I'm currently writing a story where the one who physically committed the murder is known from the beginning, but the mystery is about why he did it. This was very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you thank you thank you! That was so enlightening, and truly made the job of creating any sort of plot twist a fun, creative endeavor. Turning right around to watch it again this moment.
wowww this video really nailed down the mechanics of a good plot twist in a simple yet comprehensive way, thank you 👍👍 p.s. i'm taking this as a lovely gift from you too because it also happens to be my birthday today! 😆
Thus was a REALLY good video. You truly are just getting better and better and better! Great job! I know u were thinking about writing a book...I personally would love to see you do an online class where people get the opportunity to write pretty much the whole cozy with I put from u and other classmates. Just a thought! Again, loved this one!!
Thanks, Linette! I honestly still am not sure exactly what I want to do in terms of book/course/etc. Putting this series together is really helping me clarify how to express my ideas, though.
Late to the party, but just wanted to say you have a really great grasp of mysteries! Thanks for your advice, your examples and explanations are very easy to understand.
Thank you for getting to the point from the start, and not give a bunch of bs just to say what you could have said from the start. I got the point from your first explanation. Subbed
my friends and I do some mystery writing games with each other for fun, and this video was so so helpful and informative! I've been trying to get better at understanding how to write (and solve) mysteries, and you break everything down in a really understandable way with some great examples. Thanks so much! I can't wait to watch your other videos!
I am absolutely in awe with your mind. You capture everything and lay it out In such easy terms, one can’t help but understand. I thank you so much for your knowledge because you have helped me many times! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ❤❤❤
Being a mystery writer is really about being able to construct multiple consistent narratives that the readers will naturally believe in or consider throughout the story, intertwining and diverging at certain plot points
You'll reach a thousand subscribers soon, I've subscribed just now. This video is helpful (I've only watched this one yet), and I like your channel's branding, and this video editing is on top. I'm actually on the lookout for best video editing practices because I'd like to start my own channel soon-ish (it won't be in English so don't worry about competition 🤗). Thank you for tips and examples that you've provided.
Thanks for subbing! I am VERY excited to get to 1000! I’ve learned a lot about editing from the Film Booth channel. Also a big fan of Channel Makers. Good luck with your channel!
While this video is great, the only complaint I had was that your definition of a plot twist was actually the definition of subverting expectations, while the definition of a plot twist is an event that changes the trajectory of the plot.
Hrmm I'd say that this is almost like a Watsonian vs Doylian sort of distinction, but also I think this video is particularly about the kinds of plot twists you get in mysteries, and particularly about surprising readers (Doylist in perspective). This video deals with the sort of plot twists that will surprise the *reader*, rather than simply taking the characters on a different track, which involves a sort of distanced meta perspective examination on subverting expectations of genre and so on.
Thanks for al the great video's, they are really helpful. Sometimes however, using to many guidelines/tools can lead to predictive writing, especially in tv series of the past couple of years. The story becomes a victim of the format it is suppose to fit in. Your example is a really nice one, me as a sleuth would emediately expect the motive NOT to be financial because so many modern writers can't resist putting in obvious plot twists like that and it just reminds me I'm consuming a story some person has written behind a desk somewhere. Any tips on keeping it fresh and unpredictable?
Hmm... to me, I think that's going to come down to everything surrounding the twist. Are the characters interesting in their own right? Have you captured the magic of the particular world your book is set in? Things like this.
Hi! I know this was posted a year ago, but I just came across your channel recently and so far your videos have been super helpful! One question I have regarding plot twists is how do you know which plot twist to go with for your story when you have more than one that ties into the theme of your story perfectly? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
Hi, Mary! That can be a tough decision for sure. I think one good way to address it is with a simple pros and cons list. What realizations can you imagine your protagonist coming to with each twist? What scene can you imagine writing for it? What subsidiary characters will get good storylines based on each twist? Think about things like this, then make a pros and cons list for each twist. Hopefully that will get you closer to an answer.
@@janekalmes Thank you so much, Jane! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question. I also think I struggle with getting too excited about my story and my mind likes to do this thing where it keeps coming up with more ideas as I write each chapter lol. I love the concept of doing a pros and cons list though! I'll give that a try :)
4:20 Around this time, you mentioned little clues early in the story. Do these clues need to be repeated in some way, to keep them in the reader's mind? Thank you!
I kinda hope Pemberton's maid gets away with it. This was very helpful! It put a structure on something I naturally (and unconsciously) tend to do anyway, but this will make it reproducible. Thanks!
I like plot twists, if they are presented to the audience sometime during the story. If the twist is presented at the end, that makes for a poor mystery. Clues are withheld from the audience. They have no chance to figure it out for themselves.
Hello great info I just need some help if you could. I just want to make sure I understand the genre of my novel. I'll give a brief description so basically, it's about a father who doesn't believe the coroner's report on his son's death, and so he starts investigating on his own. The closer he gets to finding out the truth (if there is a truth) the more suspicious certain people act. So the reason I'm asking is because usually whenever people talk about mysteries it usually revolves around a cop or detective..but when it's just an ordinary guy is there a specific type of writing or sub-genre associated with it? I'm sure I'm thinking too hard about this lol but I'd like to hear your opinion.
Hi! There are lots of mystery subgenres, and while some deal almost exclusively with police officers as the investigators, others don’t. One genre that deals with amateur sleuths is the “cozy” genre. This is what I write, but the detail about your synopsis that makes me feel like it isn’t a cozy is the dead son. Typically, cozies are not very emotionally distressing, but it sounds like your protagonist will be dealing with some very heavy emotions. Another genre that usually deals with amateur sleuths is the “psychological thriller” genre. From your description, this is what your book sounds most like to me. But psychological thrillers do require some danger or suspense. Is that a feature of your book? Some popular psychological thriller authors include Tana French and Gillian Flynn. You might pick up one or two of their books and see whether your book feels similar.
@@janekalmes Thank you so much for your reply I'm pretty sure it is not a psychological Thriller I'm aware of that genre and I'm aware that usually in that genre the cliche is that it was all in the protagonist's head at the end LOL more so in the movies than the novel's but this is not that kind of novel this is literally an ordinary dad who lost his son and doesn't believe the coroner's report about it so he does his own investigating I'm thinking possibly it's a domestic mystery? Or a domestic mystery thriller? Towards the middle of the novel the stakes get higher for the dad the closer he gets to finding out the truth I think it's a combination of a few genres? So because it doesn't start off like a traditional thriller where the main character is in trouble right off the bat that rules it out for being a traditional thriller.. but there's definitely no psychological thriller elements in this one.
Hmm, if I’m honest, I don’t know exactly how to position your book into a subgenre- but I’m confident that there’s one out there for it! You could take a look at Sharp Objects by. Gillian Flynn, which also involves an amateur investigating the death of family members, or perhaps Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, which has some similar themes and involves storylines both from professional law enforcement and from amateurs. See if either of those feels similar to what you’ve got?
@@janekalmes thank you I appreciate the reply I will definitely look into those books I was thinking possibly if anyting it's closer to the movie The Fugitive except the main character is not trying to prove his innocence and of course the fugitive is like the perfect suspense-thriller in the traditional sense. I saw Mystic River the movie, was that based off the book you mentioned?
Yup, they’re one and the same. As you say, your plot has a lot in common with the Fugitive-an ordinary guy finds that a crime has intruded on his life, and he must solve it. This honestly doesn’t seem like an unfamiliar trope, which is why I'm confident there are other mysteries out there that are similar to yours. I'm just not exactly sure if there’s a name for a subgenre of such books. I’ve googled “popular mystery subgenres” a few times since we've been talking, but none of the lists I’ve found include an entry that seems right on the money. If there is a name for this subgenre, though, finding it will be very helpful to you, so you can look up the big sellers in that genre and see how they are marketed.
Okay, did anyone else ever watch Planet of the Apes and not assume that it was a different planet? Coz I thought it was Earth the whole time and the end scene was kind of bland in that regard. I blame watching Spaceballs first.
What's the MOTIVE for your mystery villain? Check this out for inspiration: th-cam.com/video/L9cwWw8D_vo/w-d-xo.html
RING RING RING! Would ya look at that! It’s my underrated youtubers alarm!!
Haha, thank you so much!
I'm currently writing a story where the one who physically committed the murder is known from the beginning, but the mystery is about why he did it. This was very helpful. Thank you!
way to demystify a mystery! Hahha - thank you for making it simple - look at assumptions to create a twist!
Heh… I may have been thinking of that exact phrase as a tag line… :-)
Thank you thank you thank you!
That was so enlightening, and truly made the job of creating any sort of plot twist a fun, creative endeavor.
Turning right around to watch it again this moment.
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
wowww this video really nailed down the mechanics of a good plot twist in a simple yet comprehensive way, thank you 👍👍 p.s. i'm taking this as a lovely gift from you too because it also happens to be my birthday today! 😆
Thank you! And have a very happy birthday!
Yeah, about that book... :-) As always, a great video, Jane. Thanks for all the time you put in and for sharing your wonderful brain. Cheers!
You are so welcome! I so appreciate having you in my corner!
Fantastic video!!
This was such a well explained and thought out video, wow! You now have a new subscriber! 💜
Welcome aboard, I’m so glad you liked it!
Thus was a REALLY good video. You truly are just getting better and better and better! Great job! I know u were thinking about writing a book...I personally would love to see you do an online class where people get the opportunity to write pretty much the whole cozy with I put from u and other classmates. Just a thought! Again, loved this one!!
Not "I put"...Input
Lol
Thanks, Linette! I honestly still am not sure exactly what I want to do in terms of book/course/etc. Putting this series together is really helping me clarify how to express my ideas, though.
@@janekalmes Well, no matter what you choose to do...I'm in! You are helping me soooo much so TY TY TY!!
This was INCREDIBLY helpful. Thank you so much!
You’re so welcome!
Late to the party, but just wanted to say you have a really great grasp of mysteries! Thanks for your advice, your examples and explanations are very easy to understand.
I’m so glad to hear it, thank you!
Very helpful video for writers... Will be following and watching previous videos too. Thank you for this video.
Yay, welcome aboard!
Thank you for getting to the point from the start, and not give a bunch of bs just to say what you could have said from the start. I got the point from your first explanation. Subbed
my friends and I do some mystery writing games with each other for fun, and this video was so so helpful and informative! I've been trying to get better at understanding how to write (and solve) mysteries, and you break everything down in a really understandable way with some great examples. Thanks so much! I can't wait to watch your other videos!
You’re so welcome! Glad these helped!
Yay! Another great video Jane!! xoxo
So glad you liked it!
I am absolutely in awe with your mind. You capture everything and lay it out In such easy terms, one can’t help but understand. I thank you so much for your knowledge because you have helped me many times! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ❤❤❤
You’re so welcome!
Excellent video. Thank you.
You’re so welcome!
Good video.
Very well explained.
Thank you!😊
Being a mystery writer is really about being able to construct multiple consistent narratives that the readers will naturally believe in or consider throughout the story, intertwining and diverging at certain plot points
You'll reach a thousand subscribers soon, I've subscribed just now. This video is helpful (I've only watched this one yet), and I like your channel's branding, and this video editing is on top. I'm actually on the lookout for best video editing practices because I'd like to start my own channel soon-ish (it won't be in English so don't worry about competition 🤗). Thank you for tips and examples that you've provided.
Thanks for subbing! I am VERY excited to get to 1000!
I’ve learned a lot about editing from the Film Booth channel. Also a big fan of Channel Makers. Good luck with your channel!
@@janekalmes Ah, yes, those are great channels. :) Thank you again 💝
Thank you! This is my first time to watch one of your videos and definitely won't be the last!
Yay! Thank you!
Brilliant. I'm glad I found your site and think I will be binge watching your videos.
Welcome aboard!
This is insanely helpful! Thank you so much!
You’re so welcome!
While this video is great, the only complaint I had was that your definition of a plot twist was actually the definition of subverting expectations, while the definition of a plot twist is an event that changes the trajectory of the plot.
I like your analytical mind! I wouldn’t claim my definition is the only possible one, but it’s what I use, and I think it has great utility.
Hrmm I'd say that this is almost like a Watsonian vs Doylian sort of distinction, but also I think this video is particularly about the kinds of plot twists you get in mysteries, and particularly about surprising readers (Doylist in perspective). This video deals with the sort of plot twists that will surprise the *reader*, rather than simply taking the characters on a different track, which involves a sort of distanced meta perspective examination on subverting expectations of genre and so on.
Thanks for al the great video's, they are really helpful. Sometimes however, using to many guidelines/tools can lead to predictive writing, especially in tv series of the past couple of years.
The story becomes a victim of the format it is suppose to fit in.
Your example is a really nice one, me as a sleuth would emediately expect the motive NOT to be financial because so many modern writers can't resist putting in obvious plot twists like that and it just reminds me I'm consuming a story some person has written behind a desk somewhere.
Any tips on keeping it fresh and unpredictable?
Hmm... to me, I think that's going to come down to everything surrounding the twist. Are the characters interesting in their own right? Have you captured the magic of the particular world your book is set in? Things like this.
@@janekalmes Thanks for your reply!
Hi! I know this was posted a year ago, but I just came across your channel recently and so far your videos have been super helpful! One question I have regarding plot twists is how do you know which plot twist to go with for your story when you have more than one that ties into the theme of your story perfectly? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
Hi, Mary! That can be a tough decision for sure. I think one good way to address it is with a simple pros and cons list. What realizations can you imagine your protagonist coming to with each twist? What scene can you imagine writing for it? What subsidiary characters will get good storylines based on each twist? Think about things like this, then make a pros and cons list for each twist. Hopefully that will get you closer to an answer.
@@janekalmes Thank you so much, Jane! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question. I also think I struggle with getting too excited about my story and my mind likes to do this thing where it keeps coming up with more ideas as I write each chapter lol. I love the concept of doing a pros and cons list though! I'll give that a try :)
4:20 Around this time, you mentioned little clues early in the story. Do these clues need to be repeated in some way, to keep them in the reader's mind? Thank you!
I kinda hope Pemberton's maid gets away with it. This was very helpful! It put a structure on something I naturally (and unconsciously) tend to do anyway, but this will make it reproducible. Thanks!
I like plot twists, if they are presented to the audience sometime during the story. If the twist is presented at the end, that makes for a poor mystery. Clues are withheld from the audience. They have no chance to figure it out for themselves.
Hello great info I just need some help if you could. I just want to make sure I understand the genre of my novel. I'll give a brief description so basically, it's about a father who doesn't believe the coroner's report on his son's death, and so he starts investigating on his own. The closer he gets to finding out the truth (if there is a truth) the more suspicious certain people act. So the reason I'm asking is because usually whenever people talk about mysteries it usually revolves around a cop or detective..but when it's just an ordinary guy is there a specific type of writing or sub-genre associated with it? I'm sure I'm thinking too hard about this lol but I'd like to hear your opinion.
Hi! There are lots of mystery subgenres, and while some deal almost exclusively with police officers as the investigators, others don’t. One genre that deals with amateur sleuths is the “cozy” genre. This is what I write, but the detail about your synopsis that makes me feel like it isn’t a cozy is the dead son. Typically, cozies are not very emotionally distressing, but it sounds like your protagonist will be dealing with some very heavy emotions.
Another genre that usually deals with amateur sleuths is the “psychological thriller” genre. From your description, this is what your book sounds most like to me. But psychological thrillers do require some danger or suspense. Is that a feature of your book?
Some popular psychological thriller authors include Tana French and Gillian Flynn. You might pick up one or two of their books and see whether your book feels similar.
@@janekalmes Thank you so much for your reply I'm pretty sure it is not a psychological Thriller I'm aware of that genre and I'm aware that usually in that genre the cliche is that it was all in the protagonist's head at the end LOL more so in the movies than the novel's but this is not that kind of novel this is literally an ordinary dad who lost his son and doesn't believe the coroner's report about it so he does his own investigating I'm thinking possibly it's a domestic mystery? Or a domestic mystery thriller? Towards the middle of the novel the stakes get higher for the dad the closer he gets to finding out the truth I think it's a combination of a few genres? So because it doesn't start off like a traditional thriller where the main character is in trouble right off the bat that rules it out for being a traditional thriller.. but there's definitely no psychological thriller elements in this one.
Hmm, if I’m honest, I don’t know exactly how to position your book into a subgenre- but I’m confident that there’s one out there for it! You could take a look at Sharp Objects by. Gillian Flynn, which also involves an amateur investigating the death of family members, or perhaps Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, which has some similar themes and involves storylines both from professional law enforcement and from amateurs. See if either of those feels similar to what you’ve got?
@@janekalmes thank you I appreciate the reply I will definitely look into those books I was thinking possibly if anyting it's closer to the movie The Fugitive except the main character is not trying to prove his innocence and of course the fugitive is like the perfect suspense-thriller in the traditional sense. I saw Mystic River the movie, was that based off the book you mentioned?
Yup, they’re one and the same. As you say, your plot has a lot in common with the Fugitive-an ordinary guy finds that a crime has intruded on his life, and he must solve it. This honestly doesn’t seem like an unfamiliar trope, which is why I'm confident there are other mysteries out there that are similar to yours. I'm just not exactly sure if there’s a name for a subgenre of such books. I’ve googled “popular mystery subgenres” a few times since we've been talking, but none of the lists I’ve found include an entry that seems right on the money. If there is a name for this subgenre, though, finding it will be very helpful to you, so you can look up the big sellers in that genre and see how they are marketed.
"Overacted"? How would you react if your entire world had disappeared?
Okay, did anyone else ever watch Planet of the Apes and not assume that it was a different planet? Coz I thought it was Earth the whole time and the end scene was kind of bland in that regard. I blame watching Spaceballs first.
It's always funny when you have an experience like that, and interact with a piece of fiction differently than most other people!
It doesn’t come out of left field, as they were digging up talking human dolls and so on in the middle of the film.
Funny that red herrings are just plot twists that aren't true
Whoops! That was not supposed to go live until tomorrow morning. So I guess you got a sneak peek!