Writing: The Twist - It may not be as surprising as you think. · 11:19pm Jun 28th, 2014
The twist plot point. The twist ending. We all know them, and have read stories that use them. There's quite a lot of them here on Fimfiction, because its an easy way to drum up some tension and a surprise. Lead one way, then go in a drastically different direction, or even just a surprising direction by the end of the story.
First off, some terminology. I tend to have my own (sometimes wildly differing) ideas of what a word means from what others do, and this blog isn't meant to confuse.
Twist: Something that is surprising, or different about a story. There are two kinds of twists I'd like to talk about:
1: The plot element twist - this twist is story affecting. It changes something from established canon, and is fairly obvious.
2: The plot point twist - this twist affects the direction of the story after a certain point, and is usually kept in the dark or only foreshadowed briefly early on.
Readers aren't stupid, and treating a reader like an idiot, even unintentionally, will quickly sour a story in the eyes of the reader. Poorly done twists, likewise, sour a story faster than lemonade in milk. The curdles...
A good reader, who's been immersed in the story, who has been following the characters, should pick up on a potential twist that's been properly foreshadowed. I say properly, because it's somewhat rude to spring an unforeseen twist before it comes around. This will throw readers off, and potentially lose readers. Don't get me wrong, a twist that's well pulled off and well played throughout the story is great, but at some point in a longer story, as a writer, you have to wonder:
Is this going too far?
Won't my other characters know something is up?
Won't my reader guess?
Will they become impatient with the reveal?
These are valid questions, and sometimes the answer is not what you'd expect. I have been thoroughly surprised by some stories that I've read, but then thought and saw where it was foreshadowed long in advance, or made a minor, understated theme throughout the story.
There's the element twist. The twist given away in the title or description of the story, or in the first lines. "Mother of the Moon" is one such story. Anyone who read it, I hope, guessed what the 'AU' part of this AU fic was going to be. Also, it was right there in the long description. That was the plot element that changed the entire direction of the universe from its original.
But, with the twist so casually thrown away, where does tension come from? Wasn't that the point of the story? Well, no. But also yes. The twist is not so much for the benefit of the reader, but for the other characters. How will they deal with it? How will the world change because of it?
These are also sources of tension. If you've kept up a close perspective, and not revealed the inner workings of your other characters except as can be guessed by interaction and inference (showing,) then your reader may very well have no idea how this other character will react. If your characters are interesting, engaging and deep enough, then your readers will stick around to see what's going to happen because. Even though they are in on the secret, if you're keeping a close perspective, then they will be able to more easily identify with those characters and want them to see their arc through to the end, despite the twist already having been given away.
The other type of twist, the plot point twist, is one that may have been briefly foreshadowed, or may have not been foreshadowed at all. This is the more common type of twist. Although an argument could be made that all fanfiction is a form of element twist. But, speaking in less general terms, the plot point twist is probably what most of my readers think about when I use the term 'twist.' That, or this:
The plot twist can be a great tool for a writer. It can bring a tension that's been building to all new heights, gluing a reader to the page. It can throw drama in where none existed before, drawing in reader interest. Soap operas seem to be twists loosely connected with plot threads, for example. It can also drive a reader away faster than Superman can get new superpowers (Silver Age comics only.)
To provide an example, I would have to say that would be Buck This! Bleep that. I foreshadowed Discord's involvement with a single, out of the blue bleep early on that never gets explained, and only hinted at that it might have been something other than Big Mac being silly in the beginning. In my opinion, this was a good use of foreshadowing. It did something unexpected that didn't reveal anything about the twist later, and never really got expanded upon until it was time for the reveal.
But, there are downsides to twists of both kinds. A poorly done twist can absolutely trash an otherwise good story. It comes out of left field, with little prior warning, and sideswipes the reader's perceptions of the story and the plot. It can throw everything in reverse, can destroy characterizations, and make a fan into a hater. However, when done right, a twist can lend a whole new facet to already beloved characters, deepen a relationship, or show a character or situation in a light that no one would have ever seen before. Twists are great tools. But, like any tool, they can be misused.
Are there any stories that you think used a twist in an interesting way? Any that you think botched a twist completely?
Are you writing a story and want advice, or thoughts, on how to use a twist to further the story?
Ask below.
As always, thanks for following, and thanks for reading.
Toodles!
Plot Twist
Sunbutt was twilit Sprinkle all along!
Good to see another one of these.
Without a doubt, my least favorite twist is the surprise family relation between two characters. It was clever exactly once and then never again. It's become expected. "Oh, the mysterious warrior has an interest in the plucky hero. Father!" It's just so common and it never means anything anymore. Sometimes it even overshadows a bigger plot point.
Case in point, the movie Wanted. The main character joins a guild of assassins to kill the man who killed his father, but the man who killed his father IS his father, and he was the good guy all along, and the guild is evil and must be stopped. Of course, this information is revealed right after the main character kills him, making the main character swear revenge. What could have lead to a crisis of the main character's faith in his allies, forcing him to make a choice, was whitewashed and simplified so the audience wouldn't be troubled with character development in a movie about bending bullets.
Also in Dragon Ball Z. An alien shows up in the first episode, reveals Goku is an alien, details a plot to kill innocents throughout the galaxy and on Earth, and he's Goku's brother on top of that. Unnecessary.
I don't know if this qualifies, but one of my favorite things to do is look for checkhov's guns, by which I mean elements in a story that are mentioned, and because they're mentioned, usually do something.
Case in point: a story I've read forever ago where a villain mentioned a mind-altering pool of water he used to brainwash people offhandedly, so, of course, he later tried to use it on the heroes. I love to look for these, it makes the story interesting.
2241649
Or was she actually Twilit Sporkle?
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/7/21/51697__safe_twilight+sparkle_vector_wat_pun_spork_twilight+sporkle.png
2241920 That is the most beautiful thing I've seen all day
2241649
It was Twinkle Berry!
2241703
Agreed. Though... now I'm tempted to write a fic like that, just to subvert it. Though no I won't, because too much already.
2241804
I think so, especially if its used in a surprising way, or is just something mentioned that reappears suddenly later. Of course... Movies take this way, way too far. As do some authors and series. Example below:
imgs.xkcd.com/comics/clumsy_foreshadowing.png
2244304
You already did. You're building a universe off that concept, because you did it right. It wasn't treated as a simple shock for the sake of existing, but it had real consequences that were worth exploring.
2244345
Thank you. You're right, of course. I suppose sometimes it's hard to see your own work for the cliches it avoids after you're aware of other that you actively tried to avoid while writing it. Ramble-confused...
2244304 OMFG THIS REVELATION HAS CHANGED MY LIFE I WILL NEVER LOOK AT SUNBUTT THE SAME EVER AGAIN OMFG