Unpopular opinion: an impossible twist is usually a bad twist > Likes and Comments

People often praise a thriller by saying, “I never saw the twist coming.”

But if there were no real clues and the reveal could have been literally anything, is that actually clever, or is the author just cheating?

I’d rather guess part of the truth from fair clues than be shocked by something random on the last page.

Which do you prefer: a twist you might predict but that makes perfect sense, or one you could never see coming?

Always love a twist I never saw coming

Sean wrote: "Always love a twist I never saw coming"

Same! 😄 I love being surprised. I just want that moment afterward where I think, “How did I miss that? The clues were right there.”

Exactly! A really good twist is when you didn't see it coming ALTHOUGH the clues were there!

Anya wrote: "Exactly! A really good twist is when you didn't see it coming ALTHOUGH the clues were there!"

Yes! That’s the best kind. When you finish the book and immediately want to go back because suddenly all those little details mean something completely different 😄

This has happened with two recent reads

Both 5 star reviews



and

For me, it makes a difference where the 'twist' comes in the storyline. I'm more tolerant of a twist that comes 'out of the blue" (with little or no support from the story) if it comes in the middle (or even at three-quarters). When there's still more of the story to tell, I'm usually willing to accept the 'twist' as just another clue to solving the mystery. But if an unsupported twist that comes at the end of the book, to tie up all the loose ends, it's a cheat IMHO. It's deus ex machina. It's lazy writing and I don't care for it.

When Ellery Queen was at the top of the charts, his claim to fame was a promise to his readers that all the clues needed to solve the mystery had been presented to the reader before the big reveal, and the reader was encouraged to pause and try to solve the mystery before the truth was made known. In fact, at one point he had a radio program where a mystery was presented and a guest star would then give his prediction of 'whodunit' and the reasons why before the narrator would finish the story. I've listened to a few of the shows and they're pretty cool!

Mike the Magnificient wrote: "For me, it makes a difference where the 'twist' comes in the storyline. I'm more tolerant of a twist that comes 'out of the blue" (with little or no support from the story) if it comes in the middl..."

That’s exactly the distinction I was trying to make. I don’t mind being surprised — I just want to be able to look back and think, “Damn, it was there the whole time.”

Yes, hidden in the story, and you think, I should have seen that

Unpredictability isn’t enough. The best twist surprises me in the moment and feels inevitable afterwards. If I missed it because the author successfully redirected my interpretation, that’s good construction. If I missed it because information known to the viewpoint character was deliberately withheld, that feels like cheating.

I think there's a difference between a twist that is impossible and a twist that is simply something the reader didn't expect.

I actually enjoy twists that completely change my understanding of the story. But afterward, I want to be able to look back and see that the information was there.

If the explanation only works because the author suddenly introduces a rule, character, technology, or fact that we were never given, it feels less like a twist and more like the story changing the rules at the last minute.

The most satisfying twists make you think, “Wait... how did I miss that?”)

Natalie wrote: "People often praise a thriller by saying, “I never saw the twist coming.”

But if there were no real clues and the reveal could have been literally anything, is that actually clever, or is the auth..."

I’d take the fair twist every time. If the clues are present, being wrong feels like part of the pleasure; if a new rule arrives on the last page, I can admire the surprise but not the construction. The best reveal changes how I read an earlier decision, not just who I suspect.

Not only do I love twists that I never see coming(assuming they are done the right way) but I also write twists that you never see coming. To me, if a story is great but you kind of see what's going to happen, it's just kind of bland. But, if it's a thought-provoking story that leaves you guessing as to what's been happening and what's going to happen only to realize a twist takes place that leaves you in awe, that is an amazing story and a excellent use of a twist.

Guessing who did it doesn't have to spoil the rest. You can have the right person and still be completely wrong about why. A last-page secret twin is a harder sell, especially if nobody has mentioned a twin for 300 pages!