7 Unique Ways to Incorporate Plot Twists into Your Writing
When it comes to writing a great story, it is important that you know how to use plot twists in your writing. What is a plot twist? It is a writing technique wherein a radical change is introduced to the storyline.
It is meant to change the reader’s perception of the events in the story or to add a new conflict or antagonist to the story. If you want to use plot twists in your writing, it is important that you know how to use them properly.
Here are the best ways to incorporate plot twists into your writing.
- Utilize Misdirects
Remember that your readers are usually very observant. If you don’t know how to utilize misdirects in your writing, your readers will be able to spot your plot twists a mile away.
As a rule, you will need to be quite deceptive when writing plot twists in your stories. When you use misdirects, it is important that you are as subtle as possible. Luckily, there are many types of misdirects that you could use.
You could utilize the dead-end misdirect, wherein you disprove the outcome that readers are expecting. You could also use a red herring. A red herring is a classic misdirect wherein false pieces of information are given in order to misdirect the reader.
You could also utilize fast-paced writing to steer away from the reader from key clues and concepts in the story. Misdirects are very handy when it comes to writing plot twists, just make sure that you know how to use them.
- Use your Characters in your plot twists
If you are going to use plot twists, you should include your characters as well. Remember that your characters have a certain personality, and they all have their own motivations.
You should make sure that their actions are still consistent with who they are as characters. For example, you are going to write a murder scene wherein one of your most likable characters does the deed.
If you are going to use the character in this plot twist, you should make sure that the act is still consistent with the character’s personality and motivation. It would be so strange if a much-loved character does a quick one-eighty, and commits murder out of the blue.
This lack of consistency will not only make your plot twist strange, but it will also lessen the character in your reader’s eyes. As a whole, it is important that you stay consistent with your character’s personality and motivations, no matter how the plot twist goes.
- Make sure your twists are realistic
When it comes to writing a plot twist, it is very important that you make them as realistic as possible. If your twists are unrealistic, it will come out too contrived or even fake. Make it a priority to craft twists that are believable and unexpected in the context of the story.
Don’t just write a twist just for the sake of a twist. Remember that a majority of your readers will have already read a good number of stories, and they have experienced many plot twists. So much so, that they could tell which plot twists are actually realistic, and which ones are just plain overused.
- Utilize meaningful subplots
When it comes to using plot twists, it is always a good idea to use subplots. However, if you are going to use subplots, it is very important that your subplots are as meaningful as possible. Remember that subplots are not just for your plot twists.
They could also stand by themselves, and provide diversions, character development, and conflict in the story.
- Do not get too attached to your characters
One of the best plot twists you could write is to kill off a character. This not only shocks the readers, it also significantly affects key aspects of the story. This is why you should adapt a “no one is safe” tone throughout your writing.
This will create an atmosphere of trepidation and uncertainty throughout your story. It will have your readers wondering whether their favorite character will survive another chapter.
- Test out your plot twists before you use them
When you utilize your plot twists, it is important that you test them out before you actually put them in your writing. Remember that we all have different tastes and perceptions on plot. What may be cool and shocking to you, might seem lame and predictable to another reader.
As a rule, you should have other people read your plot twists. Have them take a thorough look at it, and ask for their honest opinion. It is very important that they are honest with you because if they care too much about your feelings it will not really help you in the long run.
By having other people look at your work, you will know what plot twists work, and what does not.
- Do not stop the momentum after a plot twist
One of the most common mistakes that some writers make when they write a plot twist, is to stop the momentum of the story once the plot twist has been revealed. This is a mistake because the plot twist is meant to be the start of the tension in the story. As a rule, it is important that you keep up the tension in the story. The tension should escalate until the climax of the story. By doing so, you will be able to keep your reader’s attention till the very end of the book.
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