Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

When we write a story, as the author, we are within the narrative – it’s characters, setting, backstory and genre format. We can become too close to the action and reveal our plot too early or make it too obvious. Here are a few tips to help entice your reader and keep them guessing, because if you can foresee a plot twist so can the reader. We have to think up options and/or steer the event in another direction to avoid being obvious. 

1. One way is to use subtle misdirection, such as:

• Red herrings – false clues or misleading information to steer readers in the wrong direction.
• Dead ends – not writing the obvious outcome your readers thought was coming.
• Misguided attention – Bury hints or clues where the reader is redirected to another scene, or dialogue and misses a cleverly dropped hint.

2. Foreshadowing is an excellent vehicle for adding subtle hints for a twist to come. These can be as part of a characters actions, or non-action, a secondary character’s dialogue or even disguising a plot twist within a plot twist. The twist, however, must be believable and necessary and also makes sense within the narrative.

3. Use a subplot that misdirects your reader.

• It can feed into the plot line, or not – that is your choice.
• Interact or intertwine your subplot in an unexpected or unusual way.
• You can make the subplot more important to the overall story, than initially appears.
• It can also distract from the main plot.
• Depending on your genre you can use the ‘no-one is safe’ mentality to add tension and ‘what if’s’.

Other misdirection techniques include:

1. Killing off an important character.
2. A character discovers a plot twist organically.
3. Elevate a minor character.
4. Your big reveal instigates a twist ending.

Remember to keep up the momentum after the big reveal so that the reader will continue reading to find out the ultimate conclusion of your narrative. If you are struggling there are plot twist generators on the internet, you can use them or manufacture your own from the ideas.

How have you kept a reader guessing? Care to share?

Which book plot twist surprised you the most?

Here is a list of the more famous literary plot twists.