Need ideas for a twist? Join me LIVE on Twitch from Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM EST! 📚✍️ I’ll be working on my second book, and together we’ll tackle tasks using the Pomodoro Method for focused work sessions. Bring your to-do list, and let’s boost our productivity side-by-side! 🚀

Plot twists are a key ingredient in any fictional writing, especially in genres like mysteries, thrillers, and even romance (gotta keep the reader wondering about Mr. Hot-Guy, right?) Plot twists serve as a device to keep the readers engaged and invested in your book. You want them to keep turning that page and if possible, binge read your book and have them crave for more.

Plot twists are the hooks of your book—they’re the claws (or fangs if you’re into the vampire stuff), that sink their teeth into the reader, never letting go until the book is done. So, how do you write a compelling plot twist? How does a new writer craft a plot twist without giving too much away at the beginning?

In this blog, I’ll discuss 3 ways to develop plot twists and keep your readers glued to the pages.

1. Set (unexpected) Expectations!

2. Build the Emotions.

3. Keep them Guessing!

1. Create the Expectations!

Lead readers down a path they think they know what’s going to happen, only to flip the script in a way that makes logical sense but also surprises them. One of the biggest challenges in writing plot twists are the subtle hints along the way. Not too subtle that readers will miss but also not too big that they’ll catch on and predict what’s coming. The art lies within the wording.

For example, in a mystery novel perhaps your protagonist investigates a villain’s office. Everything seems aligned, orderly and very well organized except for the family portrait hanging crookedly on the wall. The protagonist thinks nothing of it; maybe it’s hanging loosely because he was cleaning and knocked it slightly. Later, it’s revealed there was a safe behind the portrait, containing the murder weapon!

In the above example, we set the scene where the villain is meticulous about his surroundings—they’re clean, organized and neat. But the family portrait is out of place. Why? There’s the clue. It’s not too big but also not too small. Essentially, when the reveal happens later, you’d want readers to flip back to the page where the first hint was shown, making them realize it was a clue all along.

One thing I intentionally didn’t put in the example above, are the emotions your protagonists (and other characters) portray when they interact with their environment and/or with each other. Which brings us to the second point.

2. Build the Emotions!

Emotions—the bread and butter of books. Without the show of feelings from characters, stories become bland and boring. Readers want to connect with the characters; they want to know what the protagonists are feeling and how they would deal with their emotions. It’s not suffice to say “John was sad.” Okay, why? How? What sensation are they feeling? Physical sensations are key so a refined version would be like this:

“John felt a sudden pit fall into his stomach, his eyes appearing red and wet. He stared at his empty hands and couldn’t hold back any longer.”

As a reader, did you feel sadness? The stomach feeling uneasy, the eyes red and wet, even the attempt at holding back the tears? You got the idea and that felt visceral.

In terms of plot twists, make sure when the reveal happens, it shakes up the character(s). The twist has to impact the protagonists in meaningful ways, revealing hidden sides of them or deepening their struggles. This keeps the readers (emotionally) invested. Readers will want to know how the protagonists would overcome their feelings and the situation.

One thing to note: Plot twists don’t just change the storyline—it also changes the character(s) in some way, for good or for worse.

3. Keep the readers Guessing!

With the subtle hints you drop throughout your story, you can sprinkle in a few misleading details or false leads. Write the hints as if they seem important but don’t pay off the way readers expect them to.

Let’s use the example of the villain’s office and the murder weapon. Clearly, the hint was the crooked family portrait and the safe containing the weapon behind it. The protagonist goes on a crusade, pinning the weapon onto the ‘villain’. Later it’s revealed the antagonist actually took the weapon and hid it to protect a sibling (hence the foreshadowed tilted portrait). The true villain of the story was a member of their family. Whoa—plot twist!

All along the reader, via the main character, sees the villain as evil but in truth, the actions they took and the way they carried themselves was all a ruse to protect their sibling. This type of misleading keeps the reader guessing and builds the tension, making the actual twist hit harder when it comes.

And that’s it! Hope this blog helped give you clarity in writing plot twists. Remember, keep the reading guessing—lead them down a path where readers think they know what’s coming then flip the script! Keep the twists simple but with enough depth that it hits the reader hard with emotion. Good luck writers!

💥Embark on an epic quest with "The Last Guardians of Atlantis," an epic young-adult novel that will transport you to the heart of a mythical adventure! 🚀 Grab your copy and get ready for an emotional-thrill ride! 🎢