How Can You Tell if a Plot Twist Was Planned in Advance?
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on Oct. 18, 2016, 3:01 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
Plot twists are a staple of fictional stories, and I believe that any good story will always have at least one plot twist (although too many of them can make a story needlessly convoluted), but, sometimes, it is difficult to know if the plot twist was planned in advance or if it was a spur-of-the-moment decision by the writer. For example, the majority of plot twists in One Piece were clearly planned well in advance (although how far in advance is debatable), but most readers of Bleach agree that Yammy changing from the 10th to the 0 espada was not. I also believe that the titular artifacts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were not planned in advance, until Rowling was writing the final book of that series, since there was nothing to even remotely hint at their existence prior to that.
What does everyone else say about this? How can a reader tell if a plot twist was planned in advance, or if it was conceived shortly before it occurred?
Harry Potter spoilers Show
Generally, you can tell if a plot twist was planned if, going back a ways prior to the twist, there are hints that it was going to happen. Flashbacks from different angles or villain monologues of "you're so dumb didn't you notice such and such" are essentially retcons, and a good indication that this was a spur of the moment twist (though not as a rule).
An example of plot twists that had a lot of thought put into them ahead of time would be those that appear in Doctor Who, particularly in seasons 1-4 of the new series. There are always the smallest hints, usually in the form of a phrase, repeated either verbally or visually, that makes no sense and could very well not be noticed until the finale, wherein the significance is made clear.
Some plot twists that weren't planned (probably) would be the ones in the Saw series (the later ones, anyway). The ending always contains a twist, complete with flashbacks to explain how that allowed for or justified the events of not only the current movie but all previous movies. But, there was no evidence in the previous movies to suggest that was the case. Zero. With the exception of the first film, the Saw twists seem to have not been planned until after each previous film.
That's not to say unplanned twists are inherently bad or worse than planned ones. Often they can be just as good or better, because it leaves even attentive viewers/readers completely unprepared, able to be shocked, which is the point. It's fun to see just how deep the rabbit hole goes, but sometimes the absolute surprise factor is just as satisfying. Given it's well written, of course.
October 18, 2016 11:29 p.m.
@kanokarob: I think he was talking about the hallows not the horcruxes. The horcruxes go as far back as the second book but the hallows just kind of came out of nowhere.
October 22, 2016 1:18 p.m.
Ah, I see how that was the intended reference. Though that still presents some problems.
Why would the deathly hallows need to be mentioned before 7? When we first learn of them we're told it's a children's fairy tale, nothing to be overly concerned about. Then we learn that Dumbeldore sought them out, but immediately realize he gave up/succeeded with disappointment by giving the cloak to Harry. Voldemort goes searching for them as well, yes, but only once he realizes the flaws in his power, namely against Harry, due to the events in the beginning of book 7. There's no reason that the Hallows would need explicit mentioning before we got them; they weren't relevant.
I'll admit there's no evidence to support they weren't planned in advance, but, they're not a plot twist. They're just a plot point, they're the bad guy's goal, or at least a means to his true goal. They're no shock when we learn about them, nor was there intended to be any. It's no "End of book 6" in terms of reaction or confusion/emotion. So they're not really on-topic.
Plot twists are generally something unexpected that awes the audience at a critical moment, or a revelation of something that has been relevant all along. The horcruxes meet the condition of the latter; the Hallows do not meet either.
October 22, 2016 2:23 p.m.
Iirc, voldemort only wanted one of the hallows. I'm not saying they were a plot twist but they kinda felt like they were pointless.
October 22, 2016 6:21 p.m.
I can only assume the Hallows were only explicitly named and given unique lore as opposed to just "oh hey here's the most powerful wand and Voldemort wants it" is to provide backstory, not only for Dumbledore, but for legends within the wizarding world, bringing it to life outside of Harry Potter's life, for future installments in the universe. Such as Fantastic Beasts.
Eiti3 says... #2
Whether or not the writer has planned something, we can only know through them telling the audience outside of the media. Although, when reading a story, watching a movie/tv show, etc, you can generally pick up on clues as to the plot twist, if you're looking for them. Most times, the author tends to bring in some sort of flashback or sequence if what happened was completely crazy or convoluted.
When a plot twist is introduced without any planning, it is extremely hard to see coming unless the plot follows similar plots to similar genres. However, when a plot twist comes out of nowhere, with no previous planning, an incompetent (lack for a better word, but surprisingly fits too well) writer will fumble around trying to make it work before taking it back ("It was all a dream") or throw in random and awkward "plot" pieces that don't really fit. An amazing writer can make it work as if it were planned the entire time, tieing in themes and forgotten strings from before.
So, without the author's word outside of the media, it becomes a little more difficult to tell whether or not it was planned. You need to have a keen and open mind while searching for the clues, whilst not being led astray by colored herrings. In doing that, you can gain a general and educated guess.
October 18, 2016 5:06 p.m.