Cleland, Jane. Mastering Plot Twists: How to Use Suspense, Targeted Storytelling Strategies, and Structure to Captivate Your Readers. Penguin, 2018, https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=uKtPEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA2&dq=how+to+write+a+plot+twist&ots=-V3DHOOdjR&sig=l45ofpGg9ZbNhxu6oc4jK1xYz2w#v=onepage&q=how%20to%20write%20a%20plot%20twist&f=false.
In Mastering Plot Twists: How to Use Suspense, Targeted Storytelling Strategies, and Structure to Captivate Your Readers, Jane Cleland, a bestselling author, argues the necessity of plot twists; she says in order to have a story that truly resonates with people and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, an author must include “unexpected twists and turns” that surprise the intended audience. At the beginning of each section of the book, Cleland includes a quote from a famous author, such as Ernest Hemingway or Thomas Paine, to foreshadow what the ensuing chapter will entail and to give the reader something to think about as they continue to read. The intended audience is writers who want to improve their work by learning to turn their stories in the opposite direction and create suspense. The purpose is to not teach the reader how to craft the perfect plot twist since that’s impossible; instead, Cleland’s goal is to provide some examples and cues that can place the reader one step closer to mastering arguably one of the hardest skills in storytelling.
I enjoyed analyzing this source because it went beyond telling me what to do and instead showed me how to do it; hence, I was satisfied with the quality of the source. A lot of times, someone will explain a concept, and I will slightly understand what they said. It’s not until I’m provided with examples do I truly learn, and this source provided numerous examples of how to insight moments of heightened danger that intrigue the reader. In my story, I plan on including a plot twist when Wyatt discovers Whitey Bulger is an FBI informant, and consequently, Wyatt isn’t able to get the money he and his wife need to escape the lower end of South Boston, which is riddled with crime. Now that I have read this source, I understand that to make my plot twist compelling, I must emphasize how badly Wyatt and Beth need to leave South Boston. Doing so will cause the reader to feel happy for them once Wyatt thinks he’s received the money. However, at that moment, when the reader is least expecting it, I will leave them in shambles with a heartless twist.