- What's up my friend? Abbie here, and welcome back
to Writers Life Wednesdays, where we come together to help
you make your story matter. And make your author dreams come true. This is part two of the
video that I did last week all about writing the
game-changing midpoint. What it is, what it isn't,
and how to write an amazing, riveting, gripping plot twist that will surprise your characters
and surprise your readers. So go watch part one if you
haven't seen it already. We go into the actual principles of writing an amazing plot twist and debunk some myths. Plus, I gave you guys some
prompts that you can ask yourself about your plot twist to make it the best it can possibly be. But I realize that
principles are kind of vague, and this all makes so much more sense when you have examples. So today we're doing a case
study with story examples, kind of like we did for
the inciting incident, only this time we're
going over plot twists from a variety of genres, even genres that seems like a plot twist, like you wouldn't be able to
write a plot twist into that, like YA contemporary romance. Let's get into it. Why does your story matter? Good question. What if I told you that there's a science behind every great story. I don't just teach you how to write. I teach you how to change
the world with your story and make your author dreams come true. Okay, before we jump
into the story examples, let's go over the principles, the recap of the principles,
from the last video just to refresh our memories. A great plot twist is more
than just a radical change in the expected direction of the plot. It changes the game for your characters, and most importantly, your protagonist, which then impacts the
plot in a meaningful way because it impacts the protagonist's goal. External conflict, the plot,
is all about what happens; but internal conflict, the
story, is about why it matters. A plot twist is just an
unexpected thing happening unless it directly impacts the internal conflict of the characters. Just like an inciting incident that doesn't specifically
matter to the characters, a plot twist can fall just
as flat if not well written. Remember, a game-changing midpoint doesn't have to be some epic
and crazy twist of fate. It can be as dramatic as
everything the protagonist believes is actually a lie or as
simple as the protagonist realizes they are falling
in love with their nemesis. I have tons of examples of this, but I had to limit myself
for the sake of time, so I narrowed it down
to just four examples, and they're all very
different from each other, so hopefully it will give you some insight and inspiration into crafting your amazing, unique plot twist, no matter what genre you're writing. Also, I think it goes without saying, but spoiler alert, I'm about
to spoil the plot twits in all of these examples. So hopefully you've read
or seen them already, or else are willing to sacrifice
the pleasure of surprise for the sake of your novel. Let's start with the plot twist
that I immediately think of whenever I'm talking about plot twists, and whenever someone says plot twist, because this plot twist
literally freaked me out so much. I was not okay for days. I think it took me literally three days to appreciate how brilliant it was because it messed me up so bad. And that is the game-changing midpoint in "A Beautiful Mind." This film may be considered
historical drama, but to me it feels way more
like a psychological thriller, especially after the plot twist. But let's start at the beginning. John Nash is a brilliant
mathematician obsessed with success and recognition
in his field of study. He wants to come up with
a truly original idea that will set him apart from the rest and satisfy his desire to be acknowledged as the genius he knows he is. - John, exactly what's the difference between genius and most genius? - Quite a lot. - After graduating from Princeton Nash is hired by the Secret Service to decode Russian ciphers, which quickly spirals out of control as he struggles to
maintain a personal life separate from his classified missions. Nash is clearly paranoid,
but with good reason, it seems, as mysterious men in black keep following him around. Then exactly halfway through the story, plot twist, we discover that Nash is suffering from schizophrenia, and has actually
hallucinated people, places, conversations, moments in time, and the entire Secret Service job. None of it is real. But because the story is told so much from his point of view, the plot twist feels as shocking
for us as it does for Nash. We don't know what to believe and we can feel the confusion Nash feels as he struggles with this new reality. Why does the plot twist
matter to the protagonist, given his desire and fear? Nash is obsessed with recognition for rendering a great
service to the world. Coming to grips with his schizophrenia is a disastrous turning point for Nash, because it means that not only was his past work insignificant, but he fears that he will
never be taken seriously or be successful ever again. Arguably the most impressive
thing about the plot twist in "A Beautiful Mind" is
how it's completely hidden. The name doesn't give it away. Neither does the tone of
the first half of the film. There are clues planted everywhere, but they're so subtle, you can't notice them until
you see the plot twist. Remember that cognitive science article I referenced last time, how once we know the answer to a puzzle it's clues can seem more
transparent than they really were. When we revisit early parts of the story in light of that knowledge, well constructed clues take on a new satisfying significance. Those clues are what make a plot twist so satisfying in hindsight, but only if the clues are so subtle that you can't notice them
unless you're looking for them. The method used here, and
in a lot of other stories, to expertly hide clues in plain
site is to use red herrings. A red herring is a literary device used to throw off the scent of the reader. Basically, the writing
equivalent of misdirection. It could be a conversation, a
person, an event, an object, anything that makes you think
you know what's going on, when really just the opposite is going on. For example, in "A Beautiful Mind" Nash is, in fact, invited to the Pentagon to decipher Russian codes. We know this because his
friends speak about it with him. All the people at the Pentagon
are real except for Parcher, who no one acknowledges except Nash. Ties to the real world are
there and serve as red herrings because they blur the
lines between what is true and what the writer wants
us to think is true. Highly, highly recommend
"A Beautiful Mind." It is an exquisite film even though I totally just ruined it for you. Sorry (laughing). Okay, moving along to our next example, which is a totally different genre, but also has a great plot twist and you probably didn't even know that it had a plot twist. "Pride and Prejudice." Elizabeth Bennett doesn't like Mr. Darcy from the first moment she meets him. He's rude, standoffish,
and makes it obvious that he would never deign
to even look at Elizabeth. - Elizabeth is very agreeable. - Barely tolerable, I dare say. And not handsome enough to tempt me. - [Abbie] Tensions rise between them throughout the course of the story, finally coming to a head
at the midpoint when, plot twist, Darcy proposes. - I love you. Most ardently. - [Abbie] But even while
asking Lizzy to marry him, Darcy manages to offend her. He just had to include that part about going against his better judgment in order to propose to Lizzy. Bad move, Darcy, now she's offended. But beyond offended, she's shocked. Because Darcy falling in love with her is a plot twist she never saw coming, and it totally changes the game. There are red herrings here, too. All of Darcy's interactions
leading up to this point don't exactly scream love and affection. And when Lizzy discovers that
Darcy had a major part to play in separating Jane and Bingley, we know this turn of events
isn't going to end well. Why does the plot twist
matter to the protagonist, given her desire and fear? Just when Lizzy thought she
had everyone sorted out, all hell breaks loose. She might have been able to forgive Darcy's awkward cold shoulder
and find his love profession slightly endearing, had he not brought his
massive ego along for the ride and recently smothered his
last speck of credibility by ruining Jane's love life. - Do you think that
anything might tempt me to accept the man who has ruined, perhaps forever, the happiness
of a most beloved sister? - But from the very beginning we see what Lizzy cares about
the most, her sisters, especially Jane. They share everything and
want each other to be happy. This plot twist changes the game for Lizzy because it forces her
to keep Darcy's proposal a secret from Jane lest she reveal the reason Bingley dumped her and the unfortunate
truth about Mr. Wickham. And if you know how the
rest of the story goes, you know that all these
events just snowball and lead to the impending
disaster plot point, and uh, it's just so good. I could do an entire case study just on "Price and Prejudice" alone, but I'll stop there. Next example also in the same kinda genre, because it's a classic,
but way more gothic, "Great Expectations." Possibly one of the most famous and well-written red herrings in fiction is the entire character of Miss Havisham. Although she has ulterior
motives of her own, her role in the story
is a major misdirection from the true nature of the plot. When our protagonist, Pip, discovers that he is a wealthy benefactor, both he and the reader assume
that it must be Miss Havisham, the elderly eccentric
woman who has taken him in as a playmate for her young ward, Estella. Pip even takes pains to
profusely thank Miss Havisham for the free ride, which will elevate him into polite enough
society to date Estella, win-win. But then, around the
midpoint of the story, plot twist, Pip discovers
that his benefactor is not Miss Havisham, but the escaped convict, Magwitch, whom Pip helped as a young boy. Pip is shocked and disgusted, as his facade of gentility crumbles. On top of that, it is
revealed that Miss Havisham only brought Pip into
Estella's life as a means of taking revenge on the man
who jilted her at the alter. She has a vendetta against
all males of the species and satisfies her sick
fancy to cause men pain by methodically teaching Estella
how to break Pip's heart. This changes the game as Pip realizes that he's been believing
a lie this whole time. Why does this plot twist
matter to the protagonist, given his desire and fear? Pip's rags to riches transformation sets the tone for the whole story. He started with nothing and
was given an inheritance, and, well, great expectations. He desires to fit in
with upper class society and win Estella's heart while he's at it, and he fears being pulled
back to square one. The plot twist changes the game because it changes the
way Pip sees himself. Magwitch is the last person in the world he wants to be the beneficiary of, and Miss Havisham's plan was never to let Pip and Estella be together. Let's just say his world
is sufficiently shattered. Well done Dickens. That is a really good plot twist. And I especially love it because it's like two plot twists in one plus like this crazy red herring thing. It's so good. Okay, I promised you there would be a YA contemporary romance
example of a plot twist, so for our fourth and final example, let's look at my all time
favorite YA contemporary, "Flipped" by Wendelin Van Draanen. The name kind of gives
this plot twist away if you read into the
conceptual implications of it. Next door neighbors Bryce and Juli have always had a weird relationship. For Juli it was love at first sight. For Bryce it was strategic
avoidance and social discomfort. Despite living right across the street, Juli and Bryce don't really
know each other at all. Bryce thinks Juli is eccentric, over the top, and just plain obnoxious. Juli thinks Bryce is wonderful, heroic, and literally flawless. But as eighth grade unfolds they begin to see the bigger picture. The game-changing midpoint is when, plot twist, everything flips. Bryce realizes he's
falling in love with Juli and her eccentricities
at the very same moment Juli realizes that Bryce is actually a lying, scheming coward, not her knight in shining armor. Why does this plot twist
matter to the protagonists, given their desires and fears? Juli has spent the last six
years swooning over Bryce and imagining him to be
this wonderful person that he really isn't. As some difficult events unfold throughout the first half of the story, Juli is forced to abandon her old beliefs, and we see how game
changing this is for her because of the fantasies
she's built up over the years. In a similar but totally opposite way, Bryce's world is forever changed when he realized that he misjudged Juli, and she's actually a unique
and beautiful person. Little does he know it's
too late to be friends or anything more because
Juli has seen the light, too. I love this game-changing midpoint so much because it ties right into
the whole overarching theme. "Flipped" is a story about
changing your perspective, looking at things differently, even if it means tearing down a belief you've stuck to for so long. It's about seeing the truth about people, even when it hurts. Again, I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop there. Please do yourself a
favor and read this book, or watch the movie because
it's almost identical, and I love it so much. So in conclusion, the
plot twist point is this, whether your protagonist discovers everything they ever knew was a lie or they fall in love
with their sworn enemy, or some other crazy calamity befalls them, all game-changing midpoints
must have one thing in common, they must matter to the characters and change the game going forward. I hope this story case study
has given you more clarity on what a game-changing
midpoint looks like in variety of genres. Okay, those are some of
my favorite plot twists. Now it's time for you to
comment below and tell me what are your favorite plot twists. Stick around because this story beat breakdown series is not over. We're only 50% into your story, remember? We've still got a ways to go. So be sure to subscribe to this channel so you don't miss the
next video in the series. Smash that like button
if you liked this video and be sure to check out my Patreon, because that's where we go beyond videos and take storytelling to the next level. The Patreon community's not
only the best way to support what I'm doing here on YouTube, but it's also the only way
to connect one on one with me and get better guidance on your story. So, go to Patreon.com/AbbieEmmons, and check out all the
awesome exclusive content that I have over there for you. Until next week my friend, rock on. (upbeat music) What's up my friend, Abbie
here, and welcome (laughing). Plot twist, no matter what genre... The method used here (laughing)... The method (laughing)... Stop. I just can't pronounce
words at this point. (upbeat music)
