On Writing - 10 Insights Gained From Stephen King
A BOOK PLACE: MUSÉE DE NISSIM DE CAMONDO
First of all: what is a plot twist? I think it’s important to clarify this before I go into something more specific: what makes a good plot twist? Not that you necessarily NEED one … but why wouldn’t you WANT one? Ever since I started reading as a child, it was clear to me that plot twists were one of the main reasons why reading fascinated me so much in the first place – to put it simply, I’d say it’s an unexpected turn in a story or the moment when you realise that something you’d been expecting isn’t going to happen at all. When I was about 13 or 14, I began to develop a passion for writing, so it was only natural for me to keep reading. I had to identify structures in other texts in order to be able to write myself. Over the years, many plotlines became really predictable because I could see where they were heading. That’s not a bad thing, as it made analysing them easier. But it was definitely a bit less exciting. That’s why today I’d like to share some of the best plot twists I’ve come across over the years, which might still take even a well-read person by surprise:
A Romance – “Verity” by Colleen Hoover was pretty much on every bestseller list for over a year and this one earned the spot! Set in an erotic love-triangle, this story is driven not even as much by the plot but more by what your mind makes of it. A man and a woman meet and agree that she will continue working on his late wife’s novels (who is not approachable after an accident). The woman starts falling for the man but even though he falls for her too, the wife might not be as out of the picture as first guessed. This was so damn well done that it was hard to put down and the ending is just something else… really recommend reading this, for the tension, the outcome, the way a simple affair develops into something darker.
A Thriller – “Before I Go To Sleep” by SJ Watson killed a full night of sleep for me for sure and after that I thought about never going to sleep ever again. This might’ve been the best thriller I read in a while and it is already a couple of years old. A woman loses her memory every time she’s going to bed every night and starts completely blank the next day. No, this is not a sci-fi concept, but I thought there might be another fantasy element in this at first. To try to hold memories she starts a diary and realizes that someone isn’t playing fair game with her.
I wasn’t really hyped to read this at first but once you started the first few pages this is a no-brainer. You get lost in her own memory loss until you have no idea what’s real anymore but you just NEED to know how she got to this point. Highly recommend if you also never want to sleep again! Plus the writing was very well done and leads you into a rabbit hole.
A Historical Read – “The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton. This might be one of the best love stories I read in a while. Set in between the Now and the 1930s-1960s, this story intertwines several lives and a crime taking place before the second World War. Loved the atmosphere in this, how much you learnt about the life back then, how the main character develops, how you second guess what happened back then and who did it. And how deep the love story actually runs in the end. This one is for you if you like history but don’t need unnecessary and long-winded explanations as to how something got to a certain point,. This is more of a “in-the-moment-read”. And even though it’s a love story and historical and lighter than the two novels above, it still has a shocking element in the end.
A Crime Novel but with a history background – “Moriarty” by Anthony Horowitz was the first book that really REALLY made me speechless when it came to the twists. I love Horowitz in general and pretty much buy every book he’s ever come up with but this was the first one I read and it got me HOOKED. How many times in this did I think I had the thing figured out and I certainly hadn’t. So go ahead and try your own luck! This book is based on the famous Sherlock Holmes series but AFTER Sherlock Holmes and his enemy Moriarty, have their final fight, both of them falling into the Rhinefall, neither of them turning up again. As a Conan Doyle Fan I just could NOT NOT read this.
A Fantasy Novel – “The Betrayals” by Bridget Collins. I left this last because it might have the least typical twist and I loved loved loved this. This is set around a fantastic game (based on the “Glasperlenspiel” by Hesse) and inside of an academy that’s trying to find the best players. This one has it all in my opinion: A story before the plot starts – and one that’s hard to figure out. A love affair…or not? A corrupt school, a mystical game, the best language I ever read. But I don’t want to say too much because you just need to go ahead and read it.
I’m also super interested in hearing about your favourite twists! What was the best one you ever read?
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