#reveals and characters and plot points and twists

[absent-o-minded]

SFTH - Narrative Tropes

Keeping in line with my previous post about character tropes, I thought that it might be fun to point out some of the improvised narrative tropes that characterise a number of the longforms:

*** Spoiler Warning as I mention plot details

The Big Bad is defeated…but they’re taking the hero down with them:

Magnus O’Puss and Arthur Big Dick: BUS

Juliet and Caesar: Caesar and Juliet

Mama Twiliger and Henry Twiliger: Green Leaves on a Summers Day

Camp German Brothers and Jack Skelter: Burglary and Bobsledding

Sherlock and Moriarty: The Final Baker of Baker Street

The shocking ‘twist’:

Maria’s faked death x Danny parentage: Death For A Dollar

Gavin’s first son is alive and was wearing Johnny Jones as a meatsuit: Too Big To Be A Jockey

Mrs Hudsen reveals herself to be James Moriarty Hudsen(?): The Final Baker of Baker Street

Maria agreeing to the Blue Fairy: The Grape Depression

Tragedy that careens (sometimes forcefully) into a Happy Ending:

The near death of Thomas Jr prevented by Thomas Sr: The Enigma of the High Visionary

Sparkles and Clive’s passionate reunion stalls a nuclear explosion: The Case of Sergeant Sprinkles

Jeremiah gets reincarnated: The Mysterious Cube

Play ends with the prospect of L’s family finally being told about his death: The Creak In The Attic

The adults are oblivious, so the plots development is delegated to the children:

Peter Steven telling his Mum about the school chokey: The Milkman

Johnny and Janae figuring out a plan together: The Neighbours Under The Bed

Alexa escaping the failed assassination attempt with all the other bitches: Ballet of the Battlefield

Michael goes on the search for his vanished father: The Pilots Final Flight

The resolution of conflict finally prompts the yearning couple to get together:

Annabelle x Butch: Never Give Annabelle A Gun

Derek x Titch: The Unrelenting Aubergine

John Jacob x Angelina: The Off-Season

[guardian-of-time-if]

Romance System Overview

I've been getting a few questions about how various romance routes will work, recently, so I figured I would go ahead and make an overview of all the different romance plotlines, to have a consolidated location for all the information.

General Romance System

Starting in chapter 4, you can start acculating romance points with the various ROs. You can flirt with as many people as you want, but the characters will notice if you're flirting with multiple people. The romance lock is currently outlined for chapter 8.

You won't need a high number of romance points to lock in on a romance path, so don't feel the need to aqquire as many romance points as possible. The game will mark romantic choices with a 🩶. Once you have locked in a romance route all choices will progress the romance so there will be no more need for 🩶choices.

Now for the more complicated stuff, which I suspect is where I'm confusing people.

Special Routes

Some characters have a straightforward route, as well as a secondary route specific to their character. Some of these I've publicly talked about and some of them, I'm waiting for plot twist before I reveal.

A lot of these revolve around Luk due to the nature of his relationship with MC and his role in the story.

The ones that are public are

Lukyan's Unrequitted Love Route

In this route, Luk is in love with MC, but MC is either romancing another character or no one at all. Either way, it's mostly just there to add some drama and angst for players who enjoy that.

2. Childhood Crushes

If you flirt with Luk or Tzesar in chapter 3 (by picking a choice with a 🩶), rather than acculating romance points, you set a childhood crush variable. Rather than being a specific route, having a childhood crush on either Luk or Tzesar simply adds flavor text to the later romance. Both on their paths or on anyone else's. Currently, he code is set up so you can only have a childhood crush on one of them, and I belive at the moment Luk's overrides Tzesar's, so if you want to have a childhood crush on Tzesar, don't pick any of the 🩶options with Luk in chapter 3.

3. Oblivious Romance Routes

Both Luk and Tzesar have oblivious romance routes where MC doesn't realize that her feelings are romantic. This route cannot be triggered if you pick flirt options with the one you want an oblivious romance route with in chapter 3. As stated above, flirting in chapter 3 will set MC as having a childhood crush, and that will lock you out of an oblivious romance path.

Arranged Marriage

For most romance routes, MC will have the option to marry Lukyan and romance someone else or break off the engagement and stay with her RO. The progression of the romances will look vastly different whether ot not MC is married to Luk.

Two characters who can't be romanced if you marry Luk are Sentinel and Albien. Currently the choice to marry Luk or not is outlined for after the romance lock, so I am undecided if I will allow MC the choice to marry Luk (and get dumped) or just lock her into refusing if you are on these routes.

If you chose not to romance anyone, you can still have a platonic marriage to Lukyan and just be good friends.

[thetabites]

I was yapping on some Discord server and my brain spit out the phrase "Edged by the Narrative". Now, I'm not positive nobody's used that before but I think it's a great description for things that have been drawn out far too long.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Gaslighter? I hardly know her!

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[sskk-manifesto]

Ep 4 :)

[slyandthefamilybook]

Wolf 359 may not be horror but it is without a doubt the best example I've seen of how to pace a build-up and disseminate a mystery

[lobpoints]

honestly i’ve recently been brainworming about how even though carmen’s colour is obviously red, in LC her speech box is blue??? both the memories of carmen and angela are just his interpretation of her… i love how on the surface its a hint for the player that they are connected but if you dig deeper it is one of the main reasons he failed w angela!! he only ever knew the version of carmen that existed in his own head, he could never replicate her in her entirety, angela is blue just like his carmen, but his carmen is flawed by design…….

SORRY IF I ANSWER LATE SINCE THIS ASK MAKE ME SIT DOWN AND THINK(TM) A BIT but here are my thoughts on them though it super long and super incoherent since I dont know how to necessary connect points smoothly

On the topic of color coding I actually did talk with my friends a lot on how Carmen's color or at least one that has big impression on Ayin or an indication to their relationship or connection are all red but I didn't know if I was reading too deep in it

For example:

• her eyes

•The red hairband that is said in the artbook to be a present from A

• Bloodbath

And to specifically talk about Bloodbath it is also how Angela offered the manager champagne which resembles the color of her eyes after one of your employee presumably died which is an obvious call back to that one specific passage in Bloodbath but the alcohol that was used in the past scenario was red wine which is the color of Carmen's eyes. I personally interpret this scene as Angela venting her own frustration and despair at the presumingly oblivious manager in the form of her mocking his own sad little story as well

That along with you can see how each sephirot and even including Angela has their own specific color coded letter box that fits their own respective theme while Carmen's is blue which like you said signify her connection to Carmen despite her character color theme have little to do with it and Ayin's color box is red despite his primary color being black and white (additionally I thinks that the way the characters are color coded in LC have to do with their association with respective sephirot in the tree of life in Kabbalah as well but I have not read many researches on this so I cant say for sure im qualified to speak on this topic)

And another thing of the fact that after Angela escaped from her role from lc in lor you actually don't get to see any red accessories or clothing pieces on main her design anymore being not only the red hair band is gone but also the red tie and the red shoes is also a very interesting detail to me and again as seen

I'm still warping my head around what this all mean in full extent and my personal contemplating have me agreeing it does play into Ayin and to an extent Angela's own perception of Carmen that heavily associated with their traumatic association with her seen by how most of the examples I given you here are all extremely emotionally distressing moments or sweet moment that turned distressing/become a bad symbol after bad trauma. Along side with calling to their side of characters that actually resemble and connect to her own. There are parallel to be drawn between Ayin Carmen Angela all together like you once said there are so much Carmen in Angela and Carmen in Ayin and Ayin in Angela and vice versa also literally this

Into the question of Ayin failed with Angela in like, if I understand your question right, is on his attempt to actually create an AI of Carmen out of nothing I personally think that no matter what kind of perception Ayin had of Carmen (though I do agree that it played a part in it) he would still end up with the same type of failed sentient AI because what stopping him from making said AI was not only his own comprehension of Carmen's character but also because he personally view the act itself as something inherently disgusting and morally reprehensible. Abram talking about the making of Sephirot which is the closest to an Angela's creation something only a sick twisted person would do in the main story and Ayin's monolog in Snow Queen saying that Carmen would have been disgusted by him knowing he would do this which indicate that he personally see the act itself as disgusting too. Despite him saying him feeling no guilt here player with full context of the game can immediately deduce like yeah, he was like actively lying to himself about the fact that he feels no guilt in the narration because the whole game is him lying making up scenario for himself in favor of an ultra realization for completion of Carmen's life dream and him being unsure and lying about everything he feels which I personally think would effect his decision in making Angela as well as literally everything he does

(Literally examples for his "I lied, lmao" moment)

And in one QnA where the writer did straight up say that "Ayin simply couldnt and wouldn't make anything resemble Carmen" which can be interpret in a multitude of ways but at the same time PM have not been consistent with their lore answer in QnA in comparison to their plot development as well so take it with a pinch of salt as well. There are many reasons for Ayin to make Angela like That and I have my own personal interpretation of How Ayin Views Carmen personally since many things be affecting his view on her I agree with you but also don't know if you can pinpoint it as the Exact Main Reason to why he failed since not only was he flawed in perceiving Carmen he is flawed in being like, a Committed person along with him being actually very emotionally perceptive of people that he rather just look away from them for his own personal comfort by actively lying to himself about the reality in which he experience along with many other thing

[scienceismygirlfriend]

Reading asks:

2. Flops! Or 9. Compels me tho

2. flops! i consider this one a flop because i really wanted to like it BUT. i did not enjoy Things In Jars. it had a great premise, and i love a ghost sidekick as much as the next guy, but it just did not come together for me. and the most frustrating this is that the things i didn't enjoy about it don't seem to be the things that bothered anyone else who didn't like the book so i didn't even get the cathartic release of reading the two star reviews of the book!!

9. compels me tho: this is maybe a goofy answer but i read the first dinotopia children's novel (Windchaser) while on a road trip and it's pretty simple and predictable but DINOSAURS THOUGH. i don't know why i never read this as a child (i devoured A Land Apart from Time) but i know i would have been soooo annoying about it if i had. it's cute!

[sabertoothwalrus]

Ace Attorney: Trials in Paradise 🌅

— an AA7 fan concept —

Initial Premise:

Since it’s designed for the Switch 2 (and thus made for a larger screen), the game will almost always have 2-3 characters on screen at a time, and will feature dozens of unique interaction animations between all sorts of character combos.

There has been another 7 year timeskip.

The old judge retired, and the new judge is his granddaughter!

The jurist system is featured.

This concept is heavily based around these designs.

The characters would have multiple outfits throughout the game, which become unlockable costumes, much like the DLC costumes of DD, SoJ, and TGAA games.

While this is way too specific to truly be a "prediction" of what aa7 could be, I tried to keep it (mostly) realistic to what I thought could actually be in an ace attorney game!

📦 Case 1: Turnabout Homecoming

Trucy left the nest and Phoenix doesn’t like living alone anymore, so Phoenix is moving into Edgeworth’s house. Apollo— who recently got his driver's license— was driving the moving van, and was accused because a body had been found in the vehicle. The true killer was one of the movers. I like the idea that you'd have to look through boxes for evidence, maybe the murder weapon was hidden within their belongings.

Defendant: Apollo Defense: Phoenix Weird Girl: Edgeworth Prosecutor: Diana Payne (Winston’s daughter) Detective: (drumroll…) Godot!! Witnesses: Larry (he was helping with the move), Leslie (one of the movers) Victim: Bee(another one of the movers) Killer: Anne(third mover)

(rest of the cases and a lotttt more art under the cut ↓ )

🎢 Case 2: Rollercoaster Turnabout

Maya and Pearl are on vacation at Blue Badger Land. Pearl is accused of murder after a body is found on an unpopular attraction that only Pearl enjoys going on. As an aside, Gumshoe is retired from detective work, and now works as a dog trainer. He trained Armando's service dog, Spot O'Coffee. Wendy Oldbag also serves as a witness, but she's pretty old at this point. Her memory has become fuzzy with age, and her testimonies begin to mix up information from other trials (which will be little references to previous games).

Defendant: Pearl Defense: Apollo Weird Girl: Maya Prosecutor: Klavier Detective: Godot Witnesses: Gumshoe (and his kids, Callum & Beau), Wendy Oldbag, Ride Operator Victim: Ride Safety Inspector Killer: Park Manager

💍 Case 3: My Love, Turnabout

Klavier has arranged a collab performance between Trucy and Lamiroir. Hugh Dini, Trucy's assistant and boyfriend, is accused when his stunt double is found dead. Hugh is very cagey about his alibi, but it's because he was planning to propose and didn't want Trucy to know yet. Franziska takes this and spins it into a jealousy plot, and insinuates he killed his stunt double out of envy. Because Hugh is actually pretty shy, he has a habit of not speaking up, which only incriminates him further. A twist in the case is revealed during a cross-examination when it turns out the "gold band" the witness is referring to wasn't Hugh's engagement ring, but instead about a gold bangle. This immediately puts Apollo under suspicion, until Phoenix drops a hint that someone else (Lamiroir) has a gold bracelet as well. The truth about Trucy and Apollo's sibling relationship is revealed when Athena finds an unexpected emotion in Phoenix's mood matrix, and Lamiroir decides it’s time to break the news.

Defendant: Hugh Dini Defense: Athena Weird Girl: Phoenix, Apollo (← steps in when Phoenix has to get cross-examined) Prosecutor: Franziska Detective: Ema Witnesses: Lamiroir, Trucy, Hugh Dini Fangirl Victim: Hugh's Stunt Double Killer: Jealous Trucy Stan

🏝️ Case 4: The Getaway

This one isn’t a traditional case.

After Manfred Von Karma divorced his first wife, Bianka, he moved to Europe, and his previous home was left uninhabited until his eldest daughter, Karla Von Karma, discovers she has inherited it. She decides to turn the beachside property into a bed & breakfast, and invites her half-sister Franziska and adoptive brother Edgeworth to give the manor a trial run and let her know if it’s suitable for visitors. Edgeworth brings along Wright Anything Agency, because… why not treat them to a break?

But of course, their vacation quickly takes a turn when they find a literal skeleton in the closet.

Not all of the rooms in the estate had been searched. Manfred’s study has a large, padlocked safe, and Karla hadn’t gotten around to hiring a locksmith to open it for her. Phoenix tries “0001” for the hell of it, and the only thing more surprising than that combination successfully opening the safe is the body folded up inside.

They can’t imagine the killer was anyone other than Manfred Von Karma, but— since he’s already been executed— they’re not sure if a trial even needs to be held. They need to investigate the situation to determine with absolute certainty it was, in fact, Von Karma, because otherwise they’d need to find a new suspect. Obviously, the group of criminal justice lawyers aren’t not going to get to the bottom of it.

Except Apollo, who has decided he wants nothing to do with solving the murder. He came on this trip for a vacation, dammit, and that's exactly what he's gonna do. He heads back outside to the beach, and leaves everyone else to the investigation.

The first mystery is figuring out when the murder happened. The police arrive, and Ema estimates that the remains are about 30-40 years old, which is around the time the Von Karma family moved out. Since Manfred & Bianka had divorced in 1999, they start to wonder if Manfred had even still been residing here when the murder took place, but the body is found with a train ticket dated for January of 2002. A time period that just so happens to line up with the one singular vacation Manfred took during his entire career— to recover from a gunshot wound that he couldn’t even trust a doctor with knowing about.

The body is wearing a housekeeper's uniform, and they identify her as Ophelia Falsch. They conclude that she was killed because she had discovered Manfred’s injury, and he wanted to eliminate the witness. They think they have the case over and done with, but then Ema comes back with the dental analysis. She explains there was no dental record of an "Ophelia Falsch", but the teeth did match Bianka Von Karma.

This raises some questions. Why was Bianka dressed as Ophelia? Was there a more personal reason Manfred could have killed his ex-wife? Could Ophelia have been involved as well?

Since the murder happened so long ago, they don't even know where to begin with finding witnesses. Karla was 18 at the time of the murder, and had just moved out, so she wasn't present. Edgeworth, of all people, is the one to suggest an unconventional idea: why not ask Von Karma himself?

The manor is in a remote location that's only accessible by train or boat, and since it's late, Maya won't be able to get there until the next morning. In the meantime, they check up on Apollo, only to find him getting scolded by a woman about having his chair on the beach. She explains that she's Karla's daughter, Angelika Von Karma, and that she's impassioned about marine ecology. She just discovered the beach had become a nesting site for an endangered species of sea turtles, and is worried about disrupting it.

The next morning, Maya arrives, and Phoenix and Edgeworth hold a mock trial in the foyer. Manfred is channeled, but is uncooperative, so they try... a different method. Phoenix and Edgeworth perform a reenactment of how they think the murder happened, while Trucy and Athena watch Manfred to see if they can glean any information based on his reactions.

Manfred breaks down and confesses to the murder, but is telling the truth when he says that he didn't know the victim was Bianka; he did, in fact, think he had killed a housekeeper who found out about his gunshot wound. After this, his spirit is released.

As puzzling as this is— who was Ophelia, anyway?— they can't do anymore investigating because Karla has become very upset. The whole ordeal has caused long-repressed emotions to resurface. She's always felt a little bit resentful towards Franziska because their father left Bianka for Franziska's mother, Levina, and always felt like she had her family taken from her. On top of that, Manfred had done everything he could to get full custody of Karla in the divorce, and she never saw her mother again. She's angry that that wasn't enough— he'd gone and killed her too.

Karla and Franziska get into a big fight, and the whole trip ends up cancelled.

🚂 Case 5: Turnabout Train Car

They all board the train to head home. The mood is really awkward and it's kind of a bummer. Since the train is only way out of the area, Karla has to board as well, albeit in another car.

And because nothing is ever easy, there’s a murder on the train.

The victim was the owner of the train, Diesel Porter. He was found in his private sleeping room, and the only other room on that train car was being occupied by Karla, so naturally, she is accused.

Since Ema and the police are already on the train, they’re able to take control of the situation until the train makes it back to town. The Wright Anything Agency isn’t allowed to investigate the crime scene much, so they opt to interrogate the other odd passengers.

They get a helpful tip from the train’s bartender that Cole Porter, son of Diesel Porter, had been making plans to build a resort. They also find out that the train company had been losing money, since they weren’t getting many passengers.

The next day in court, Phoenix claims Cole killed his father to inherit the company, but Cole denies it because, why would he want to inherit a dying company? And Phoenix turns it around by bringing up the resort plans and how he wanted to build it on Karla’s property. He couldn’t just kill Karla, because then they’d have to take care of Angelika and Franziska too, so they needed Karla to feel like she had no choice but to sell it.

The trial goes to recess and Cole is apprehended for questioning, but at that moment they get word that someone else has just been murdered on the train— the bartender from before.

Phoenix goes back to the train investigate and boards when it’s stopped on the mountaintop station. While he’s investigating the train’s caboose, Cole’s wife, Electra, detaches it from the rest of the train. Cole and his wife were in cahoots! Phoenix is sent hurtling backwards down the mountain in the runaway car, and manages to pull the emergency brake just before reaching the bottom. He’s ended up back by the manor, and calls to have a boat sent to pick him up.

While he waits, he finds Angelika is still here studying the turtles. She gives him permission to go inside the manor again to investigate. He finds the deed to the house, along with an old photo that has a letter written on the back. It’s addressed to Bianka from Levina (Franziska’s mother).

The case is solved when Phoenix proves that both Cole & Electra Porter were involved in the murders. The land becomes protected by the government in order to keep the sea turtles safe, since they are endangered.

After the trial, Phoenix shows Karla and Franziska the letter he’d found. It turns out Levina hired Bianka as a housekeeper under the alias “Ophelia” so that she could still see her daughter Karla. The photo depicts a teenage Karla playing with a baby Franziska. Levina and Bianka had a good relationship, and had made efforts to keep their families together.

Karla and Franziska apologize to each other, and agree to get along better.

Defendant: Karla Von Karma Defense: Phoenix Weird Girl: Athena & Apollo Prosecutor: Franziska Detective: Ema & Godot Witnesses: Train Conductor, Old Passenger, Tain Bartender Victim: Diesel Porter Killer: Cole & Electra Porter

💃 (DLC) Case 6: Turnabout Runway

Klavier has been invited as a guest judge for a fashion tv competition. He invites Pearl (and Apollo) to the shooting as an apology for accusing her for murder & because of their shared interest in fashion. "Lip sync for your life" but literally.

Defendant: Lady Killer Defense: Athena Weird Girl: Pearl Prosecutor: Blackquill Detective: Ema Witnesses: ensemble of drag queens/models, Klavier Victim: Taxi Macabre Killer: Paul Rue

[sableeira]

best day of my fucking life ❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

🧪 Character Arcs 101: what they are, what they aren’t, and how to make them hurt

by rin t. (resident chaos scribe of thewriteadviceforwriters)

Okay so here’s the thing. You can give me all the pretty pinterest moodboards and soft trauma playlists in the world, but if your character doesn’t change, I will send them back to the factory.

Let’s talk about character arcs. Not vibes. Not tragic backstory flavoring. Actual. Arcs. (It hurts but we’ll get through it together.)

─────── ✦ ───────

💡 what a character arc IS:

a transformational journey (keyword: transformation)

the internal response to external pressure (aka plot consequences)

a shift in worldview, behavior, belief, self-concept

the emotional architecture of your story

the reason we care

💥 what a character arc is NOT:

a sad monologue halfway through act 2

a single cool scene where they yell or cry

a moral they magically learn by the end

a “development” label slapped on a flatline

─────── ✦ ───────

✨ THE 3 BASIC FLAVORS OF ARC (and how to emotionally damage your characters accordingly):

Positive Arc They start with a flaw, false belief, or fear that limits them. Through the events of the story (and many Ls), they confront that internal lie, grow, and emerge changed. Hurt factor: Drag them through the mud. Make them fight to believe in themselves. Break their trust, make them doubt. Let them earn their ending.

Negative Arc They begin whole(ish) and devolve. They fail to overcome their flaw or false belief. This arc ends in ruin, corruption, or defeat. Hurt factor: Let them almost have a chance. Build hope. Then show how they sabotage it, or how the world takes it anyway. Twist the knife.

Flat/Static Arc They don’t change, but the world around them does. They hold onto a core truth, and it’s their constancy that drives change in others. Think: mentor, revolutionary, or truth-teller type. Hurt factor: Make the world push back. Make their values cost them something. The tension comes from holding steady in chaos.

─────── ✦ ───────

🎯 how to build an arc that actually HITS (no ✨soft lessons✨, just internal structure):

Lie they believe: What false thing do they think about themselves or the world? (“I’m unlovable.” “Power = safety.” “I’m only valuable if I’m useful.”)

Want vs. need: What do they think they want? What do they actually need to grow?

Wound/backstory scar: What made them like this? You don’t need a tragic past™ but you do need cause and effect.

Turning point: What moment forces them to question their worldview? What event cracks the surface?

Moment of choice: Do they change? Or not? What decision seals their arc?

🧪 Pro tip: this is not a worksheet. This is scaffolding. The arc lives in the story, not just your doc notes. The lie isn’t revealed in a monologue, it’s felt through consequences, relationships, mistakes.

─────── ✦ ───────

🛠️ things to actually do with this:

Write scenes where the character’s flaw messes things up. Like, they lose something. A person. A plan. Their cool. Make the flaw hurt.

Track their beliefs like a timeline. How do they start? What chips away at it? When does the shift stick?

Use relationships as arc mirrors. Who challenges them? Enables them? Forces reflection? Internal change is almost never solo.

Revisit the lie. Circle back to it at least three times in escalating intensity. Reminder > confrontation > transformation.

─────── ✦ ───────

🌊 bonus pain level: REVERSE THE ARC

Wanna make it really hurt? Set them up for one arc, and give them the opposite. They think they’re growing into a better person. But actually, they’re losing themselves. They think they’re spiraling. But they’re really healing. Let them be surprised. Let the reader be surprised.

─────── ✦ ───────

TL;DR: If your plot is a skeleton, your character arc is the nervous system.

The change is the thing. Don’t just dress it up in trauma. Don’t let your character learn nothing. Make them face themselves. And yeah. Make it hurt a little. (Or a lot. I won’t stop you.)

—rin t. // thewriteadviceforwriters // plotting pain professionally since forever

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

[frailsituation]

Tips for writing plot twists

1. Start with a false sense of security

• The best plot twists work because the audience feels confident they know what’s coming.

• How? Lay down a trail of clues that mislead without outright lying. Create a sense of inevitability.

• Example: A detective follows all the evidence to one suspect, only for the real criminal to be someone they completely overlooked.

2. Plant the seeds early

• A plot twist is most satisfying when it feels inevitable in hindsight. Subtly sprinkle clues throughout the narrative.

• How? Use small, seemingly insignificant details that take on new meaning after the reveal.

• Example: A side character is always conveniently absent during key events—later revealed to be orchestrating everything.

3. Subvert expectations without betraying logic

• A twist should surprise readers, but it must feel plausible within the story’s framework.

• How? Flip assumptions in a way that feels earned. Avoid twists that rely on coincidences or break the rules of your world.

• Example: A character who appears harmless and incompetent is revealed as the mastermind, with subtle foreshadowing tying everything together.

4. Exploit emotional investment

• Twists land harder when they involve characters the audience deeply cares about. Use relationships and personal stakes to heighten the impact.

• How? Create twists that change how readers perceive the characters they thought they knew.

• Example: The protagonist’s mentor is revealed to be the antagonist, making the betrayal personal and devastating.

5. Use red herrings strategically

• Mislead readers by planting false clues that draw attention away from the real twist.

• How? Make the red herrings believable but not overly obvious. They should enhance, not distract from, the story.

• Example: A mysterious object everyone believes is cursed turns out to be completely irrelevant, shifting focus from the true danger.

6. Timing is everything

• Reveal the twist at the moment it has the most dramatic or emotional weight. Too early, and it loses impact. Too late, and it feels rushed.

• How? Build tension to a breaking point before the twist shatters expectations.

• Example: A twist that flips the climax—when the hero thinks they’ve won, they realize they’ve fallen into the villain’s trap.

7. Allow for multiple interpretations

• A great twist makes readers rethink the entire story, encouraging them to revisit earlier scenes with new understanding.

• How? Design the twist so that the story works both before and after the reveal.

• Example: A character’s cryptic dialogue is recontextualized after the twist, revealing their hidden motives.

8. Pair the twist with consequences

• A twist shouldn’t just shock—it should change the trajectory of the story. Make it matter.

• How? Show how the twist raises the stakes or deepens the conflict, forcing the characters to adapt.

• Example: After discovering the villain is their ally, the protagonist must choose between loyalty and justice.

9. Keep the reader guessing

• A single twist is good, but layered twists create an unforgettable story. Just don’t overdo it.

• How? Build twists that complement each other rather than competing for attention.

• Example: A twist reveals the villain’s plan, followed by a second twist that the hero anticipated it and set a counter-trap.

10. Test the twist

• Before finalizing your twist, ensure it holds up under scrutiny. Does it fit the story’s logic? Does it enhance the narrative?

• How? Ask yourself if the twist creates a moment of genuine surprise while respecting your audience’s intelligence.

• Example: A shocking but clever reveal that leaves readers satisfied rather than feeling tricked.

Follow for more!

[rainbowangel110]

I do see where you're going with the adults still searching/trying to solve the issue, and I do think it's plausible, but it would be interesting to see the trio try to get the team back together (bonus, we get to see how they're holding up after *gestures at 89*)

My main conspiracy thoughts right now:

1.) They very clearly did not show the final cell in the little jail where Spinel is keeping the other five of the Six Heroes. They could have easily showed that it was empty, but they did not. One could argue it's because we can figure out it's empty ourselves, but I would argue that it's because they want us to think it's empty and it's entirely possible there's another prisoner in there.

2.) Exceed has blocked off access to Mt Kumuri, which could be just to keep the public away from Rakurium / Explorer HQ . . . or it could be that and also because they didn't want the Rising Volt Tacklers to find that Friede had been moved. Roy did say, after all, that they had to give up their search after Exceed closed off the mountain. Now, realistically, if Friede actually hit the ground from that height his body would be in pieces. But they aren't going to say that on a show where children are the targeted demographic, so I think it's safe to say that they'd move with the explanation of, "there is no body = he's out there somewhere" rather than "of course there's no body, there wouldn't be one from that height, at least not in one piece." Hence the need to force the RVT to end their search.

3.) Roy says that the RVT disbanded, but I think the actual truth of the matter is the adults told the kids that they were disbanding, but actually, the adults are still working together to try to find Friede / get things worked out. They just wanted the kids away from what was happening, for safety reasons. I could be wrong! But I think it would be kind of OoC for Mollie, Orio, Murdock, and Landau to just completely give up and go back to normal lives, but IC for them to want to do what they can to protect the kids.

[byoldervine]

Foreshadowing Ideas

• Character themes/motifs. I’ve heard of one writer who tries to give each character their own theme for similes, metaphors, descriptions, etc so there’s like a theme to the way they’re portrayed. You could use that to foreshadow notable secrets about the character that will later be revealed, or if at any point they’re disguised then you can use that to tip off the reader that they have the same motifs and so might be related/the same person

• Tiny details hidden in lists. Say the MC was trying to work out the identity of a bad guy, who we know was wearing a red shirt on the day of a big bad event. A few chapters later, MC is checking around their best friend’s room to find them, with the place its usual mess with discarded takeaway boxes, the bed unmade, a red shirt left on the floor that could use a good sweep. The red shirt might not click with all the readers, but those who register it upon their first read will eat it up

• Inconsistent behavioural patterns. Once we have a good idea of what a character is like, having them act out of character can set off alarm bells and make us question what’s occurred to make them act this way. Let the other characters register it too, if it’s reasonable that they would, but let them ultimately brush it off quite quickly to keep it subtle. Or just call it right out, whichever you prefer

• Unreliable narrators. Let one character say one thing and a second character say another, even if they both ultimately agree on the same thing but get one or two small details wrong. Ideally do this two or three times in order for the reader to know it’s not just a mistake in the plot but an intentional inconsistency, but even if it’s only done once and it’s taken as a mistake it’ll still slot together like puzzle pieces in the end and they’ll be kicking themself for dismissing it

• In-universe red herrings. If you’re going to add red herrings as foreshadowing, it’s helpful if the red herring aligns with the intentions of someone person aware of the upcoming plot twist who’s trying to control the narrative. Say the plot twist was the reveal of a mysterious character’s identity to be the best friend of the MC, the best friend might have deliberately thrown the MC off their scent by planting suspicions in the MC’s mind that a different character was the mysterious character’s identity all along. This is less about foreshadowing the actual reveal, of course, but rereads will be a punch to the gut when everyone realises that all this misinformation and red herring business came from someone trying to cover their own ass rather than coming from misunderstandings or multiple other random sources

[zerosomnia]

Thunderbolts John Walker x Reader Scenario: Napping together

Summary: When John naps, you also have to nap. He is the kind of guy that will pick you up and take you with him, regardless of what you're doing. He’d never admit it, but he just can’t fall asleep without you by his side.

Author's Note: I'm probably going to do these scenarios based on my own headcanons with the other characters at some point, but I just had such a clear image of John doing this that I had to get it out. I hope it scratches other people's brains in the same way it did mine.

Word count: 1208

John Walker was a military man, through and through. Routine was his bread and butter. He couldn’t function without it. This meant that he wasn’t the type to nap often, his days were preplanned and rigid, there was little room for the luxury of a nap. That was, until you came along.

With you came space, room to breathe – permission to just be. And that was where John was introduced to the wonder of napping. He, however, was particular about his naps. And not in the ‘I must be in a bed, with the pillows at the right angle and this specific temperature’ kind of way. No. He was a simple man, and he had one, very specific, requirement for his naps. You.

That was precisely why he was awake, despite the irritating prickle of sleep pinching at the corners of his eyes. You weren’t here. In fact, you weren’t just missing, you were late. You had promised to be back by 2 PM, which is why Walker sat on the common room couch at 2:15, staring at the lift like he was trying to will you into existence behind its doors.

It must have worked, because soon the elevator dinged and you glided into the room, mid-laugh as you bantered back and forth with Bob.  You both wandered towards the minibar, placing the stack of books you had bought down on the countertop. Your conversation was lively and bubbly, and you continued like you hadn’t even seen Walker in the room. He rose from the couch, wandering over to wrap his arms around your midsection and rest his chin on your shoulder. You acknowledged him by rubbing his forearm, never breaking away from your conversation – that wasn’t what he wanted.

Bob awkwardly shifted, still enjoying your conversation but struggling not to stare at the unusual sight of a cuddly John Walker. Especially when said John Walker was staring him down with such a fire in his eyes that Bob thought he was willing him to combust.

Eventually, John tired of not being the focus of your attention – and his subtle hints were not working. He had tried gently running his fingers down your arm, with hopes of interlacing your fingers and leading you away but was brushed off so that you could act a statement out using rapid hand gestures. Utterances of your name fell on deaf ears, and deep sighs with puppy dog eyes were ignored.

 You were so frustrating, couldn’t you see that he was tired? He let go of you, not that the action affected you. You kept nattering on – intent on discussing a plot twist in your favourite book with Bob, who was nodding earnestly at every shocking reveal. Walker returned to glaring at Bob, fists clenched and jaw set, hoping that if he could remove the obstacle, then you would return your focus to him. Bob, of course, did nothing except stare back with wide eyes.

Goddammit.

Walker rubbed his face, a tired sigh escaping him. Drastic measures were going to be required. He positioned himself next to you and bent down to wrap his arms around your waist.

“John, what are you – oof!” A shriek escaped you as he picked you up, tossing your body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. You smacked his back in protest. “Bob! Help me!” Bob looked at your grabby hands, starting to move towards you. But one sideways glare from Walker was all it took, and he backed down, arms held up in submission.

“Sorry,” Bob chuckled. John walked you both into the lift, leaving your books scattered about in the common room – you could sort them later.

“I was in the middle of a conversation, John.” Your voice was matter-of-fact but not angry.

“It’s nap time.” You could hear the edge in his voice, how tiredness knawed at the corners of his words. So, you quietened and stared at the wall. Once you reached the living quarters, John beelined past his own door to your room.

See, John didn’t just want to be with you when he napped. He wanted to be surrounded by you, enveloped in your scent, in your warmth. And your room, well, that was just an extension of you.

He knew your door code, of course he did. He had memorised everything about you, meticulously, as if he was going to be tested on it. Because that was just the type of man he was.

Once you were both hidden in the privacy of your room, he placed you gently on the bed. When you tried to get up, he softly pushed you back down. An order without a statement. Stay. You obeyed, watching as he closed your curtains over and found your softest pair of pyjamas. He handed them to you before he pulled his own shirt up over his head. You ogled him, the taught stretch of his muscles as he removed his clothes, stripping down into his underwear. He was a well-built man, with wide shoulders and big arms that allowed him to toss you around like a ragdoll. Yet he was always surprisingly delicate with you, like he’d break you in an instant if he didn’t restrain himself. You followed his lead and changed into your pyjamas, then you scooted back onto your side of the bed, lifting the covers invitingly to him with a warm smile.

John clambered in, body sluggish and slow with fatigue. His head found purchase on your chest, and a low rumble of content could be heard from him as he wrapped an arm around you. His hair tickled at your chin as he settled, and his leg was slung over your thighs; you were effectively pinned. You didn’t mind, though; instead, a comfortable sigh left you while you reached up to run your hands through his hair. You scratched your nails gently across his scalp and down the back of his neck, feeling the muscles of his toned back before you traced your fingers back upwards to repeat the action in a soothing, cyclical fashion. All of his muscles relaxed, like he was a spring that had just uncoiled.

“Can you talk to me… like tell me about your day or something? I like hearing your voice.” His volume was low, like every syllable was a massive effort. You felt a smile rise to your cheeks. You kept your own voice quiet and lilted as you started to tell him about your morning shopping trip. How you had nearly missed your bus to the shopping centre, how Bob had been too polite to escape someone handing out brochures and had gotten stuck talking to them for well over 20 minutes, how you had bought a bullet journal because it had reminded you of him and his routines. You kept talking, even though you had noticed the way his breath slowed barely two minutes in, and the way that his weight had increased like all the resistance had left his body. You stopped, enjoying the feeling of your human weighted blanket. Exhaustion tugged heavily at your eyelids and your vision went hazy. One final thought stood out as you also succumbed to the depths of sleep.

God, you loved nap time.

[eiyriny]

I think MXTX putting the revelation abt JC losing his core to save WWX near the end of the novel is actually a really brilliant move. Besides being a nice plot twist, it also inadvertently acts like a test for us, the readers: are we capable of changing our opinion when we are provided with new information or are we too stuck in our old opinions and hatred no matter what?

It’s like we are experiencing the same thing the characters go through with WWX. They think they already know everything abt him, that he's the Yilling Patriach, the scourage of the world, that he’s ruthless, immoral, and completely evil. And this mirrored exactly how Jiang Cheng is introduced to us. He's spiteful and unreasonably hostile toward the protagonist. Then there's all these bad rumours that surround him. He's exactly introduced in a way for us, the readers to hate him.

But just like the characters journey with WWX, the more the story progresses, the more the story challenges our initial assumptions about JC. The golden core reveal is the pivotal moment that directly forces us to reconsider how we’ve viewed him up until that point, upending everything we thought we knew, where we’re finally confronted with a version of events that completely recontextualizes JC's character.

And just like how some characters in the novel are able to change their opinion on Wei Wuxian, some readers are able to do the same with Jiang Cheng, but there are also those that are still stuck in the past opinions and hatred, like the mob characters that are incapable and unwilling of changing their perspective no matter what new truths come to light.