First of all, I just want to say I have now officially cried over the death of a literary character. I just finished book sixth of the Demonata series yesterday night. I won't say who I cried over (that would spoil it for those of you who haven't read it), but I did shed a few tears.
Today's Topic:
Plot Twists
Amazing twists are part of the reason I love Darren Shan's Demonata series. I just adore thinking things are going to go down one way, but then they pop a twist on me and things do a complete 360 from what I was expecting. But lots of plot twists just don't work. (Think about M. Night Shyamalan's The Village.) Other twists have been done to death. ("Luke, I am your father!" ruined that twist for everyone else.)
What goes into a great plot twist?
--Drop hints throughout the book
Don't just drop a twist on us out of nowhere. You've got to hint at the twist beforehand, or we probably won't buy it. In the first draft of my WIP, BROKEN, I dropped the twist without any real hints and that didn't work for me when I read over it. I changed all that in the second draft and dropped several hints through the whole book. When my boyfriend read it, he said, "Ooooh! So that's why you mentioned *lawnmower drowns out his voice* so many times!"
--It needs to change things
A plot twist needs to cause some kind of change--even if it's just a minor change. If not, then it's useless...and you know what we do with useless things don't we? We cut them. The twist needs to make things different, or you need to cut it. The twist in BROKEN plays a much bigger role in the two sequels I've got planned, but it does make Skye look at the characters involved differently.
--Tired twists make me want to throw things
"Oh noes! The villian has been the MC's father/mother/brother/second cousin all along?! WHOOOOOA!" No. Sorry, people, but if you want to use that twist, you're gonna have to really work it. Like I said up at the top, Star Wars kind of ruined that twist for everyone. Try coming up with something fresh and original.
--If you don't need a twist, don't use one
You can't use a twist just because you want to. Nope, sorry, that's just not how it works. Twists are meant to enrich the story for the reader, not to entertain you.
--What?
Twists need to make sense. Don't leave me thinking, "Huh? But...how? Why? WHAT?!" If you want to drop a twist on us, it needs to make sense in the story. You can't suddenly reveal your MC's love interest is actually a serial killer unless people have been dying mysteriously throughout the novel. If everything has been perfectly normal and you drop a bomb like that on me, I'll have to kick something. The last time that happened, I broke a toe, so please, don't put me through it again.
--Watch out for that plot hole
If you add a twist, make sure it doesn't open any plot holes. You don't want us to get to the twist and go, "Wait...but what about that thing that happened in chapter four? This doesn't make any sense." You've got to make sure the rest of your book lines up with your twist, or you'll just piss your reader off.
For those of your who skipped to the end:
*Drop hints or we won't buy it.
*Twists need to bring on some sort of change.
*Avoid cliched twists.
*Don't drop a twist for the hell of it.
*Don't give us the most unbelievable twist ever.
*Watch out, or you'll trip in that plot hole and break your leg.
Do you love plot twists like I do?
What makes an awesome twist?
What are a few of your favorite twists?
Do you use twists in your writing?
HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!
Plot Twists
Amazing twists are part of the reason I love Darren Shan's Demonata series. I just adore thinking things are going to go down one way, but then they pop a twist on me and things do a complete 360 from what I was expecting. But lots of plot twists just don't work. (Think about M. Night Shyamalan's The Village.) Other twists have been done to death. ("Luke, I am your father!" ruined that twist for everyone else.)
What goes into a great plot twist?
--Drop hints throughout the book
Don't just drop a twist on us out of nowhere. You've got to hint at the twist beforehand, or we probably won't buy it. In the first draft of my WIP, BROKEN, I dropped the twist without any real hints and that didn't work for me when I read over it. I changed all that in the second draft and dropped several hints through the whole book. When my boyfriend read it, he said, "Ooooh! So that's why you mentioned *lawnmower drowns out his voice* so many times!"
--It needs to change things
A plot twist needs to cause some kind of change--even if it's just a minor change. If not, then it's useless...and you know what we do with useless things don't we? We cut them. The twist needs to make things different, or you need to cut it. The twist in BROKEN plays a much bigger role in the two sequels I've got planned, but it does make Skye look at the characters involved differently.
--Tired twists make me want to throw things
"Oh noes! The villian has been the MC's father/mother/brother/second cousin all along?! WHOOOOOA!" No. Sorry, people, but if you want to use that twist, you're gonna have to really work it. Like I said up at the top, Star Wars kind of ruined that twist for everyone. Try coming up with something fresh and original.
--If you don't need a twist, don't use one
You can't use a twist just because you want to. Nope, sorry, that's just not how it works. Twists are meant to enrich the story for the reader, not to entertain you.
--What?
Twists need to make sense. Don't leave me thinking, "Huh? But...how? Why? WHAT?!" If you want to drop a twist on us, it needs to make sense in the story. You can't suddenly reveal your MC's love interest is actually a serial killer unless people have been dying mysteriously throughout the novel. If everything has been perfectly normal and you drop a bomb like that on me, I'll have to kick something. The last time that happened, I broke a toe, so please, don't put me through it again.
--Watch out for that plot hole
If you add a twist, make sure it doesn't open any plot holes. You don't want us to get to the twist and go, "Wait...but what about that thing that happened in chapter four? This doesn't make any sense." You've got to make sure the rest of your book lines up with your twist, or you'll just piss your reader off.
For those of your who skipped to the end:
*Drop hints or we won't buy it.
*Twists need to bring on some sort of change.
*Avoid cliched twists.
*Don't drop a twist for the hell of it.
*Don't give us the most unbelievable twist ever.
*Watch out, or you'll trip in that plot hole and break your leg.
Do you love plot twists like I do?
What makes an awesome twist?
What are a few of your favorite twists?
Do you use twists in your writing?
HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!
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