Plot Twists

Hi guys! Have you ever read a book and then suddenly, the very thing you weren't expecting to happen happens? And you're just like "What...just...happened...?" If you haven't then you need to read better books. Plot twists are so much fun to have in a book, and personally I'm torn between which I like more: writing plot twists or reading them. I certainly cannot give you tips on how to read plot twists (look at words? I don't know) but I certainly can give you a few handy tips and tricks that I use when writing plot twists. Writing plot twists requires two things in abundance: planning beforehand and reading other plot twists. I'll start with the latter first: 

Everyone thinks, "oh if I add this scene where the main character seems to die, but his purity of heart brings him back to life, that'll be a crazy plot twist! No one will see it coming!" But um, yawn. People have seen this. The point of a plot twist is to throw something unexpected at your readers. Some plot twists have been used so much, if you us them you risk just writing a cliche. Which leads to my first piece of advice: READ. I cannot stress enough how reading other writers' compositions will ultimately help you. You can read the kinds of plot twists they have and how they lead up to it. Some writers that I feel have mastered the whiplash action of plot twists are writers like Jeffrey Deaver, James Patterson and Mary Higgins Clark. So my first piece of advice to plot-twist-aspiring-writers would be to read read read. See how other writers create plot twists, see how they lead up to them and how they execute them. Getting different points of views (from here on referred to as POVs) only makes your writing better :)

I know right know you're probably saying "yeah Lindsey, we get it. Read. You talked about it before." Well to not bore you anymore, I shall go ahead and talk about planning beforehand. If you read my previous post on brainstorming, you know how important planning ahead is (if you have not, go ahead and read it! ^^)  Anyway, planning beforehand is absolutely essential when you are trying to write out a successful plot twist.. You need to have the absolute minuscule details down pat because every single one of those details will add to the effectiveness of your plot twist. Figure out who will say what, where someone will go, what they see, what they feel, all beforehand. Don't make it obvious, sprinkle these details throughout your work so when the time finally comes for you to unveil your coup de grace, it will be that much better. Each little detail goes into making that twist so much better, less detail, less wow factor. Simple. 

I can't tell you guys how to write a plot twist, but never limit your ingenuity, stretch your imagination and shock factor to the max. I know you hate killing off main characters, readers do too, that's why they don't expect it. Make someone good evil or someone evil good, don't be predictable, make a place change, a person become different or a love interest morph. The sky's the limit! I've talked quite a lot (I'm on a bit of a caffeine-fueled rage here) so I'll stop now. Agree, disagree, blah blah you know the drill. Hit me up and let me know if you have any comments :)