How to write a plot twist in your story

Few storytelling elements are more shocking and satisfying than an unexpected ending to a story. Many of the most beloved books come with these plot twists: a time-honored tradition in storytelling, it’s also a staple of certain genres such as mysteries and thrillers. Learn about the ways that you can deftly write a plot twist , and how you can avoid the issues that can take away the impact of your twist.

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How to write a good plot twist

A plot twist is a narrative device where an unexpected turn of events subverts or challenges a reader’s expectations. Commonly found as a genre trope in mystery stories and thrillers, they have the power to add suspense, shock, and intrigue: perhaps you’re not expecting one character to have done the crime, for example. Or, what the narrator has told you so by the story’s finale was actually entirely false.

Adding a plot twist to your story can create a compelling sense of mystery. However, it’s easy to write a plot twist that isn’t effective, such as inserting one where it’s not beneficial to the story. The key elements of a plot twist that will captivate your reader include:

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Eliminate the obvious

Create a handful of plot twists based on information solely from the beginning of the story. If these seem too obvious, make a note of them so that you can avoid them as you write. Avoid using gimmicky or overused elements such as “it was all a dream.”

Use subtle misdirection

A “red herring” is a common phrase to note a misleading clue inserted early on in a story: this can be an effective way to create clues that can throw off your reader in the name of suspense. Plots that end in dead ends, and seemingly innocent dialogue, can help shift the reader’s perspective into believing one thing about the story—when at the end the exact opposite is revealed to be true.

Use foreshadowing

Whether it’s an ominous storm cloud on the horizon, a weapon that shows up in the beginning (such as “Chekov’s Gun”), or a threat made by a character, foreshadowing can give the reader a glimpse of what’s to come without revealing anything.

Trust your characters to create twists

When you write, you can occasionally feel the energy possessed by your characters. If you embrace the benefits of freewriting (a creative exercise where you write the first thing that comes to your mind) you might be able to find ways to inhabit the mindset of your characters, which helps you understand how they interact with each other. This might draw you to explore new angles, discover new motivations, and create a different plot twist of your own.

“Red herrings, dead ends, and seemingly innocent dialogue can help shift the reader’s perspective into believing one thing about the story, when at the end the exact opposite is revealed to be true.”

Examples of plot twists

No matter how shocking the plot twist might seem, it can still be placed in one of the following categories:

Anagnorisis: A Greek word that means “knowing again,” this literary device happens when the protagonist realizes a truth about themselves or their current situation.
Peripeteia: this Greek term means “falling round” and refers to a change in the plot that takes a negative turn, deeply affecting the protagonists established at the first part of the story.
Deus Ex Machina: Latin for “God from the machine,” this can be considered the opposite of peripeteia. Here, an unexpected event or entity saves the character from certain doom.
Red herring: commonly seen in mystery stories, this is a false clue that is meant to mislead both the characters and the reader.
Unreliable narrator: this is a first-person narrative situation where the protagonist distorts what is happening or what they see to the reader.

Popular plot twist ideas

Many plot twists that can be boiled down to the following examples:

False identity: a character is revealed to be someone else, or is living a lie
Sudden death: a major character who seems to be the core of the story suddenly dies
Secret life: someone is hiding an alternate life, second family, or is a master of disguise
Betrayal: a character who is seen as a positive influence suddenly betrays the protagonist
A double meaning: something seemingly innocuous takes on a dangerous characteristic
Disaster: a shipwreck, natural disaster, or war tests the relationships between the main characters established earlier
Alternate timeline: an event the reader thought happened in the past or future was actually at a different time in the story’s timeline

No matter what plot twist might catch your inspiration, knowing how to time the elements of foreshadowing and misdirection can help when it’s finally ready to reveal the big twist. Check out more writing tips, such as defining the genre of literary fiction.