How To: Write a Good Plot Twist (Chekhov's Gun & Red Herrings)

A good plot twist is the stuff of legends. An unexpected turn in a story, well placed, is one of the most thrilling and satisfying reader experiences. A great plot twist requires careful planning and execution. The ability to do this well is a gift. However, it is also a science, and in that way, it can be studied. The principles behind how some of the best plot twists, both in literature and film, are constructed are what I'll be discussing in this post.

What is a Plot Twist?

A plot twist is a literary technique that introduces a sudden and dramatic change to the expected plot beats/ outline. It's an interruption to the natural flow of events. A plot twist can be introduced at any point in the story, but it is most associated with the ending, where (if executed well) it has the most effect.

What makes a Plot Twist Work?

For a plot twist to work, it has to be integral to the story. It can't be something that you think of as you're wrapping up your first draft that you then try to weave through. That is unless you're a complete master in which case I have nothing for you here, and please teach me. For the rest of us, a plot twist needs to be adequately foreshadowed or thoroughly set up, and then resolved to achieve the satisfaction we associate with the very best ones.

Different Kinds of Plot Twists

Just as a plot twist can be introduced at any point in the story, the type of twist can also vary. Here we will look at a few of the most common.

Classic Twist

A classic twist is one in which the answer was right in front of us the whole time, we just couldn't see it. For this reason, this twist requires excellent planning and execution. It has to be hidden well enough that the audience doesn't suspect a thing on the first pass, but also clear enough that it seems obvious in retrospect.

An example of this classic twist is the movie The Prestige by Christopher Nolan. Borden, one of two competing magicians, dazzles and angers the other by performing a 'Transported Man' trick that sees him appear at two places at once, a trick the other one (Angier) simply cannot figure out.

The twist- there were two Bordens all along, he performed the trick with his twin brother. It's a simple twist that was foreshadowed earlier on in the story.

Mid Twist

A mid twist is a twist that occurs in the middle of a story. It is used, because of where it appears in the story, to either change the direction or the perspective of the plot. In this way, a mid twist has the effect of feeling like the 'real' start of the story, or at least a tangible deepening of the original tale. It's where someone describing the story would pause to say, 'and then things got interesting...'

An example of a mid twist is the book (and movie) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. In this mystery, we are introduced to a married couple Nick and Amy, and from the onset, we get the sense that both of them are not telling us the whole story. Still, we are led to believe that Nick could have been responsible for Amy's disappearance.

The mid twist reveals that we have been lied to by both of them. Nick has not been faithful like he claimed, and Amy has hardly said a single true thing- and she's trying to frame Nick for her death.

Because of where it's placed, a mid twist needs to be well executed otherwise the entire story falls flat if the plot is so simple that the reader can guess what happens. In that case, there are no stakes and there is no tension. When done well, it's incredibly exciting because it allows the reader to be a part of the mystery and raises tension.

Double Twist

This is a story with two plot twists, where the first one was a setup for the second. It is extremely difficult to plan and execute (one twist is hard enough), which is why there aren't too many great examples to discuss but, for the same reason, the ones that are done well truly stand out.

An example of a double twist can be found in the movie, The Usual Suspects. The plot centers around uncovering the mystery identity of notorious gangster, Keyser Soze, as well as his pursuit.

First Twist: In the end, we're led to believe that Keaton, a character integral to the plot, could have been Keyser. This is a major twist that changes the perspective of the entire story.

...only this doesn't quite seem to add up.

Second Twist: We then learn that a different character, Verbal, is actually Keyser. Verbal fabricated the entire story using details from the agent's office.

It's difficult to explain, and since it's worth watching- I suggest you do. In the end, everything adds up and there are no frayed ends. The Usual Suspects is a lesson in plot twist execution.

Devices for Plot Twists

There are certain dramatic elements and principles that are particularly useful in setting up and executing a plot twist. Let's look at two of them in detail.

Chekhov's Gun

'Chekhov's gun' is a dramatic principle coined by Russian playwright and author, Anton Chekhov, that explains the concept of setup and payoff.

It states that if a gun is seen in the first act, then it must be fired in the third act (this assumes a traditional story with a three-act structure). The inverse is also true, so if a gun goes off in the third act, then it must have been introduced in the first act. A setup without payoff is called an unfired Chekhov's gun.

The principle behind it can be summarized as that every element in a story must be necessary, and all those that are irrelevant must be removed. Correct use of Chekhov's gun and the principle behind it is a good way to create a clean and neat story that doesn't have any loose ends.

Let's consider J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series as a great example of Checkhov's gun. In the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone, the bezoar is briefly mentioned in one of Harry's potion classes (gun introduced/ setup). It isn't until the sixth book, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince that the same bezoar is used to save Ron after he accidentally drinks a poisoned drink meant for Dumbledore (gun fired/ payoff). This is a very long time to wait for the payoff, but the principle still holds. One might even argue it's a greater payoff because of how long the gun took to fire, so to speak.

Red Herrings

A red herring can be described as a subversion of 'Chekhov's gun'. It is a misleading clue designed to lead an audience to a false conclusion.

Red herrings are a great device for keeping an audience engaged and guessing. By introducing a clue that insinuates a different set of events, the reader will naturally fill in those details. This makes it more interesting when they discover they were following a cold trail all along.

Red herrings are a natural fit for mysteries where the misdirection works as an element to stop the audience from correctly guessing the identity of the killer (for example), which would spoil all the fun.

Examples of Red Herrings

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black is set up as the murderous villain who has escaped Azkaban and is coming to kill Harry. By the end of the book (or movie) however, we know that he is actually not trying to harm Harry at all, and in fact, he has come to Hogwarts to protect him from the real villain Peter Pettigrew, whom no one suspected.

In HBO's hit series Game of Thrones, the first Targaryen that we're introduced to is Viserys, son of the Mad King. In those first episodes, we are led to believe that he is a powerful player, with a real claim to the throne- however, he doesn't make it past the first season. We quickly learn that his sister, Daenerys Targaryen, who is first introduced as a powerless lesser character, is the real threat.

Conclusion

A plot twist is a great writing device to disrupt an otherwise formulaic story arc. The secret of a great plot twist lies in careful planning and high-level execution. It requires a solid plot that can then be reexamined for twist points. It requires the right setup with enough tension maintained until the payoff. The twist, depending on its type, then needs to be expertly interwoven while making use of just the right amount of foreshadowing to maintain a cohesive story without giving anything away.

When done well, it is gripping and exciting. It engages the reader and makes them afraid to miss a single word in case that's the word that will make everything click into place. It creates real tension. It blows minds.

A great plot twist is not an easy thing to achieve, so when a writer does- it really is remarkable.

Please tell me what some of your favorite plot twist stories are, I'd love to know.

Happy plotting,

Nonjabulo