Dan’s Writing Blog

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Twisting the ending of a story is like putting icing on a cake, a cherry on top of a sundae, or nuts in brownies. It is the ultimate satisfaction.

The reader won't see a good twisted ending coming. There are times when the writer doesn't even know what the ending will be. You'll have a lot of trouble twisting the ending if you don't have a natural ending planned.

First, find a natural ending. Next, decide on an ending that will be a shock for the reader. Look for a common denominator. Find a place where you can split the story off into an unsuspecting direction.

One good twist is to take the reader back to the beginning scene of the story. This is the loop effect. You can also use irony for a twisted ending.

Ironic example: A gent buys a cub wolf and raises it as a pet. The government captures the wolf and decides to euthanize it. He files a lawsuit against the government and wins. (This story is fantasy.) The man gets the wolf back. They have a big reunion, and the reader thinks the climax has come and gone. The reader is coming to the end of the book, just half a dozen paragraphs left – and he reads that the man takes the wolf for a romp in the snow and the wolf turns on his owner and tears his throat out.

Make your readers think they know the ending, and then pull the rug out from under them. This is what made Alfred Hitchcock so famous. When you watch his old movies, you’ll never figure out who did the dirty deed until the last scene. Mr. Hitchcock was the original master of TV's twisted endings.