How to Write Plot Twists

1. Hide the answer in plain sight. The sooner you foreshadow your plot twist, the better. Hiding your plot twist in plain sight will make readers accept the breadcrumbs you leave behind and will be more accepting of the plot twist. The less "out of nowhere" your plot twist comes, the more believable it will be.

2. Use your foreshadowing carefully by weaving it into your story. Drop clues relating to your plot twist, but not excessively and not too obviously. Don't shove the foreshadowing into the readers' face or it won't be a plot twist anymore. They will see the plot twist from a mile away, which will not be a plot twist.

3. Being careful with your foreshadowing will lead to build-up and help your plot twist be a plot twist rather than a random event that comes out of nowhere. Such a random event can lead readers to setting aside your book.

4. Try to misdirect your readers (red herrings). This can be an effective way to throw readers off from the true plot twist. Send readers in the wrong direction, give them hints that lead them to assume the wrong event is about to occur.

5. Get feedback from critique partners, beta readers, and alpha readers to see how effective your plot twist is. From there, adjust accordingly. If your plot twist works for most, maybe don't tweak it too much. But if the plot twist doesn't work for most, it's time to consider rewriting some things.

Hope this is helpful to those writers who are trying to catch readers by surprise! 🤎