Suspense is a key element. For example, in 'Gone Girl', the mystery around Amy's disappearance builds up the suspense, which makes the plot twist at the end (where it's revealed she faked it all) even more shocking. Another element is misdirection. The writer leads the reader or viewer to believe one thing, like in 'The Prestige' where you think the two magicians are competing in a normal rivalry, but there are much darker secrets.
Surprise is key. For example, in 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. At first, it seems like a normal small - town lottery. But then it turns out the 'winner' is actually going to be stoned to death. The sudden shift from a seemingly positive event to a horrific one is what makes it a great plot twist.
A great plot twist could be when the hero turns out to be the villain all along. It completely changes the perspective and keeps the readers on their toes.
The short story 'The Necklace' by Guy de Maupassant has a great plot twist. A woman borrows what she believes to be an expensive necklace for a ball. She loses it and spends years in poverty trying to replace it. In the end, she discovers the original necklace was a fake, which is a huge and unexpected turn.
One idea could be that the character who seems to be the hero is actually the villain all along. For example, in a story about a detective solving a crime, it turns out that the detective was the one who set up the crime in the first place to gain fame.
One idea could be that the seemingly innocent child character is actually the one causing all the horror. They have some sort of dark power that they are using to torment the adults around them. For example, they make people see their worst nightmares come to life.
Yes, plot twists are quite common in horror stories. They add that element of surprise and shock to keep the readers or viewers on the edge of their seats.
First, establish a solid and predictable story line to lull the readers into a sense of security. Then, introduce an unexpected element that completely changes the direction. Make sure it's not too random - there should be some seeds planted earlier. Also, keep the characters' motivations and arcs consistent.
There was a cat that was always lazy and slept all day. One day, a dog moved into the neighborhood. Everyone thought the cat would be scared. But instead, the cat started bossing the dog around and the dog obeyed. It was really funny to see such a small cat in charge of a big dog. Turns out the cat had a really strong personality.