The Curious Case of Unexpected Developments When Telling A Story
What is Unexpected Development; why use it in storytelling, and what are the 5 types?
A great story can take the reader on a riveting journey that is both familiar and strange. It is a realm where mystery, suspense, and even danger lurk just beneath unrecognizable surfaces.
Unexpected development is a great element of story writing. It can single-handedly make a good story great. The idea behind it is simple: leave readers open to expect the unexpected, when they least expect it.
Why Use Unexpected Development In Your Writing
Readers want their curiosity to be aroused by unplanned twists and turns of events or by a character’s unanticipated reaction to another’s words and actions. This curiosity keeps the pages turning.
Being an avid reader myself, I can tell you from personal experience that readers absolutely love unexpected developments. It enables them to deeply experience the story in a way that they would unlikely experience in ordinary life. It also fills the reader with a sense of wonder about what is going to unfold next and surprises them with unexpected incidents, twists, and disclosures.
Having said that, creating unexpected developments is an art that is as difficult to master as it is rewarding. Not only does it require fluency in written English (or whatever your language of choice is), but its success also depends on how you tell it and how much you reveal.
Unexpected events and disclosures need to be plausible. You don’t want to risk disrupting your reader’s willing suspension of disbelief with a situation that doesn’t ring true or seems arbitrary. The ingredients for a surprise should already be implicit in the story or the character’s nature.
The 5 Types of Unexpected Development
The first step in becoming adept at taking your readers on a roller coaster ride is to know the types of unexpected development and which one to introduce or rely on for your story.
There are five types, any or all of which can be used to transform an ordinary plot into an extraordinary epic story.
- Appearances turn out to be illusionary
- A character reveals his or her hidden intentions or feelings
- Setbacks occur that threaten to undo the process
- A sudden insight illuminates a seemingly insurmountable problem
- The protagonist’s goal proves tougher than expected
In addition to the above story-based techniques for upending reader expectations, there are rhetorical techniques, clever turns of phrases, unusual metaphors, or startling widgets that can enhance the reader’s involvement in the story.
To conclude, using the concept of unexpected development is a great way to tell a story. If you have any comments on this subject or my analysis, I’d love to hear them!
