This is the second installment of 12 plot twist ideas, examples, and the expected questions readers will have. See Part 1 for more ideas and examples.

Twist Ideas, Examples & Readers’ Questions

 

1. Betrayed by an oh-so-helpful friend. Hero’s friend helps him cruise his new sloop from Maine to Florida, then sails off with it. How will Hero retrieve his boat before his “friend” removes all identifiers from the vessel?

2. Shame revived. Hero is faced with rescuing a friend, but this reminds him of when he was unable to save a friend in the past. His shame paralyzes him. Will the Hero snap out of his angst in time to save his friend?

3. A lie uncovered. Hero has always believed his mother died in a car accident when he was two, but he learns she died rescuing him from a house fire his father had caused while drunk. He travels home to confront his father. What will happen between Hero and his father?

 

 

4. Led off the scent. Hero leads his men to save another platoon, but incorrect intel has led them in the opposite direction. How will this affect the other platoon and was the bad intel a sloppy mistake or sabotage?

5. Assistance turned down. Heroine refuses Hero’s help, gets lost, and is attacked by hornets. How will she receive the medical help she needs?

6. A careless mistake. Heroine fumes over gossip she hears between two customers and incorrectly fills a prescription. She’s fired. What is she going to do now?

7. A rash response to danger. Hero jumps into turbulent water to save a man, but the currents overpower him, and he ends up lost down river. How will he get back to civilization, and what has happened to the man?

8. Unreciprocated love. Heroine loves the hero, but he has a girlfriend. Then he asks her to meet him at a café, where he confesses his longtime love and asks her on a date. Is he two-timing his girlfriend?

9. Wrongfully accused. Heroine is the caretaker of a poisoned woman, and she’s the one the family falsely accuses. How will Heroine prove her innocence?

10. Mistaken identity. Prince Hero sends a messenger to invite the beautiful woman he recently met to the palace for a private dinner. The messenger invites plain-Jane Heroine by mistake. What will Hero do when she arrives?

11. Greatest fear realized. Hero fears being trapped. He must visit a locked psychiatric ward to talk to a patient. When he’s ready to leave, the nurse won’t let him out, because all patients say they should be released. How will he overcome his fearful reaction and convince her he’s sane?

12. A death occurs. Heroine’s bodyguard takes her to a safe house. As soon as she’s secure inside, she sees around the cracked door the host shoot the bodyguard. How can she escape the same fate?

The second 12 story plot twist ideas with examples in Part 2. Click to tweet.

What story twist idea can you share that hasn’t been mentioned?