For a new writer, plot twists can be one of the most brain-exhausting things to write. Don’t worry, that’s why you’re reading this!
PLANNING THE PLOT TWIST
The type of plot twists varies widely. You can choose from anything, from a betrayal, a supposedly bad character actually being good, or even a death. Or maybe someone we thought was dead is actually alive! Let your imagination run wild.
Tip #1: Never throw a plot twist in as an afterthought to spice up your story, UNLESS it’s a sudden death. (If you do decide to suddenly kill off a character, you’d better make sure you know how to continue the story without them.) What I mean is, if one character has been a good guy throughout the whole story without a single hint of switching sides… it would be pretty unrealistic if he suddenly decided to join the antagonist.
Tip #2: Like I mentioned before, a death kind of has its own rules as a plot twist. Death is almost never expected, so you won’t often have to hint toward it until the death has — BAM — already happened. For more on death scenes, see Writing a Character Death.
Tip #3: Foreshadowing is a huge part of writing a plot twist. The reader, once they have read the plot twist, should be able to look back and realize that there have been subtle clues and moments leading up to this point, but only now are they able to see it. This ties in with the thing about not throwing in a random plot twist. If the reader can’t find a single hint toward the plot twist, it won’t only leave them shocked; it will leave them utterly confused with unanswered questions. You want them to wonder how on earth they didn’t see that coming.
I read somewhere that one of the best ways to do this is to ask yourself, what does the reader expect at this point? What does the reader hope for? Then twist in a new direction that will entice and delight them even more.
Be careful not to be obvious, though! The best kind of plot twists are when the reader thinks they know what will happen… but then the complete opposite occurs. Keep your readers on their toes, and eliminate the obvious.
This doesn’t apply as much to minor characters. Imagine this: The protagonist is face to face with their enemy, but only now can they see that their enemy has been their “friend” all along. The enemy is joined by the rest of his bad guy crew — and one of them turns out to be the newspaper reporter that the protagonist has come across once or twice, but never really talked to.
For a minor character like the newspaper reporter, it’s okay for the reveal to be sudden and completely unexpected. However, the best way to do this would be to create subtle links that connect the main enemy — the protagonist’s friend-turned-evil — to the said newspaper reporter.
OVERALL
The thing about a good plot twist is: you don’t want the reader to feel tricked or insulted when they’ve read the twist. You want them to become even more invested. Avoid clichés.
If you have anything to add or have any questions to ask, leave a comment and I will get back to you personally!
Beginners Guide to Writing 