A good plot twist is one that makes the reader rethink what they thought they knew and will leave them talking about it long after the story ends. Poetic Justice is a great example of this.
Another example is when a well-loved character gets killed off. This can be hard on fans and can detract from the story.
1. Beorn Arrives
Gandalf and Bilbo come across the man Beorn in his cottage. He is a man who fought in the Battle of the Five Armies. He carried Thorin away and slew Bolg to avenge his fallen friend.
In his conversation with the two, he explains that his people — the Beornings — guarded the Ford of Carrock and the High Pass to Mirkwood. They kept the Goblins and Wargs out. He grew feisty when Gandalf tells him that a goblin army is planning to fan out into the valley.
Beorn is a skin-changer, able to assume the form of a giant bear. He explains that the Orcs of Azog killed and enslaved a great many shape-shifters, but he survived. He now lives by the Anduin River between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. He has a long house with oak trees that surround it. He has cattle, pigs, dogs, sheep, horses, and ponies. He is a great hunter and makes good honey cakes.
2. Killing Off a Character
With death being one of the two certainties of life, it’s no surprise that writers sometimes use the concept to shock their audience. However, a sudden character death must have a purpose other than to simply shock readers. It can propel the plot, establish villainy, or be the result of a previous action. Otherwise, it could be considered pointless slaughter.
A well-executed twist can make readers fear that nobody is safe. It can also ratchet up the tension, leaving them on edge until they reach the end. Just don’t overdo it. Too many twists will seem contrived and take away from the impact of the reveal.
Killing off a character that’s been around for a long time can be a good twist if it feels natural to the world and story you’ve created. However, killing off a beloved character for no reason other than to shock readers is a surefire way to lose their respect.
4. The True Protagonist Takes Over
A defining feature of protagonists is that they are responsible for moving the story’s plot from point A to point Z. However, it’s not always possible for them to control all of the events that occur within their story.
Sometimes, a character who appears to be the protagonist will suddenly be removed from the story. https://www.tellyexpress.com can be a powerful plot twist known as poetic justice or peripeteia, a sudden reversal of fortune.
It’s also common for the antagonist to be a force of nature rather than a human. The mountain in Everest, the shark in Jaws, and the rogue attorney in Michael Corleone’s car are all examples of inanimate forces that create resistance for the protagonist.
A great antagonist will inspire as much — if not more — devotion than the hero. The best villains are layered characters who have made choices and taken actions that have changed them. They might be selfish or mean, but they have a purpose that drives them to act.
5. Poetic Justice
Poetic justice is the concept that evil characters will be punished and good ones rewarded in a manner that seems peculiar or especially appropriate. It is a popular literary device because readers naturally identify with the good characters and want to see them triumph over the bad ones. The satisfaction and contentment they feel when the good characters triumph over the evil ones also provides a sense of resolution at the end of the story.
For example, in the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett, an African American house maid is unjustly fired and goes after her employer to get revenge. When she bakes a chocolate cake and her employer eats it, that is poetic justice because it reversals a racial power dynamic.
The play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is another great example of poetic justice. The king of Thebes, Oedipus, seeks out the murderer of his father and ultimately gouges out his own eyes as a punishment for his crimes.
7. Turning a Wish into a Weakness
There’s nothing like a twist that leaves you gasping. But sometimes, a plot twist can go too far and be more of a detriment than a benefit. For example, King Midas’s wish of turning everything he touched into gold turned out to be more of a curse than a gift.
In books and movies, characters need to have weaknesses and depth for readers to engage with them. Having an unbeatable villain can be frustrating for fans and can ruin the story.
8. The Killer Is the Main Character
When the audience thinks they have a clear villain, only to find out that the character who has been chasing them is actually the antagonist, it’s a jaw-dropping twist. This can be accomplished in a few different ways. One way is to have a secretive killer or monster who doesn’t want to be caught and shifts the blame. Another way is to have an amnesiac killer who blacked out their past.
The television show Dexter shows how an ordinary-looking serial killer can be a fascinating character when they’re willing to reveal their dark side. Although Dexter has bloodlust and a desire to maim, he also tries to empathize with others and experiences human emotions.
Another way to surprise the audience is to kill off a character they’ve been rooting for. This is a risky move, but it can make the ending more powerful if done well. It can also refocus the audience on the real protagonist.
9. The Author Left the Bait Out in the Open
Sometimes a plot twist is so obvious that the reader can’t help but be blown away by it. This type of twist isn’t always good, especially if it comes out of nowhere with no foreshadowing, but it can be entertaining. One example of this is when a character dies but then pops back up again. This happens a lot in science fiction and horror genres, but it also can occur in more mainstream shows such as Game of Thrones or Jane The Virgin. This is often a cheap trick to bring the audience’s attention back to the main storyline. It’s a similar concept to the “It was all a dream” twist.
For instance, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz wakes up to find that her whole adventure was a whirlwind fantasy.