Bramblethorn
Sleep-deprived
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2012
- Posts
- 16,863
Twist endings. Love 'em, when they're done well. But there's one thing that often ruins a twist for me: when the author achieves that twist by withholding information from the reader that ought to be obvious to the characters involved.
I'll make an exception for stories where the protagonist/POV character is meant to be dishonest, and revelation of that dishonesty is part of the twist. ("Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?" is a famous example). It can also work well in some kinds of comic writing.
But in most kinds of storytelling - and certainly in most erotica - you want your audience to empathise with your POV characters. If the author withholds information that's important to understanding those characters' behaviour, it sabotages that empathy and it feels gimmicky.
At least, that's my two cents' worth. How do others feel about it? What makes the difference between a clever twist and one that just feels like a cop-out?
I'll make an exception for stories where the protagonist/POV character is meant to be dishonest, and revelation of that dishonesty is part of the twist. ("Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?" is a famous example). It can also work well in some kinds of comic writing.
But in most kinds of storytelling - and certainly in most erotica - you want your audience to empathise with your POV characters. If the author withholds information that's important to understanding those characters' behaviour, it sabotages that empathy and it feels gimmicky.
At least, that's my two cents' worth. How do others feel about it? What makes the difference between a clever twist and one that just feels like a cop-out?