What Is A Plot Twist? Definition & Examples Of This Important Technique

Plot twists are one of the most exciting parts of storytelling. They can come out of nowhere or be set up for the entire length of the story.

The anticipation for the twist builds up until it’s finally revealed and shocks everyone into a state of jaw-dropping awe.

For some, plot twists are their favorite part of storytelling because they provide such a great shock to the reader and/or viewer.

However, not every single plot twist is great at doing this and some have actually failed miserably by being so predictable that the audience saw it coming from miles away.

In order to become a great screenwriter, you must understand what makes certain plot twists successful while others fall flat on their face.

To do this, you should know what a plot twist is in the first place.

What Is A Plot Twist?

A plot twist is a surprise in your story that changes everything. It makes the reader reassess what they’ve been reading so far, and it changes the meaning of everything you’ve already written.

For example: In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy goes to see the Wizard because she wants to get home.

She gets to the Wizard’s castle, he says he’ll give her what she wants if she kills the Wicked Witch of the West (which she thinks will be easy), and then leaves.

After a lot of adventures where Dorothy thinks that killing an evil witch will solve everything (but really it won’t), she finds out that there’s no actual Wizard at all — he was just a projection made by someone else (the Good Witch of the North).

This completely changes everything we thought we knew about the story up until this point.

The big difference between a plot twist and something like foreshadowing or red herrings or other literary devices is that most of the time an audience really doesn’t see it coming.

You don’t need to be an expert in literature to understand what a plot twist is. If you’ve seen many movies or read many books, you’ve probably seen or heard of at least one plot twist.

In fact, there are thousands of books and films with plot twists.

The twist can be anything from something minor, like the main character having a different personality than they had led on, to something major, like the main character being someone else entirely—or even dead!

Some examples of popular films with big plot twists include:

• Fight Club,
• Psycho, and
• The Sixth Sense.

Examples of novels with big plot twists include:

• The Catcher in the Rye,
• The Great Gatsby, and
• The Lovely Bones.

A good plot twist should catch an audience off guard but still make sense in retrospect.

Importance Of Plot Twists

When you’re writing your novel, you need to consider what kind of writing style you want to use. There are several different styles that you can choose from, and one of the most popular ones is the plot twist.

Plot twists are used in a variety of different works, and they offer a lot more than just being entertaining. They also have the ability to keep your audience interested and make them want to read more.

Book critics describe plot twists as unexpected events contained within the storyline of a book that completely change how that storyline unfolds. The biggest benefit of these plot twists is that they prevent readers from being able to predict what’s going to happen next in the novel.

The writer has complete control over what’s going on, so it’s easy for them to surprise their audience with new information that they never saw coming. Some people might confuse this with the idea of cliff hangers, which are used in television shows.

Cliff hangers are commonly seen at the end of an episode where there will be a big event happening at the very last minute, leaving viewers wanting more. This is not the same thing as a plot twist because it doesn’t influence how the story unfolds throughout the rest of the season or book series.

Examples Of Plot Twist In Films

Plot Twists in films can be really effective, and are some of the most memorable scenes. They can also be really sad, tragic or funny.

If a plot twist is very surprising, it can even change the whole mood of a film. How does a plot twist work?

A plot twist is a sudden change in the direction of the plot in a film.

It often happens near the end of a movie. A good plot twist will change your perception of the entire story, and make you see things from a different point of view.

Here are some examples: In The Sixth Sense , when you learn that what has been happening throughout the movie is just a figment of Malcolm’s imagination (it actually happened before he was born).In Memento , when you find out that Teddy killed his wife and has no short-term memory loss at all (until the very end).

The Prestige , where it turns out that Angier’s wife was not killed by Borden, but became comatose after an attempt on her life orchestrated by Angier to gain Borden as an enemy (it is revealed at the end that Borden himself was responsible for his own wife’s death).

Examples Of Plot Twist In Books

Plot twist is a literary technique which is used to keep the readers engaged and also to make them think about what will happen next. It can be devastating for the readers, as it is a sudden change in the storyline.

The Crow Road by Iain Banks:One of the most famous examples of plot twist can be found in this book. The story begins with a man who dies in his sleep and his relatives gather around to mourn him.

As the story progresses, we learn that he was murdered and the murderer is someone from his family.The Sixth Sense (novel) by Audrey Schulman:This novel has been adapted into a movie with Bruce Willis. However, the movie was not as good as the book because it did not contain all the elements that were present in the book.

This novel has one of the best examples of plot twists where you never know who is dead and who is alive until you finish reading it.The Prestige by Christopher Priest:In this novel, two magicians are rivals with each other and they try to sabotage each other’s shows.

Examples Of Plot Twist In Pop Culture

Plot twist is a literary technique that has been around for ages. Plot twists are used to shock the audience and present them with something they don’t expect.

   

Plot twists are popular in movies, novels, and short stories. Here are some examples of plot twist in pop culture:The Sixth SenseThe movie “The Sixth Sense” is famous for its plot twist at the end of the story, when the main character was dead all along.

The movie won two Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Writing (Original screenplay).

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes BackThis movie also uses a plot twist at the end. Luke Skywalker’s father turns out to be Darth Vader.

This was considered a surprise for most of the viewers since Darth Vader was considered as a villain throughout the entire film.PsychoThis movie was initially considered as one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best work.

It is about a mother who finds out that her son has killed someone, but it turns out that she has killed him instead. Fight ClubIn this movie, Tyler Durden is revealed to be a figment of main character’s imagination.

What Is A Plot Twist That Was Right In Front Of Us?

So what is a plot twist that was right in front of us? That’s the thing about twists, they are supposed to be unexpected.

That’s what makes them so effective.

If we knew something was coming and it was not that shocking, then it would not have been a twist at all.How do we find these plot twists that were right in front of us?

They are everywhere around us.

All you have to do is look for them. Look at the TV shows you like and see if you can pick out the plot twists from each show that were there from the beginning.

The ones that seem to come out of nowhere are the ones that will make your brain hurt when you try to come up with a story for your own book. Just remember to make sure no one sees you doing this or they might think you are crazy!

Here are some examples of plot twists that were right in front of us:The Simpsons – In this TV show Marge Simpson’s sister Patty and Selma Bouvier are twin sisters who are both married to her brother, who just happens to be Mayor Quimby.

It’s obvious, but it takes the characters until season 9 to figure it out!X-Men – Remember how Professor X and Magneto.

What Is A Plot Twist That Takes Place In The Middle?

A plot twist is a change in the storyline that leaves the reader surprised. These twists often occur at the end of a story, but a twist can also happen in the middle of a story as well.

When writing your novel, you might want to consider adding a plot twist in the middle, or perhaps at the beginning. While this is not something that everyone will enjoy, it can raise the level of interest that your readers have in reading your book.

There are several ways to add a plot twist to your book. One way is to have an event occur that makes it appear as though everything is going to work out one way, but then you can have another event occur and make it appear as if everything is going to work out another way.

This can help keep your readers on their toes, wondering what might happen next and how things will turn out in the end. Another way that you can add a plot twist into your story is by creating some kind of character conflict within one of your main characters.

By doing this, you force them to make decisions about what they will do now, giving them more depth.

What Is A Plot Twist That’s Replaced By A Second Plot Twist?

A plot twist is a sudden, unexpected event that makes the audience (or reader) question everything they thought they knew about the story. It’s basically a “Fooled you!” moment in your narrative.

A good plot twist is essential to creating a satisfying (and surprising) ending to your story. It can often be used to reveal hidden information about characters or relationships, or it can serve as a dramatic reversal of fortunes for the protagonist.

But what happens when one plot twist is replaced by another? Is it possible for an author to have too many twists?

Let’s work through an example from The Prestige, Christopher Nolan’s film about two magicians battling over one woman and the secrets they share:In the film, Hugh Jackman plays Robert Angier, who performs magic with his stage partner Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). They perform illusions together under the name The Transported Man.

Each night, as part of their act, Angier enters Borden’s cell at the magician’s headquarters. They stand side-by-side as Angier presses a hidden switch on his belt buckle and disappears into thin air.

He reappears behind Borden just as quickly after dropping down from above. The audience is convinced that they’ve witnessed teleportation.

Introduce The Plot Twist In Your Story Whenever You’d Like

During the final stages of writing my forthcoming novel, I found myself stuck. I had a story in mind, but I couldn’t figure out how to finish it.

So I asked for advice from an experienced novelist and she revealed an interesting truth about storytelling:Introduce the plot twist whenever you’d like.When we think of twists, we imagine some sort of surprise ending.

But the reality is that there are many kinds of plot twists – including the mid-story twist. Also called a reversal or reveal, this type of plot twist does not have to be a surprise at all.

In fact, writers can often use this type of twist to keep their audience guessing until the very end.

What is a mid-story twist?A mid-story twist is any unexpected event that changes the direction of the story.

This can be positive or negative, depending on whether it helps the protagonist or hinders him/her. It can also be surprising or shocking (a “whoa!” moment). The most important thing to remember is that it doesn’t have to be a surprise.

Why should you introduce your plot twists early?It might seem counterintuitive at first to bring your story to a screeching halt.

Use Your Plot Twist To Push The Characters Towards Action

In the first part of this series, we discussed how to write a gripping opening scene. This time, we’ll look at how you can use your plot twist to push your characters into action.

This is the simplest way to make sure that your readers remain engaged throughout your story.Plot twists are, by their very nature, surprising.

They change the course of events so that what happens next is unpredictable.But all good plot twists follow a similar pattern.

They reveal something new about the person or situation which forces the protagonist to react in a particular way. That reaction then leads to more complications and even further plot twists down the line, keeping the reader’s interest until the very end.

Here’s how you can create a plot twist that drives your story forwards:Create anticipation in your reader by setting them up for one thing and then delivering another. In our previous article, we talked about making sure that your reader knows what they’re waiting for before they get it.

We’ll discuss this topic in more detail below but as an example, let’s assume that you’ve written a murder mystery and have already set up a few red herrings to throw people off the scent of who-dunnit (so to speak).

Use The Plot Twist To Reveal Character

Every good story needs a good plot twist. The best stories have several, not just one.

A good story will move you emotionally, it will make you feel like you are right there in the story, watching it unfold before your very eyes.How do you make this happen?

You can write some great scenes, and you can develop your characters well enough that they are living and breathing people.

But to give your work the emotional impact that it deserves, you need to know how to use the plot twist to reveal character.Plot twists come in many sizes and shapes.

Some are small and subtle, while others are big and bold. You might just drop a hint about something from earlier in the story, or you might decide to have your character tell a lie so big that it changes everything we thought we knew about them.

Regardless of what form your twists take, there are two things that every plot twist must do: Reveal Character and Advance the Story.Revealing Character is obvious.

Your plot twists should be centered on what happens with your characters as opposed to what happens with your plot. The biggest problem I see with work by new writers is that their twists come at the expense of their characters’ actions.

Use Plot Twists To Change The Character’s Fortune

One of the most important things to remember when writing a novel is that the story should always be interesting. This can be hard to achieve, especially if you’re trying to write a serious novel.

However, there are some steps you can take to make sure your novel is always interesting, no matter what level of seriousness it has.This article will discuss how to make your readers interested in your book.

This can be useful for any type of novel, even those that have a serious tone. By using plot twists, you can make your novels more interesting and fun for your readers.

Plot twists are points in a storyline where something turns around for the protagonist. A plot twist can change the entire fortunes of a character and turn the entire outcome of a story around in an instant.

While it might seem like this will make the story too predictable, it actually provides a sense of security to your readers. They know that no matter what happens, your protagonist will be safe and sound in the end.

This allows them to really enjoy themselves as they read about your characters’ troubles and triumphs without worrying about them too much.