tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post8589640019997001703..comments2023-09-06T05:28:26.542-06:00Comments on David Powers King: Aspiring Advice: The "Surprise" ElementDavid P. Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17259276981865439853noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-13522953439330327432011-10-13T11:30:16.105-06:002011-10-13T11:30:16.105-06:00Some of the best surprises are reversals. Make the...Some of the best surprises are reversals. Make the reader think one thing is going to happen, but let something else happen instead. Of course, you have to also give subtle clues to the 'something else', it can't just come out of the blue, but the end result should be 'oh wow, why didn't I see that coming?'.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07138682498522090332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-43990348093049820892011-03-21T11:58:35.600-06:002011-03-21T11:58:35.600-06:00I've said it before and I'll have to say i...I've said it before and I'll have to say it again--you guys rock! Thanks for commenting!<br /><br />Rachel - that is the real trick, isn't it? Thankfully there's still a few out there that haven't been touched, but we have to find them.<br /><br />Elizabeth - you're welcome :)David P. Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17259276981865439853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-25593948871689801152011-03-21T07:19:31.186-06:002011-03-21T07:19:31.186-06:00I like surprises as long as they are well laid out...I like surprises as long as they are well laid out. So it's one of those things I likely could have seen coming if I knew that I was supposed to be looking for it. (What can I say, I love hindsight)<br /><br />But like you said, it has to be built into the story and not just dropped in. If someone drops a bomb that feels completely non-organic to the story, I'll get pissed.Tracyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03726858055689145824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-3517560668467800032011-03-21T05:47:40.291-06:002011-03-21T05:47:40.291-06:00LOL I loved how The Empire Strikes Back should hav...LOL I loved how The Empire Strikes Back should have ended. Genius. <br /><br />And oh yes. My series has one very VERY mean twist going on. ^_^Misha Gerrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06364173848456424521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-88805151200863245742011-03-20T11:23:32.414-06:002011-03-20T11:23:32.414-06:00Fantastic advice.
I like surprises and twists, b...Fantastic advice. <br /><br />I like surprises and twists, but they can't be of the 'where the hell did that come from?' type. I need to say, 'of course' and 'why didn't I see that one coming?'<br /><br />Ender's Game is the perfect example of a surprise ending done well!Ellie Garratthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03731071128348213067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-33639025819840606412011-03-19T08:44:04.986-06:002011-03-19T08:44:04.986-06:00Great stuff. I love twist in the tales, too. Great...Great stuff. I love twist in the tales, too. Great videos. :O)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-78338758518160179672011-03-19T01:40:52.610-06:002011-03-19T01:40:52.610-06:00Thanks for the comment on my blog! I love to shock...Thanks for the comment on my blog! I love to shock my audience, most definitely. One thing's for sure is that the characters end up surprising me without my permission! Funny, isn't?<br /><br />It must be executed very strategically, though, like you said. I've read books where it felt like, "Oh, brother, this sounds like the author is flattering herself if she thinks this is a shocker."<br /><br />I know, I can be mean, hu? ;)<br /><br />Thanks for the post!<br /><br /><a href="http://elizabethmueller.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">♥.•*¨ Elizabeth ¨*•.♥</a>Elizabeth Muellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06028099814857743134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-55779568846059149662011-03-18T15:15:41.898-06:002011-03-18T15:15:41.898-06:00Surprises are good. However, M. Night Shyamalan ki...Surprises are good. However, M. Night Shyamalan kinda ruined them for me for a while.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-23846923885386612022011-03-18T14:01:04.253-06:002011-03-18T14:01:04.253-06:00What's difficult is thinking of a surprise/twi...What's difficult is thinking of a surprise/twist that someone else hasn't used before! <br /><br />I think you need to incorporate clues that SUBTLY (as you said) point to the surprise, so that if the readers think back they get those, "Oooohhhh, yes, that makes sense now," moments. But I think you also need to include information that could get readers suspecting something that ISN'T true. Then the surprise is even more of a surprise!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06181241692016438730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-80575978332572546522011-03-18T12:31:37.566-06:002011-03-18T12:31:37.566-06:00a surprise element also helps if you know somethin...a surprise element also helps if you know something about a subject that most people don't know or have ever heard of. Not only does it raise questions in the reader's mind, but it encourages diecussion, which is great and what we all want!D. U. Okonkwohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12900694425526387930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-69907067797500914992011-03-18T12:23:50.612-06:002011-03-18T12:23:50.612-06:00Oh yeah! I love the element of surprise! But it...Oh yeah! I love the element of surprise! But it's so much harder to write. =)Carolyn Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03780443388339294502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-7622675494076298672011-03-18T10:38:35.181-06:002011-03-18T10:38:35.181-06:00I like surprises. I also like being the evil geniu...I like surprises. I also like being the evil genius. So YES!Elana Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05877856005992028912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-27380300333026794282011-03-18T08:12:00.535-06:002011-03-18T08:12:00.535-06:00I alo love twist endings. I know some people don&#...I alo love twist endings. I know some people don't (the kind folks at <i>Strange Horizons</i> if I recall). But I say, bring 'em on.Deborah Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10120928766455872439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-32393316480995156972011-03-18T04:16:11.685-06:002011-03-18T04:16:11.685-06:00I like surprises but sometimes I just like not qui...I like surprises but sometimes I just like not quite knowing where the story's going. Like in EXLEY by Brock Clarke. I was never sure what was going to happen next. I don't know if I'm surprising people yet with my fiction or not.Libbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14323538213636795216noreply@blogger.com