Abigail Fredrickson

Writing plot twists is tricky. There’s any number of ways that it could go wrong. Writing would be much easier if we never had to worry about them, but also much more boring. They’re crucial to many, many different books and genres, and very rarely is there a book that hasn’t a single twist inside.

Let’s start with the varying types of twists, shall we?

As per their nature, plot twists come in all kinds of forms. Some are simple and small, a natural turn of events that may not even be all that surprising, but still nudges the story in a different direction than originally thought. Some are convoluted, with multiple turns and steps, dancing circles around both the characters and readers until it’s difficult to tell right from left. So there are the small twists, simple and sweet. There are the surprise twists, that no one saw coming. There are the pleasant twists and the unpleasant. There are twists that are the result of the circumstances around the characters changing. There are twists that are the result of the characters themselves either changing or revealing something about themselves.

The most common types of plot twists (or at least the ones most people think of first when they hear the term) are the kinds that are sudden, and typically an unwelcome shock to the protagonist, so I will focus primarily on them.

The most difficult part of writing plot twists, perhaps, is the build up to it. How are you supposed to know how much you should allude to it? Nothing at all? Just a little bit? Should it be obvious to the readers what’s going to happen or should they be just as shocked as the characters? Sometimes that depends on the nature of the book, but in my experience, I find that the best twists are the ones that have been subtly alluded to before it came. The kinds where you’re shocked along with the characters, but when you look back you can see the build up, and wonder ‘how could I have missed that?’

When I build up to a twist or a reveal, I like to include hints. Sometimes my readers figure it out, other times they don’t, but both ways are fun for me to watch. It doesn’t even have to be an obvious hint, just a passing comment or observation from a character, whether in their head or aloud. Maybe it’s not even the character who calls attention to it, but the narrator. Little things that tie in to the current topic or situation at hand, so they don’t stand out, but become obvious in hindsight.

Little things about a character’s appearance, perhaps, if the plot twist centers around them. Brief recognition of something in their surroundings or circumstances changing, if the twist is focused on that.

Another tactic, if you don’t want to risk giving away the nature of the twist but not spring it on your readers out of absolutely nowhere, is focusing on building up a foreboding sensation beforehand, even if the feeling only applies to the readers and not the characters, who are blissfully unaware. You know that feeling when everything just seems like it’s too good to be true? It’s as if the universe will create something just to ruin it at any moment. Or when there’s something just nagging at the back of your mind all day, like there’s something you’re forgetting, something important, but you just don’t know what?

Lean into that feeling. Make your readers suspicious of the circumstances the characters are in. Create a sense that something about this is just too easy. Suggest that there’s something crucial they’re not considering. Then spring the plot twist on them like a jack in the box.

Experiment if you need to. Try using different techniques. Find some test readers and see what they think of your practice attempts. Get creative. Plot twists can be hard to write sometimes, but they can also be very fun.

If you’re trying to write a good plot twist, the kind that is a wonderful surprise, you can still apply the same techniques I’ve described above. Although, with the second one, focus on the feeling that something good is about to happen. Avoid suggesting something bad! Imagine your friends or family conspiring with each other for a good surprise. You know they are doing it, but they keep smiling and dancing around the subject. Then, finally, they reveal it to you. Try to emulate that feeling in this case. Or you could lean into the foreboding sensation, and give the character and reader a pleasant surprise by revealing that they read the build-up wrong. Two twists in one!

What are some other types of plot twists you’re curious about? What kinds are you currently writing? Are there any favorite examples of well-written plot twists in books or movies or shows that any of you have? Please share! I’d love to hear about anything!