HOW TO ADD A GREAT PLOT TWIST TO YOUR SHORT STORY OR NOVEL

A question came up today: What's the secret for writing a good plot twist?

As you already know, there's nothing like reading a short story or a novel that has a terrific plot twist. Readers loves to be caught off guard. It adds fun and excitement to the end of the story. The author looks good, too. The reader greatly appreciates his or her talents.

So, what's the secret for coming up with a twist that will make the reader buy every book you've ever written?

Simple: You can't wait for inspiration to hit you as you're writing the story. You need to have the plot fully worked out before putting pen to paper, or fingers on the keyboard. You have to know what the twist will be before you write it. Then, like a great magician, you keep throwing the reader off guard with red herrings as you write your story. Mislead your reader. Take him or her down paths that end abruptly. Let them get lost in the maze of deceit. Finally, when the reader thinks he might know everything that's about to happen, slip in the twist. BOOM! The reader is thrown for a loop. He's dazzled. He's amazed! The accolades start poring in, and yes, you will be known as "the genius."


Need help with your writing? I offer a number of packages to help you pen that best-seller you've always dreamed of writing. Log onto www.gerardbianco.com and get in touch. I'll see you on the other side.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3 REASONS TO USE SLANT RHYME IN YOUR POETRY

Image
S lant rhyme or half rhyme, sometimes called near rhyme or imperfect rhyme are words that come close to rhyming, but they really don’t rhyme. (Said / regret, or find / friend.)             Emily Dickinson is best known for her use of slant rhyme. They are a common characteristic of her poetry as is her unconventional punctuation.              I will admit, my original thoughts about slant rhyme were confining. I was under the impression that Dickinson (and others) used slant rhyming merely to increase the possibilities of word choice. This, in turn, would allow the poet greater flexibility and increase his/her ability to convey meaning.             In searching the internet for thoughts on the advantages of slant rhyme usage I came across a site, www.Chegg.com. In their definition of slant rhyme the author states, “Many poets use slant rhyme to introduce an element of the unexpected and prompt their readers to pay closer attention to words themselves rather than the sounds of th
Read more

JANE ISAAC: THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

Image
Today, I'm excited to introduce fellow mystery writer and guest blogger Jane Isaac. Jane is the author of the psychological thriller, An Unfamiliar Murder . Jane lives in rural Northamptonshire , UK . She studied creative writing, and later specialist fiction with the London School of Journalism. Jane is not only a mystery writer, she is also an avid reader, a mum, a dog lover and a traveler. Recently, she has had two short stories accepted for crime anthologies, so please listen up – she knows what she’s talking about. Here is her fact-filled essay: The Devil is in the Detail No matter what genre you write, every book carries some element of research and, for crime fiction, the weight is a heavy one. There’s not only police procedure, plotlines, areas and events to study, but also people. What’s the secret formula behind the great characters in fiction? Research. Investment into creating and layering our characters gives them the depth to become ‘real’.
Read more

DO YOU KNOW THE “BIG FOUR” FEMALE DETECTIVE WRITERS FROM THE “GOLDEN AGE”?

Image
If you’re a writer of detective fiction or someone who loves a good detective mystery, then you’ll want to learn all you can about the “Big Four” female detective writers from the 20s and 30s. Their combined work has sold in the billions. Okay, let’s take the leader out of the picture since her work has sold over 4 billion copies . That still leaves millions of books sold, which means there are millions of fans, which means millions of buyers. That ain’t chump change.    1)       Number one on the list is Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976). Creator of two of the best-loved detectives, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. She wrote the best-selling mystery of all time and one of the best-selling books of all time, And Then There Were None , selling over 100 million copies.    2)       Dorothy L. Sayers (1893 – 1957). Creator of one of the great detectives of the “Golden Age,” Lord Peter Wimsey—sophisticated, witty and with a high social standing. Sayers was also a translator,
Read more