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Q&A How can I get in the Habit of Writing with Twists?

I've always felt that my writing is very sequential. It's a chain of events. This happens, then this happens, then this happens, and so on. Not to say that the events are boring, but I just always ...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction plot outline
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-12T17:49:01Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/25921
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T05:53:51Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/25921
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T05:53:51Z (almost 5 years ago)
I've always felt that my writing is very sequential. It's a chain of events. This happens, then this happens, then this happens, and so on. Not to say that the events are boring, but I just always felt that something was missing.

I believe I've found what that something is: twists.

I'm a plotter, which means I outline my story extensively before I start to write it. I have a process that I use to create the outline, which focuses on all the parts I need, like character development and stakes, plus all the rest. One thing it does not focus on is twists. I guess twists somehow never came up when I was studying how to write.

I know what a twist is, and more or less how to include one. What I need now is practice doing so. I want to get into the habit of writing and creating my outlines with twists baked in. I want to start thinking of my novels with some misdirection in mind.

What can I do to get in that mindset, so that including twists in my novels and outlines becomes a habit? Should I just start writing short stories (not for publishing) and focus on twists? Or is there some sort of exercise that I can do?

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-01-08T02:55:04Z (almost 8 years ago)
Original score: 5