As stated in the quote headlining my website, for me, emotion is the key to a good read. Emotion in fiction, especially very short fiction can be attained by the use of a twist, and is a technique often used. Writing a twist is easy, writing a good twist is hard. In this article I will hopefully explain what constitutes a well-crafted twist.
Firstly we should consider what a poor twist is. A poor twist will have no relevance to the characters or preceding plot, it is just parachuted in for a shock factor, but when read, the reader will simply feel cheated, for example:
Life was good, the ‘honeymoon period’ had seemingly lasted for the full four years since their beautiful marriage. They were affluent and happy.
Sitting opposite each other at the table of the exclusive restaurant, looking deep into each other’s loving eyes, she took the steak knife stabbed him in the head.
There are also many stories which until the twist, they are simply descriptive of a scene without reference to the upcoming twist, they then end with one of these overused, clichéd twists:
- The character or narrator is dead all along
- They die
- They are on their death bed
- It was all a dream
- One of the characters is actually an imaginary friend
- One of the characters is actually an animal
Most twists related to death or dying have been done a thousand times before. That isn’t to say these can’t be good stories, but they have to be very well constructed.
A good twist should make sense of / clarify the preceding text, yet still be unexpected. Also consider putting the twist or reveal in the middle or not directly at the end of the story.
I suggest there are three types of good twists in flash fiction which I will now consider in more depth:
- The Punchline
- The Clue and Reveal
- The Reversal
The Punchline Twist
These can be fun to write and read, but they can lose a lot in the second reading (jokes are never the same a second time around). They are unlikely to win competitions or get published, however, they are a useful tool especially in exceedingly short fiction and are really good fun.
For example the story below which was runner up in the 154 character competition ‘txtlit’ in 2016.
Title: Escape
He ran from relentless pursuers. He scaled a wall and faced a wide gap. With all his remaining energy he leapt.
The screen went blank. ‘level 1 complete’.
Example 2
Title: Reincarnation. (published in ‘81 words anthology’ 2021).
I was once full of life, I felt healthy but in a devastating turn it ended too soon.
My death came quickly and thankfully without pain but it saddened me that nobody cared. I grieved for my own demise with the journey through the five stages of loss being arduous — Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance that my life was over. Yet again.
I had to wait. Soon I would be rewarded with a new life. Candy Crush does that.
When writing really short stories (less than 10 words) the punchline can often be based on a pun, such as the following which was published in ‘6 word stories, book 2’ by Doug Weller in 2021
Lost at tennis — a set back.
The Clue and Reveal Twist
This type of twist requires a well-crafted story, crucially with very careful consideration of every word used. These are my favourite types of stories to read and write.
The twist may seem shocking but on second reading there will be clues or ambiguity along the way until revealing the actual truth. The twist should therefore be a shock but an ‘expected shock’. This phrase may seem contradictory but the key is to carefully plan what you want the reader to think is happening, and make sure the text reflects this, whilst also being relevant to the reality when revealed.
By way of example: Published online in 2021 by Fiveminutelit.com:
Title: Wife Beater
I sat opposite my wife but it wasn’t the date I had planned, this had become hostile, confrontational. Marriage was never supposed to be like this but I had read somewhere that at least one in four marriages go this way.
Her latest words to me were angry and irritated. My retorts seemed small and insignificant. I would probably think of better ones once this was all over, when it would be too late.
I searched for a response to her latest comeback. Out of nowhere I saw it. DIVORCE on a triple word score. Forty two points. I won.
If reading the story for a second time you may notice clues to the final twist (as wordplay or Synonyms on a poor relationship and a game of scrabble), yet hopefully keeping the twist hidden.
The use of the title in helping to set-up the twist cannot be underestimated — see the resource ‘Titles’ for more on creating a good title. As a note, in negotiation with the publisher, this particular story was renamed ‘Better Half’ which reduced its impact slightly but was more acceptable to their readership.
This next example won an honourable mention in Morgen Bailey’s 100 word competition, April 2020:
Title: The Voices
He sat alone and quiet, relishing the solitude in his darkened room.
His visionless reverie was shattered as the voices began. Previously the same voices had told him to do things he didn’t want to do, and he had always blindly complied.
Silently he prayed he wouldn’t again feel a compulsion to follow their orders.
The voices stopped as suddenly as they had started, and without him having to take any action. He relaxed and allowed himself a smile. In this year of a deadly viral outbreak, using the office telephone conference facility from home was working out rather well.
So the twist being that the reader hopefully considers the character to be suffering some kind of mental health issue but in reality the voices are in a virtual meeting.
Again, on second reading we can see the clues / ambiguity between mental health and video conferencing.
The Reversal Twist.
The reversal twist is similar to the ‘clue and reveal’ twist but there are no clues in the double meaning of words or phrases, yet the whole set-up is describing something different to what the reader thinks.
This example of a ‘reversal’ twist won second place in Morgen Bailey’s 100 word competition with the theme of ‘conservatory’ (September 2019):
Title: So Close Yet So Far.
He sat looking through the glass of the conservatory, admiring the flowers beyond. The colours were vibrant, the smells he imagined would be a sensual bombardment. He craved to pass through the doors into Eden but alas his condition wouldn’t allow it.
He placed a gentle hand against the pane where millimetres away a lily rested its petal.
She didn’t see a man that cared, she saw a vagrant, dirty palm on the glass and peering into the conservatory of her lonely, isolated existence.
She screamed, he ran.
Their mutual passion could save them both, if only they knew it.
The twist being that the character was outside the conservatory, not inside. The twist here also comes before the end which can be a nice change.
To conclude:
- A twist can be a great thing, eliciting emotion in the reader. A poor twist can leave the reader feeling cheated and unsatisfied.
- You don’t need to plan which type of twist you want to use (the difference between ‘clue and reveal’ and ‘reversal’ twists can be subtle), just try to make sure that your twist makes sense of / clarifies the preceding text, yet still be unexpected.
- The title and wording of a good flash fiction story with a twist should suggest the upcoming twist or reveal but this will only be obvious when finished or on a second reading.
- Consider putting the twist or reveal in the middle, or not at the end of the story.
Fusilli Writing 