How to Twist a Plot

A quick guide to making your readers gasp and generally being clever with your writing.

We've all seen those movies that keep us up all night after we've finished them. The movies with those incredible endings where we lie awake saying, "I never saw that coming."

What you experience in those movies is a plot twist. For those who want a clear definition, a plot twist is a change in direction or expected outcome of the plot of a story. Plot twists are powerful things, and if you use them right, they can greatly improve your story.

First let's discuss the types of plot twists.

1. The Villain Twist

This is the plot twist in which a character that was once a hero is revealed to be a villain. This also is the reverse, in which the villain becomes a hero, and sometimes both occur at the same time. These plot twists must be covered carefully, as the good guy can't be revealed to be the villain until you're ready. Sometimes it's fun to give clues, like the ol' name rearrangement, (e.g. Tom Marvolo Riddle= I am Lord Voldemort) but make sure these are well disguised.

2. The Hero Twist

This is the twist in which the hero is revealed to be more than he/she once was. Not necessarily like Luke becoming a Jedi, more like Luke being Darth Vader's son. These twists sometimes explain a lot of the hero's backstory, and can be used to answer many unsolved riddles. These can also force a change in the hero, as he/she decides to accept his/her new self, or reject it, and can even be used to show a new change or side of your character.

3. The Puppet Twist.

This is the twist that readers love to hate. The one where we find out that the hero has been controlled by an outside force all along, usually a villain. These can be lots of fun to write, as they can be even more gut-wrenching and unexpected than the Villain twist, but are harder to pull off, because you often have to write as if lining up dominoes, waiting for the hero to push them over and screw up.

4. The Revelation Twist

This twist is so named because it is the twist in which the hero learns that what he previously thought was true is false, and then learns the mind-shattering truth. If you've seen the Sixth Sense, you know what I'm talking about. These can be mild or huge, but are great in fantasy or sci-fi when many elements of the world are unfamiliar to the reader, who only knows what the hero knows.

5. The Jesus Twist

The final twist listed here is the one where a character who was assumed to be dead comes back to life, often at a critical moment. Whether you believe in the Resurrection or not, the story of Jesus is a perfect example. These are one of the few twists that readers like, because you often bring back a character that they were attached to. Of course, their sudden return must be well explained and thought out, or the reader will not like it.

There are probably many more twists not covered in this column, but these are often the most common.

Now that you know how to twist a boring, linear plot into something more surprising, let me leave with a word of caution: Do not overuse plot twists. It's difficult to say how many twists is okay in a book, but it's safe to assume that the number is relative to length. If you have too many plot twists, the reader may become confused or frustrated at being surprised so many times, or simply tired of all the surprises. Everything in moderation.

And above all, practice makes perfect, so remember to keep writing!