of course.... Meme.

 

[HURGMCGURG]

Plan your plot twists from the start. You can't just tack one on later unless it can somehow make your world fit together perfectly, otherwise the twist can be pretty shit.

 

[Yairy]

Opinion can vary. It is one of the best for me because of the feel when I watched it.


And of course.... Meme.

In a stand-alone scenario the "I am your father" was one of the most monumental twists of the time. That alone stemmed so many copycat twists in other media afterward that the twist itself is a meme.

Plan your plot twists from the start. You can't just tack one on later unless it can somehow make your world fit together perfectly, otherwise the twist can be pretty shit.

That's one of the key things in writing. You can come up with something incredible then toss it in out of nowhere, effectively destroying your reader bases experience in the story. I agree 100000%

Why are plot twists needed?
I don't think I ever found a good reason to implement a major turn from the direction my story is going.
Or maybe I did and did not even notice it?!

A twist could be minor. Not all of them have to have a major turn in the direction of the story. I see it as a bit of spice to flavor up the dish you're serving to the readers to keep the interest or wanting more.

 

[Bugi]

I am just here to look for pointers

 

[Ral]

Plot twist is a double edged sword. It can make for a memorable experience but done poorly and it easily ruin everything. You better not make me feel the disappointment of what is a great story made pointless by a it-was-all-just-a-dream twist.

Another problem with plot twist is that it only works once. It has no reread/replay/rewatch value. Not to mention, it is easily spoiled so it practically is ineffective to the future readers. You better have a good story despite the twist being spoiled.

So, make sure your twist actually improves the story and make sure your story do not depend mainly on the twist to work.

Of course there are other problems like twists that are so obvious it would surprise no one or twist that comes out of no where that it satisfies no one.

Look. Plot twists are difficult to execute and if you can't even write a decent story don't think of attempting it.

 

[BenJepheneT]

I contest. The twist itself can't be re-experienced, but it does add value to rewatches/rereads -- starting from the beginning while knowing the "twist" puts you in a whole different mindset and makes you pay attention to different things. Like, if you know the killer of the story was actually the comedic relief sidekick now, you can observe him acting in the background of scenes/reread his dialogue and mentions the author makes with that knowledge in mind, and examine things with the new context already in mind. And as long as the writer knew what they were doing, this can add a definite depth to rewatches. Watching an actor react in certain ways while knowing the hidden meaning can be fun.

This is all predicated on the idea that, again, the writer knows what they're doing and sets it up from the beginning. If it is just trendchasing throwing a twist in for the sake of it, it doesn't just lower the rewatch/reread value, it lowers the value of the initial watch/read too...

there's two phases in enjoying the twist. first is the initial kick and the surprise. the second is the foresight and the scramble to find all the clues of Chekov's Gun or even just minor plot points that hint to the twist. the satisfaction comes into finding what lead up to it and what you missed. that's the beauty of a twist.

 

[Ral]

I contest. The twist itself can't be re-experienced, but it does add value to rewatches/rereads -- starting from the beginning while knowing the "twist" puts you in a whole different mindset and makes you pay attention to different things. Like, if you know the killer of the story was actually the comedic relief sidekick now, you can observe him acting in the background of scenes/reread his dialogue and mentions the author makes with that knowledge in mind, and examine things with the new context already in mind. And as long as the writer knew what they were doing, this can add a definite depth to rewatches. Watching an actor react in certain ways while knowing the hidden meaning can be fun.

This is all predicated on the idea that, again, the writer knows what they're doing and sets it up from the beginning. If it is just trendchasing throwing a twist in for the sake of it, it doesn't just lower the rewatch/reread value, it lowers the value of the initial watch/read too...

The rewatch/reread comes from the story and not because of the twist. I mean, you aren't exactly rewatching the movie or reread the book for the twist are you? It is the little details provided in the story. That is why I said that the story should work despite the twist being known or spoiled.

In the first place, in your example, mystery stories is where you are supposed to pay attention. You are given a set of characters and you are to tell who is the killer. There would be lots of clues and red herrings. Heck, a common technique is to make the bad guy not look like a bad guy, usually by making the bad guy do very nice things. You know this technique from Scooby Doo with almost all their villains. Seriously, people still fall for the "good guy" turns out to be the bad guy twist? I though it only works on children.

And as I said:

Plot twist is a double edged sword. It can make for a memorable experience but done poorly and it easily ruin everything. You better not make me feel the disappointment of what is a great story made pointless by a it-was-all-just-a-dream twist.

 

[GDLiZy]

You write to them as they are and plant misdirections and foreshadowing. Don't ever pull it out of your ass at the very last second or use never-before-seen justification for the twist. It will become deus ex machina.

 

[AkalE]

Dumbleore is gay and Hermoine being black. That's the kind of plot twists you need to go for.

All else it just trying too hard...