Today I'd like to share some plot tricks when writing fiction. Enjoy!
Your
readers pick up your book because they want to be swept away into
your fantasy. In order to engage them, you need to keep them on their
toes, wondering what will happen next. Unexpected plot twists are one
of the best ways to pull your readers in and leave them yearning for
more. This is how you can start writing perfectly executed plot
twists for your stories.
First, Get the Creative Juices Flowing
As
you begin any new aspect of your story, it’s a good idea to get the
juices flowing with some creative
writing exercises.
This will help you get into the mindframe you need to let your inner
imaginings out on paper. Free-writing and poetry are some easy
exercises to put your brain in the mood for writing. Do whatever
floats your boat just so that you don't have a writer's
block.
Remember, nobody has to see what you come up with, at this point, so
ramble all you want, and feel free to ignore grammar (if you can).
Then, you can move on to sculpting your plot twist.
Your Clues Need to Be Ambiguous
In
order to effectively carry out a literary plot twist, you want
readers to think, “Wow. How did I not
see that coming?” In order for them to have the belief that they
could have somehow picked up on the fact that this event would
happen, there has to be clues leading up to it. The catch is that
those clues can’t be obvious. If they are, your plot twist is not
unexpected at all - as a matter of fact, it becomes expected.
Ambiguity can help set the stage for the most head-spinning
surprises.
Write
ambiguous clues by making them have more than one possible outcome.
As Rachel Sheller says, “eliminate
the obvious.”
Here’s an example:
The
question is, ‘Who stole Mary’s drive with the secret files on
it?”
Here
are the suspects:
-
Mary’s partner, Steven, at the FBI.
-
Mary’s boss, John.
-
Mary’s sister, Helen.
-
Bob, The janitor at Mary’s office.
-
Mary’s 15 year old son, Hank.
Here
are their possible motives:
-
Steven could potentially get a promotion by taking credit for solving the case with these files.
-
John has corporate connections who might have paid him to keep this information secret.
-
Helen has always been scared for Mary, in her line of work.
-
Bob has no known motive, but he was acting strange the last couple weeks.
-
Hank is the least likely suspect with no foreseeable motive.
Ambiguous
Clues:
-
EVERYONE on the suspect list saw Mary in the afternoon on July 12, the day the drive disappeared.
-
Steven has the most reason to take the drive, BUT he and Mary have trusted each other for many years.
-
…
The
two clues listed above leave the possible outcomes open,
rather than being blatantly obvious.
Never Rule Out Every Possible Outcome
As
your story moves along, more is revealed. Your clues will begin to
rule out people and situations from particular, but you don’t want
to rule out everything before you reveal the truth. As a matter of
fact, at least two possible outcomes should still exist in the
reader’s mind when you execute your plot twists. You can lean more
in one direction than another, where potential is concerned, and even
sway back and forth with your implications. Just make sure that you
leave room for multiple outcomes so that the reveal has impact.
Get Inside the Reader’s Mind
If
you didn’t know what would happen next, what would you be thinking?
This is where you need to write from. Put yourself inside the mind of
a potential reader, and explore their possible thoughts. Leave no
room for the reader to guess what’s about to happen as you
construct your scenes. Once you think you’ve covered all your
bases, read everything again and check for hidden revelations.
Choose the Least Likely Scenario
After
you’ve primed your reader, gotten them involved in the plot line
with ambiguous clues and ruled out likely scenarios from their
perspective, it’s time for the reveal. Who did Mary least expect to
steal her drive? Better yet, who did you least expect? That’s
probably the person who stole it. Take your most trusted character,
and show a glimpse of their darkest side. There was no motive before,
but now there is. That’s how you can really engage readers with a
completely unexpected plot twist.
Conclusion
Now
you know the basic elements of a plot twist that will absolutely
shock your readers. First, prime your brain and start setting
ambiguous clues. Next, keep more than one possible scenario open as
you get inside your reader’s mind to check for loose knots.
Finally, choose the least likely scenario and watch as your readers
tell their friends about your book, trying their best not to reveal
your big secret.
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