Hellooo, everybody!
Today we're talking about plot twists and how to fuck ‘em up. A plot twist is an unexpected
development in a storyline. And often, they're a big hit. Plot twists are exciting. They intensify
the stakes. They keep readers engaged and invested. If they're written well that is.
A crappy plot twist can have the opposite effect. They upset the reader, they confuse them, it can
even ruin the reading experience. Unfortunately, this is really common and it's in large part due
to some bad writing advice floatin’ around the community. You're not writing a plot twist to be
an edgelord. Like every other facet of your story, your plot twist is there to benefit the plot.
Because I'm tired of reading shitty plot twists, I'm breaking down the ten worst pieces of advice
when it comes to pullin’ a fast one on your readers. I'm sure you've seen some of this advice,
and it's bad. So, so bad. Writers pay close attention to this video. Watch it five times if
you have to. And don't implement any of this advice, okay? Your readers will thank you.
(The sound of a pen scratching. LOGO.)
Before we get started, I have a huge announcement. As you already know, I'm in the process of
releasing my very first writing craft book, Shut Up and Write The Book which is a step
by step guide to the writing process from start to finish, so you can get through it seamlessly.
And I'm thrilled to announce that the cover reveal is right around the corner.
I'm revealing the cover for Shut Up and Write The Book, here on my channel, on
THIS day, so you better be here for it. Do you wanna help me reveal the cover? I know you do.
If you wanna be a part of it, sign up using the link in the description below. Everyone who
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channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you wanna be alerted as SOON as I upload,
ring that bell. That way you know as soon as the cover reveal goes live, obviously. The Savior's
Champion and The Savior’s Sister are available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audiobook. They're
available at all major retailers. So if award winning fiction is more your jam, definitely
check them out. They're linked below. And now I am breaking down the ten worst tips for writing a
plot twist. It is the perfect topic to cover today because I may have a chapter all about plot twists
in Shut Up and Write The Book. Let's get to it. Number One (1): Ditch the foreshadowing. You don't
want people to see the plot twist coming, that means no foreshadowing, said idiots all over the
world. A good plot twist may be unpredictable, but a GREAT plot twist will have readers thinking “How
did I miss that!” You only achieve that reaction through light foreshadowing. Or as I call it,
scattering breadcrumbs. Leave very small subtle hints throughout the text, typically in scenes
and moments where the reader's attention is directed elsewhere. Then comes the plot twist and
suddenly these brief instances become glaringly obvious. So much so that readers are thinking,
“How did I not notice that the first time around?” A lot of writers are afraid to leave breadcrumbs,
because they're worried that readers will predict their plot twist. But zero foreshadowing does you
no favors. Number Two (2): Wing it. Sometimes writers like to make up their plot twist as
they go. And as readers, we can tell, because it doesn't make any fucking sense. A lot of writers
recommend figuring out the plot twist as you write it, you don't know the answer until the
reader knows. But the thing about plot twist is, as we've already covered, there's usually some
semblance of foreshadowing involved. Which means you have to plan. All those breadcrumbs need to
add up! The missing pieces need to come together in a perfect puzzle. This doesn't happen if you
make shit up as you go. Usually when this kind of twist is written, it reads as shoehorned in.
As if the author themselves doesn't understand it. Even pantsers I know have an end goal in mind when
they're writing their plot twists. That way they can prepare for it as they write the story. If
you're just as clueless as the reader, trust me, it shows. On a related note, Number Three (3): The
more complicated, the better. The bad guy isn't the ex boyfriend. It's actually the ex boyfriend’s
dad's cousin’s dentist’s lawyer, who has partnered with the grandma’s cat's neighbor. Make sense,
right? Typically overly complicated plot twists appeal to writers for one of two reasons. One,
the more complicated the plot twist, the harder it is to predict. The problem is you're sacrificing
clarity for unpredictability. Sure your readers didn't see it coming, but they don't understand
it now that it's here. And two, complicated plot twists are often a result of the previous point,
winging it. The author didn't have a plan going in, so the only way they could make
the plot twist work and line up all the pieces was to make it crazy complicated. Unfortunately,
now readers are spending so much time trying to understand your plot twist they don't have any
time to get emotionally invested, which sort of defeats the purpose. It's hard to get invested
in a plot twist when you have no idea what the fuck is going on. Number Four (4): Shock
value or bust. Plot twists are designed to be unexpected, which means their sole purpose is
to provide shock value, right? Wrong! Yes, a good plot twist can be shocking, but it should not be
shocking solely for the sake of it. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times,
every plot point needs to move the story forward. That goes for the plot twist too. You can't write
a plot twist solely to surprise readers. That's not exciting, it's cheap. And it's obvious when
this is the case, because the twist doesn't provide any value to the story. It didn't change
the trajectory of the plot. It didn't affect the character arcs. You just dropped a bomb on your
readers for no reason. That's not shocking, it's just stupid. You're wasting your reader's time
and insulting their intelligence. Number Five (5): Break the rules. Sometimes writers claim
that the best way to write a plot twist is to break the rules. This could be subverting tropes,
or flipping cliches on their head. I am all for this practice, provided you're not breaking your
reader’s trust. There are some expectations you need to adhere to in order to qualify for
a particular genre. If you break those rules, you are now breaking your promise to the reader. For
example, if you are writing a romance and the plot twist is the death of the love interest, you're
gonna piss your readers right off. Why? Because romance novels are required to have a happily
ever after. You are breaking your genre promise to your readers, and that's not exciting, it's just
aggravating. Similarly, if you're marketing your book as a tragedy, and the plot twist is “It was
all just a nightmare. Everything's gonna be okay.” That's not a twist, it's a slap in the face.
When you categorize and blurb your book, you're setting expectations and your reader is picking up
that book with those expectations in mind. Your plot twist shouldn't be traded the promise you've
made to your reader. If it does, you've fucked up. Number Six (6): Give the reader no opportunity.
This is another tactic writers utilize in order to prevent their plot twist from being predictable.
Can't predict the plot twist if the answer is something that readers have never heard of. Say
you're writing a whodunit story, and readers think the bad guy is the grandma. Plot twist, the bad
guy’s actually the Great Uncle. What great uncle? Oh, just some guy who was never once mentioned
in the book. In fact, readers didn't even know the characters had a great uncle to begin with.
Sure, readers will never guess the plot twist, but that doesn't make it exciting, it makes it cheap.
You took the easy way out for the sake of unpredictability and readers know this. Part
of the intrigue of a twist is trying to figure it out ahead of time, and you've ruined this for
your readers. Plus, it's impossible for them to be emotionally invested in this twist, because they
don't even know who the character is. Why the fuck should they care about a great uncle when
this is the first time he's been mentioned? This is honestly one of the worst plot tip methods to
employ. So avoid it if you can. Number Seven (7): Milk it for all it's worth. Some series are very
long and thick. That's what she said. They include multiple books. The story goes on for a zillion
episodes, and the writer rakes in tons of cash. But sometimes the story becomes stale. There's
not a whole lot left to add. In cases like this, it's common for writers to throw in a plot twist
for the sole purpose of extending the series and maintaining their cash flow. Common plot twists in
these situations are adding a secret baby, a long lost relative, or adultery. While these twists may
provide more content for the story, it's often at the expense of ruining the series. Yes, you made
more money, but at what cost? The loyalty of your fandom? If you've gotten your readers invested in
a romance only to add adultery to the mix, they're gonna be pissed. Additionally, things like long
lost sisters and secret babies don't feel natural. They feel forced and contrived. Sure a publisher
might be forcing you to extend a series, so you may be contractually obligated. But plot twists
for the sake of forced longevity should be avoided if possible. Number Eight (8): The evil plan
monologue. Plot twists in relationship to villains often come with an evil plan monologue. The reader
just learned who the real baddie is and now they need to have their questions answered. Often
this can't be avoided. There are explanations your reader requires in order to understand
the twist. But you can provide these explanations without forced unnatural exposition. The evil plan
monologue is where the villain breaks down his plan bit by bit to the unwilling main character.
It's usually unprompted, and it's very clearly for the reader’s benefit. Again, I am not saying you
shouldn't provide this exposition, but you can do it in a much more natural way. For example,
the main character can hear them discuss it with a constituent. Or the main character could demand an
explanation. But having the bad guy launch into a monologue no one asked for isn't believable,
and it'll really cheese up the twist. Number Nine (9): Predictability is the greatest sin. Obviously
in most situations, you probably don't want readers to be able to predict your plot twist.
That said, predictability is not the greatest sin in crafting a plot twist. The greatest plot twist
sin is actually a lack of enjoyment and value. If your plot twist is a hindrance to your novel as
opposed to a benefit, that is a big problem. This includes pretty much all the twists on this list.
Twists that are nonsensical, overly complicated. Twists that include characters or events that
weren't even mentioned in the story. Twists that feel contrived and cheap. Additionally, for some
select genres, twists are usually predictable, bottom line. If you're a romance writer, readers
are gonna know that the characters will end up happily ever after, that is a genre requirement.
So any twist that gets the two lovebirds together is going to be at least partially predictable,
because that's the entire point of the storyline. All that to say, most of the time you should aim
for a plot twist that people cannot predict. But this is not the be all end all of a twist.
The most important thing that's entertaining and beneficial to your story. And Number Ten (10):
You don't have to write a plot twist. A lot of writers say every story has to have a plot twist,
and that's a big fat lie. Are they fun and encouraged? Absolutely! But if it doesn't fit
your story, don't bend over backwards trying to make it work. A plot twist is like a fart:
if you gotta force it, it's probably shit. Plus, some genres are better suited for
plot twists than others. For example, if you're writing a mystery or a thriller,
plot twists are almost required for these stories. So in that case, pay close attention to them. Then
there are other genres, like romance, where plot twists aren't particularly necessary. All that to
say, if you're writing a genre that thrives with twists, then yeah, maybe throw one in. But in all
other situations, if the plot twist doesn't add value to your story, it doesn't need to be there.
Don't rack your brain trying to make it work when it doesn't need to work. So that's all I got for
you today. Don't forget the Shut Up and Write The Book cover reveal is right around the corner. It's
happening on THIS day, here on my channel, and you can be a part of it! Sign up using the link below.
Not only can you help me reveal the cover, but one lucky participant is going to be walking
away with a massive price pack. All the details are in the signup form. Don't forget to subscribe
to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you wanna be alerted as SOON as I upload,
ring that bell. The Savior's Champion and The Savior’s Sister are available in ebook, paperback,
hardback and audiobooks. So if you like yourself some dark fantasy romance, definitely check these
books out. They're linked below. And be sure to follow me on social media. I'm on Instagram,
Tumblr, Facebook and BookBub. And of course you can tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!
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