Twists

[thecollector]

Many people like to read really elaborate novels with many twists and turns. Over the years, having attempted to write certain things like that, I've found one really good lesson. Keep track of your plot twists. If you add a twist, make sure you have reason and a strong backing to it to tie it all off. Don't fall into Bored Watcher Syndrome because you've been working for a while and now your novel appears confusing. If you're going to add a twist, remember to follow through with it until the end and keep track of them so you don't confuse yourself.

[jcsk88]

I do have a couple of plot twists of my own in my novel, and I think the most important thing when dealing with these "surprises" in the storyline is to build up the suspense while always keeping in mind what you're going to reveal in the end. I try to do this by placing nuggets of information at certain key places and times in the story, and having my main protagonist interpret these clues in a way that seems logical but is deliberately misleading. So, when events turn out contrary to everything that the main protagonist (and the reader) expects, the revelation can really hit home. I usually also like to review the events leading up to the unexpected outcome, sort of providing an "in retrospect" point of view to sum up the twist.

[Bowie20049]

I'm planning to place a twist in the very end, whenever I finish the series, but hopefully, it won't be painfully obvious as to what it is before then. xP

[Eilidh]

I love twists! Except when it's something really ridiculous like...
The world was ending, everyone was on fire, but then I realised that IT WAS ME CREATING ALL THIS.
Well that wasn't a very good example, "Then I woke up" is the worst plot twist. Ever.

[thecollector]

Yeah, that's a bad plot twist. I agree with you guys. The new novel I'm planning is a science fiction that I'm hoping will have enough secretion to keep the reader guessing.

[jcsk88]

Secretion? That's a twist in itself! (No offense intended, thecollector, but I last saw that term while studying glands in biology. It is highly possible that my limited vocabulary blinds me to other contexts in which that word can be used.) :)

[Ninjatrone]

One of the twists in what I'm currently working on at the moment is that the main character is actually trying to kill the messiah archetype character who is supposedly the last hope for the universe.
As if the Anti-Christ disguised himself as the actual Christ. He actually thinks he is the real savior, too.
The main character is just an ordinary cult member.

[thecollector]

That's a very interesting twist, but I wouldn't give too much away right now. The trick is to keep it secret and until you reach that part of the novel.

And, jcsk88, you were right. I think I used the wrong word there. This is why it's a bad idea to write a Biology report while you're on YWO. :)

[jcsk88]

I just thought I'd add something to this thread. I remember watching a television series called "Lost" and it was rather suspenseful for the first two seasons. However, as things went on, there were just too many unexplained phenomena going on that it became tiresome to follow. The point I want to make is that I don't think it's a good idea to keep your audience guessing or too long. The audience may not expect the twist, but don't hold it back until people lose interest.

[thecollector]

That's exactly what any author using a twist should do. You're right. If the twist is so long that the reader loses interest, their novel is going to not be as great because many people will stop reading it.

[An Angry Panda]

Yeah. In my novel, I knew that readers already knew that New America had fallen and that they would want to know how. But after much thought, I figured that readers would get bored with just interviewing survivors and bunches of dialogue, and I'm probably right. So I made a few tweaks to the beginning of my book, and planned a few twists that involve action. I'm happy with the results.

This is how I say it: Don't have a twist for the sake of a twist.

[thecollector]

I can agree with that, but in a case of mystery, you're going to want to intrigue the reader so twists can help sometimes. I'm not saying purposely add one, though. With TSE (the newer novel I'm writing), I'm not giving much detail about where the character is right now because it's a key twist. I'm not saying when I planned the novel that I planned it like:

"Okay, it's time to write a novel. Now how can I make a twist?"

I just mean that when I was thinking, I got a good idea. I didn't push it. And that's good advice you're giving because some people think that they need to add a twist just for the sake of adding one. That's not the point of a twist.