Many screenwriters, particularly in thriller and mystery genres, withhold vital information to intrigue readers. Key plot points must be delivered when the audience requires the information; not sooner, not later. Delivering information too soon will confuse the audience with seemingly irrelevant and abundant information. Conversely, delivering information too late will leave your audiences bewildered and alienated.
However the dance of the reveal (set up and pay off) can be used to engage the audience, particularly to reveal subtext and complicate plot to generate interest.
Reveals can be backstory and front story (foreshadowing). They help readers understand the motivation behind the characters’ choices which drive the plot. If this is held back too long, the audience loses their emotional attachment. Audiences need to empathize with your characters, understand travel their emotional and physical journey with them. This ensures that the audience cares about your characters’ fate. There must be an emotional investment so audiences root for them and are curious enough to see how the story ends.
A certain amount of audience guesswork causes titillation and intrigue. It draws them into the story by forcing them to figure out what happened and why. At this point, we can add plot complications, reversals, anticipations, expectations, surprises and other plot devices to raise the stakes for the characters. This should culminate to the two turning points in your story and eventually to a climax and resolution.
Plot twists add an element of surprise, but shouldn’t be entirely unexpected or inconsistent with the characters’ goals, conflicts and arc. Twists also shouldn’t be coincidences or contrivances which will almost certainly raise the ire of unforgiving audiences.
These dramatic plot devices shouldn’t be instrumental to your story. They should only serve as enhancements. Nor should every plot device appear in every story. The audience needs to connect to your main characters, antagonists, goals, conflicts and their emotional growth/ change along the way. Audiences don’t like to be controlled or cheated.
It’s rather like renting a car and being issued with a steering wheel towards the end of your journey. Give drivers a complete car and let them discover the acceleration, turning speed, and braking distance along the way and have a satisfying driving experience. However, drivers need to adjust to a car before trying the fancy stunts.
Maria Lennon
December 11, 2011
Wow, I love the article. It is so very helpful. Thank you.
JG Sarantinos
December 27, 2011
glad u liked it.