A twist in the tale

We've all, I'm sure, come across plot twists that made us want to hurl our book out the nearest window (or, in the case of television and film, throw something handy at the screen). If well executed, a sudden reveal can elevate a story from good to great or put everything that's come before it in a clear new light. But if it isn't done well, the whole piece can be ruined for the reader or viewer.

The question is, then, what makes a plot twist good, and what makes one projectile-worthy? The line between the two can be very fine indeed, and often it's not the twist itself that makes the difference, but the text surrounding it. The aim, ultimately, is something surprising and satisfying.

One of the key aspects of an effective twist is that it has to be logically coherent; it can't come entirely out of nowhere. However, on the other hand, it can't be too obvious either (otherwise it's not much of a twist). It should be unexpected in the moment, but readers or viewers shouldn't be confused by it. This is often achieved by laying subtle clues in the text—if you want to reveal that a key character is an impostor, for example, they might act strangely or not be able to explain where they came from, or another character might express doubts about them. A twist might also come in the form of an unexpected outcome, such as the failure of a supposedly foolproof plan. This doesn't require foreshadowing in the same way, but still needs to be on the table as an option, even if it's not considered likely.

A good twist should also change the way we understand the story. These changes might happen textually, such as characters' goals or relationships shifting, or they might be metatextual, altering the way we interpret the story and characters that we've already seen, such as discovering that the narrator is not who we thought. The satisfaction we get from a really good twist comes from this reframing, where we can see everything from a new, illuminating perspective.

To compare a good example of a plot twist with a groan-inducing one: in The Empire Strikes Back, the reveal that Darth Vader is actually Luke's father took audiences completely by surprise, but it also made some sense, as Obi-Wan was the only person who knew what really happened to Anakin Skywalker and he'd been a bit cagey about the subject. Obi-Wan's claim that Vader had killed Anakin wasn't really wrong, just metaphorical. This discovery completely changes the way Luke interacts with Vader, and his goal changes from vengeance to redemption; the themes of the trilogy also shift from a simple good vs bad paradigm to something more complex and interesting.

Conversely, from The Rise of Skywalker: "Somehow, Palpatine has returned." When this twist hit trailers, everyone was baffled. We all saw him die at the original trilogy, and it looked like a pretty decisive death. Bringing him back would have required some complicated finagling, as would explaining why he's been so quiet until now, none of which had been hinted at in the previous films. There also didn't seem to be much point in bringing back Palpatine except to raise the stakes, which could have been done in any number of ways, and to springboard off into even more perplexing reveals. Overall, shock value was clearly being prioritised over satisfaction.

Some twists are harder to pull off well because they've been overdone, or done poorly often enough, to the point of cliché. Occasionally, a well-made twist might end up in this category as well because it cannonballs into pop culture and gets referenced and parodied to death. Some examples of these difficult twists are:

• It was all a dream!
• Surprise, I'm your father/mother/sibling/uncle/other relation!
• Surprise, you're secretly royalty!
• Supposed good guy turns out to be the bad guy all along
• Most deus ex machinas

Just because a twist has become cliché doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't use it, but it does mean that you'll need to work harder to make it fresh and interesting. The use of other techniques like red herrings or reversals of anticipated plot twists could be one way to do this, or you could focus on the unique way the consequences of the plot twist affect your characters. So perhaps part 1 was all a dream, but then in part 2 the dream starts to come true, or the surprise royal decides to take down the monarchy and return to their old life. And if your goodie reveals themselves as a baddie, instead of highlighting the shock you may decide to build up the feelings of betrayal and torn loyalties.

Have a look through your favourite peices of media for plot twists—who does it well, and who could have done it better? Share your findings in the comments; I'd love to hear your examples!