The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

by Gabrielle Zevin

(Is a twist less satisfying if you know it’s coming? Is a twist that you can’t predict symptomatic of bad construction? These are things to consider when writing.)

I have feelings about twists. For example, a good twist is not when an author has withheld information from you that should otherwise have been revealed. And sometimes, as A.J. writes, if something is well constructed, you should in fact be able to predict its ending. There can be a satisfaction to the inevitable. Do you have thoughts about twists?