• Hiya, everyone --

    Recently we've been noticing there have been a few stories here and there that have been posted without content warnings. As a reminder, we ask that every work published in our Workshop contain content warnings, even if none apply (in which case, you can just mention that no content warnings apply). You can refer to a helpful guide on how to rate your stories here, but if you need any further assistance, please feel welcome to contact a Workshop staff member! We're here to help.

    Thank you all for helping us ensure our community is a safe and healthy one, and for your continued patronage in our Library and Workshop.
  • Hiya, everyone!

    If you'd love to recieve a story of your choice, or write one for another user, please consider taking a look at our recent Writers' Workshop event announcement!

    We're all really excited to see how this fun Winter-themed gift exchange we're running will go, but we need your help! Signups end on the 6th of October, so please don't wait too long -- check out the thread linked above for more information!

    We hope to see lots of familliar and new faces around for Eiscue's Exciting Exchange!
  • Our friends at Johto Times have concluded their massive Favorite Pokémon Poll and the final results are now up. Click here if you're interested in seeing if any of your favorites made it!

Twist endings

matt0044

matt0044

追放されたバカ
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
3,353
Reaction score
556
This element can make or break a story. If you craft the plot carefully around it, you can turn an average story into something greater with twist adding new layers to previous events (see the Anime Tiger & Bunny to see what I mean). On the other hand, if you're careless with the plot or add the twist just because, the story has been ruined.

What are your thoughts? How can twists can be well implemented? (note: when using example, use the spoiler tags).
 
I remember talking about this in a (your?) foreshadowing thread. Twist endings come across as contrived when they come from nowhere with no foreshadowing. Twist endings can be (and should be) shocking while still having some underlying hints in the story. I would say that this kind of foreshadowing is an absolute necessity if you want your readers going "WTF MIND BLOWN" rather than just "WTF"

What do I know, though. I've never written a twist ending.
 
If you ask me, an ideal ending should make a definite impact on the audience, who hopefully should not see it coming, as this increases the impact. Something in your world needs to have definitely changed through the story, and said changes need to be made clear, or mostly occur at the ending.

However, while a twist is definitely a good thing, foreshadowing of some sort is useful and important. Probably the best way you could do that is to make said foreshadowing seem irrelevant, or unrelated to the main plotline, so then a reader thinks 'oh, that's why he did that', or rather, they would think that if they weren't in shock from the twist. Foreshadowing probably should always, or usually, be disguised in some way. The worst thing that can happen is that someone will understand your foreshadowing, and predict the events of the story as a result.

At the end, revisit the start in some way. If your story develops so much that the start is no longer applicable to the story at the end, there's a problem somewhere. In fact, the start might be a good place for foreshadowing, as then the readers may not realise it is important. But probably not too much. I don't really know.

Hopefully this will give you some food for thought.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom