Plot Twists: Are they necessary for a good story?

[wispysing]

As I was finalizing my drafts the other day, it occurred to me that, in most forms of entertainment that I've consumed and loved, a plot twist of some kind is present. So it became food for thought: Are plot twists a necessary ingredient for a memorable story? I know that plot twists can either make or break a story, but is it part of the formula for a great one?

Let me know your thoughts!

[RobertBMarks]

A well-done plot twist can certainly elevate a story, but it isn't necessary for a story to be great. That said, though, if you do it right...

Robert McKee put it very well in his book Story: they key to great storytelling is to give the audience what they want, but not in the way they expect it. If you can accomplish that, you're golden.

Read Re:Apotheosis | Tapas Web Novels

[NickRowler]

I don't think a plot twist is necessary for a good story. And I think genre also plays a part. In a romance story, the build up is dealing with interpersonal conflict and getting to the point where the couple is together and happy. If you are doing your interpretation of a fairytale, people would be less concerned about any plot twists and would be more interested in what unique elements you are bringing to your retelling.

I have also seen plot twists used poorly. People often bring up Frozen's twist villain. It is unnecessary and it doesn't really add much to the story.

[Zay]

No. Even if said story had a plot twist it wouldn’t matter—it’s all about execution. A plot twist is simply an ingredient

[hakei]

I don't think a twist is necessary. Sometimes creators can get too focused on putting a plot twist that they forget that the twist needs to be elevate an already-great story, not hinge on the plot twist being the main course. I bet a lot of us has been burned by Hollywood/TV writers' obsession with "subverting your expectations" some years ago

I like most of Studio Ghibli's films such as Mononoke Hime or Spirited Away, and they don't always use plot twists to make a good story. I didn't care for Your Name's plot twist since it required me to forget that smartphone screens & internet boards are always displaying date/time (I also didn't buy the two mains were in love so that took me out of the story, too).

[powerplantanimations]

Nah some stories can work without them. It honestly depends on what you're going for.

[TheLemmaLlama]

Agree with what others are saying, but then again I could name quite a few stories I loved that didn't involve a plot twist (though on second thought, I might accidentally name some stories that did have a plot twist because that's not even what I liked about the story so I totally forgot about it :'D)

What are some of the stories you liked? I'm wondering if we sometimes categorise things as 'plot twists' when they're actually just reveals (the difference being plot twists come after setting us up to expect something while reveals don't; they're just unexpected because we didn't know what to expect in the first place (though they do have to be clever and makes everything just click together particularly well to really surprise us in a 'be prepared for anything' mindset))

[system]

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