Ever since getting
Chatterbox: Blab About Books
What makes a good plot twist?
Ever since getting...
Ever since getting back to the CB a bit, I've wanted to get back to talking about books.
And so, without further rant or ado, I wanted to ask what makes a good plot twist? What's just the perfect level of hinting without giving the plot twist away, and what makes a plot twist believable?
Cheers!
submitted by Icy, age 15, The Forest
(January 29, 2020 - 4:38 pm)
(January 29, 2020 - 4:38 pm)
Eeeeep Icy! *Tackle hugs* Hi! Where've you been?
Haha I just wanted to say hi. I have no idea about plot twists XD
(February 1, 2020 - 9:34 am)
Top!
(February 2, 2020 - 12:30 pm)
Hello Icy! Welcome back!
My favorite example of good plot twists is the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. I haven't read his other stuff, so I can't be sure if he does this in other books, too. But the ending of each book in that trilogy is so well done. I never saw it coming, even for a moment, but it all made perfect sense. Here's some stuff he does to make it work:
1. He sows hints and clues - but you have to really be paying attention. Things said in passing and glanced upon. As soon as things start working themselves out, he either highlights them again for you, or writes in such a way that you remember them. But they aren't significant at the time.
2. He makes you expect a different ending. The big hints, the big conclusions the characters are drawing, all lead you towards one thing - but it's not the right thing. In the first book, I thought I knew exactly how everything was going to go. I did not. Even a little bit.
3. You don't think anything is being kept from you. The characters are going through all the same things you are, and you're trying to figure things out with them. As they figure out clues and draw conclusions, you're nodding along. You don't consider that they could be wrong, because everything makes so much sense.
4. He lays everything out at the end. Not explicitly and step-by-step; that's too easy. But, as I said in 1, he brings back his clues, his characters start figuring things out correctly, and you realize it too. He makes everything clear and convincing; by the end of the book, you aren't raising your eyebrows as much as dropping your jaw.
I highly recommend this series if you have the dedication for it! It took me a long time to get through once the school year started, but it's worth it, especially if you want to learn about good twists!
(February 2, 2020 - 2:38 pm)
I do like it when plot twists make me want to read a book all over again, having surprised me and changed my perspective. It seems like some authors think the point is to surprise the reader or subvert expectations for shock value, whether or not the twist is interesting or makes sense... I do agree with Elend; that sounds like a recipe for a very good plot twist.
(February 6, 2020 - 8:00 am)