Before we get into the tips for writing plot twists, I have a spoiler warning.

I'm going to reference several movies and books that have compelling plot twist examples, and I will be spoiling the twists. So, if you haven't seen that movie or read that book yet, I suggest bookmarking this post and coming back to it after you've consumed the stories, so it doesn't ruin your experience or spoil the story's twist for you.

The stories I'll be referencing include The Sixth Sense by M Knight Shyamalan, George Lucas's original Star Warstrilogy (especially The Empire Strikes Back), Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK. Rowling.

Nothing keeps readers on their toes like a well-executed turn of events that takes the story in a new direction.

A great plot twist can take what readers thought they knew about a story and turn it upside down, leaving them scrambling to figure out what's really going on. It's a masterful move that can make or break a story, and when it's done right, it's like a fireworks show in readers' minds. But beware, a bad plot twist can make your readers feel like they've been tricked by a literary novice.

A plot twist is a sudden and unexpected turn in the events of a story, often used to increase the tension or shock the audience. Writers use this literary device to manipulate the reader's expectations and create a memorable and impactful moment in the narrative.

You can create great twists in various ways, such as introducing a new character or piece of information, revealing a hidden motive or identity, or changing the outcome of a previously established situation.

Done properly, a plot twist can provide an exhilarating experience for readers, keeping them engaged and on edge throughout the story. However, a poorly executed plot twist can undermine the credibility of the story and leave the reader feeling cheated, disappointed or confused. And that's the last thing you want!

For that reason, constructing a successful plot twist requires careful planning, a deep understanding of the characters and their motivations, and a commitment to delivering a satisfying and believable conclusion to the story.

Plot twists can happen at the end...or anywhere else in the story. Never let your readers get too comfortable. Just when readers think they are able to guess what's coming next, that's when the real fun begins!

And speaking of fun…the most powerful twists are those that not only surprise the reader, but shock even the writer!

Adding a plot twist to your story can create a game-changing experience for your readers. Many readers say they love trying to guess the twist, and if the one you include is well-thought-out, they won't be able to put your book down.

By incorporating a plot twist, you can capture readers' attention and keep them invested in your story until the very end. Your readers need something to keep them engaged, and a twist is one of the most effective ways to do so. It also allows readers to think they've figured everything out, only to upend their assumptions, which creates a more exciting reading experience.

A twist can also make your story more memorable and unique. If your twists take readers on an unexpected but satisfying journey, they will talk about their experience with your book long after they have finished it.

Plot twists are even a requirement for certain genres, like mysteries and thrillers. Clever foreshadowing for a twist throughout the story will increase suspense and ramp up the tension.

Many writing experts and teachers of the craft say that every story must end in a way that's surprising yet inevitable. This advice, often attributed to Aristotle, is easiest to fulfill through a plot twists, even if they occur in the middle of your story. (We'll discuss how to make your twist shocking but believable in the next section of this post.)

A plot twist is a great way to power up your storytelling and provide the unexpected to your readers.

A good plot twist doesn't just come out of nowhere. To make the twist believable and keep readers turning the pages, we need to build up to it slowly throughout the story.

Drop subtle clues that lead readers to believe something big is coming, without revealing what the twist might be.

I know, easier said than done, right?

To lay the groundwork for a plot twist, you can use foreshadowing, symbolism, or recurring motifs. Introduce these elements early in story and make sure they gradually build upon each other as the plot progresses.

For example, the story may point to one character as the bad guy, but the twist reveals that the protagonist's best friend is actually the villain. (Peter Parker's friend Harry in the Spiderman comics and movies.)

In this case, you could drop clues throughout the story that show the friend's transformation from good to bad, such as his suspicious behavior or cryptic comments.

These hints should be subtle enough to not give away the twist, but obvious enough that readers will pick up on them during a reread or remember them after they've discovered the twist.

Readers will feel cheated if they guess what will happen too soon, but equally so if the twist doesn't make sense or the story contained no foreshadowing.

In The Sixth Sense, clues are sprinkled throughout the movie, showing the main character's detachment from those around him—and to some degree, to his environment.

On first viewing, this seems to just indicate his loneliness and emotional isolation after the trauma of being shot, and perhaps his guilt over not paying enough attention to his former patient who shot him.

The viewer never suspects that he is actually a ghost, unseen rather than ignored by those around him, and unable to interact with the environment in the way he would expect.

This was such a successful plot twist because, though it was foreshadowed, it was a revelation viewers didn't see coming.

One of the most effective tools we can use to build toward a plot twist is misdirection.

Like a magician during a magic trick, you can distract your readers with one thing, then surprise them with something else.

You can do this by planting false clues that lead to dead ends, inserting red herrings, or using misdirecting dialogue that says one thing and means another, or has a double meaning.

Let's look again at The Sixth Sense. The twist ending is foreshadowed throughout the film, but the audience is misdirected to focus on the relationship between the two main characters and the protagonist's perception of what's happening.

The most important tip to keep in mind when creating a plot twist is to make it matter to the story.

We should not include a plot twist just for the sake of shocking readers.

Instead, the twist should contribute something significant to the overall plot, increase the reader's investment in the story, or change his or her perception of events or characters.

For instance, plot twists may force the character to change his or her strategies, plans, or actions throughout the rest of the story, especially if they occur somewhere in the middle instead of at the end.

Another twist may lead the protagonist to stop reacting and become more proactive. Or it could upend the character's perceptions of herself, relationships with other characters, or worldview.

Twists need to move the story forward and have a profound effect on the plot, someone's character arc, or both, especially if they happen in the middle of the story instead of at the end.

If the kind of plot twist you're writing is a surprise ending, it also may impact how readers see the story when they are able to look back at it.

If we treat the original Star Wars trilogy as three acts of one larger story, the twist at the end of the second film, TheEmpire Strikes Back, changes Luke Skywalker's perception of himself, his enemy, and what he must do from then on.

In the twist, the protagonist, Luke Skywalker, discovers that his enemy, Darth Vader, is really his father, instead of being the person who killed his father. We immediately see Luke begin to question everything he has believed about good and evil and his own destiny.

Then, in the third movie, Luke states that he can't kill his own father. His goal is still the defeat of the Empire, but he now also wants to try to save his father instead of seeking revenge and destroying him.

I also have to mention The Sixth Sense again. Once we know Bruce Willis's character is actually dead, it changes how we view the entire movie.

After he discovers that he's a ghost, we see several little flashbacks of certain events throughout the movie, reminding us of the clues that we missed or that were the subject of misdirection.

The most effective plot twists are tied to the character's motivations.

Every character has a reason for his or her actions. The protagonist, especially, has a motivation for seeking the story goal.

When writing a plot twist, it's important to consider how that event or revelation will affect your main character's motivations and change his actions moving forward.

As we saw in our Star Wars example, a twist that is tied to or affects the character's motivation can lead to a crisis of faith for the protagonist and a change in the way he or she approaches the mission or story goal.

Luke's motivation for defeating the Empire had been based on more than just the desire for the greater good of the galaxy. It was originally tied to his desire to avenge the father he'd never had a chance to know. Now, that motivation is flipped on its head, and he wants to save not only the galaxy from the Emperor's clutches, but Darth Vader as well.

Another fantastic way to craft a killer plot twist is to subvert your readers' expectations.

To do this, take a common trope or cliché and flip it on its head.

A character reveal can be another powerful way to deliver a major plot twist.

In this type of twist, something about the character's nature is revealed in a surprising way.

In The Sixth Sense, the character reveal comes at the end of the story, when we discover that the protagonist is dead—and has been throughout the entire movie. This ending came as a complete shock to audiences when they first saw the movie, and it changed their perception of the entire film.

Another character reveal plot twist that sticks in my mind occurred in a made-for-TV movie, the title of which I don't remember. In fact, really the only thing I remember about the movie was the plot twist.

It's a story of a woman who had amnesia. She married her husband years ago, but after the onset of the amnesia.

The movie opens with her preparing dinner. She starts to chop vegetables and wields knife like a professional chef. She keeps chopping faster and faster with precise cuts. Then, she flips her knife like a knife thrower, and it lands in the butcher block knife holder!

This shocks both her and her husband. He makes a comment like, "Well, maybe you were a chef in your former life before the amnesia."

We find out in the shocking plot twist that she was actually a trained assassin! This astounds viewers because she seems to be just a sweet, mild-mannered housewife who wouldn't hurt a fly.

I think it's significant to note that, as intriguing as this story was, the most memorable thing about it was that opening scene—a major clue to her true identity, which would be revealed in the plot twist.

Another way to create an unexpected plot twist is to use a false ending. This turn of events occurs when the story seems to be wrapping up, and then another complication happens that changes everything.

To create this type of plot twist, start tying up some loose ends. You'll want to write a climactic event, and then make it seem that the story is resolving. Finally, introduce a plot twist (that new complication) and basically a second climax for the story), getting your character in deep trouble all over again.

This will keep your readers turning pages even when they thought the story was ending.

By far, the most memorable plot twists are those that hit the reader with an emotional gut punch.

These types of twists are a powerful tool for exploring themes that cut straight to the core of the reader's heart, like betrayal, loss, and love. They increase your readers' investment in the characters' thoughts and feelings, and in the story as a whole.

A plot twist will have greater impact if it's tied to the emotional journey of the characters. Readers want to experience events with the characters, sharing in their thoughts and feelings, especially an event as pivotal as a plot twist.

These shocking turns often reveal something about a character's past or present that adds depth and meaning to the story. You can drop subtle clues through character development and the progression of the character's arc to build up to the twist.

In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the revelation that Darth Vader is Luke's father was not only shocking to Luke and the viewer, but it also added a new layer of complexity and stakes to their ongoing battle and shook Luke's perception of his own identity to its core.

This film dropped subtle clues to the twist as Luke's character arc progressed. The most obvious one—in hindsight, at least—was a training sequence in which Luke fights and kills a projection of Darth Vader. After Luke's victory, the projection's helmet bursts open, revealing his own face, and that he was fighting himself the whole time.

That, at first, seems to be the point of the training sequence: for Luke to realize that, if he's not careful, he could suffer the same fate as Darth Vader, turning to the dark side and becoming the very thing he hates. However, that's not all the training sequence symbolized. It also hinted at Luke's kinship to Darth Vader. Not only metaphorical, but literal.