How many twists are too many?

For some people there is nothing better than a good twist.  The most memorable movies are the ones than leave you trying to figure out what just happened and how you didn't see it coming.  One of my favorite movies is the Usual Suspects (possible spoiler ahead - but seriously the movie is great and was released in 1995 - if you haven't seen it go out right now and see it!) for the simple reason that the movie convinced me I knew who Keyser Soze was.  I knew it was Gabriel Byrne from the start, no doubt, roll the credits, pat myself on the back, and then woosh, the carpet was just ripped out from under me.  I think I actually sat in a stunned silence for a few minutes.

Writing fiction can sometimes lead you to try and recreate these types of scenarios, and there is nothing wrong with that.  If you read my last blog entry I try and use an early shock to draw in the reader.  However, you have to be cautious how many of these twists you use in a story.  It seems logical that the more exciting things happening in a book the more the reader will be engaged.  The trick to really good writing in my opinion is being able to engage the reader while less exciting things are happening.

Certainly easier said than done!  One way I try to write engaging fiction is by picturing a peaks and valley's system.  For each valley of the story your reader in my mind is reading quickly like running downhill into the valley.  The story is exciting and different events are happening.  Once the event is over and the reader is at the bottom of the valley the next step is to get them to the top of the next peak.  As someone who as an adult and a child seemed to always be hiking up some mountain or another I was excited to approach the peak.  In my mind I would imagine what it would look like at the top.  I now keep that same philosophy in mind to try and create suspense and intrigue in my writing.  Often what could happen in the story is just as engaging as what is happening.  For each peak I have the reader slowly climbing I am attempting to build their enthusiasm for what will be at the top.  Once you are at the top there are many ways to fulfill the reader.  Even, as in the case of the Usual Suspects it involves pushing them right off the cliff :)

For ease of following my concept (and because I felt like drawing a picture) here is what I keep in my mind for pretty much the entire time I am writing:

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