For me, it is the unexpected. I was watching The Hangover the other night (Loved it! Don’t watch the trailer if you haven’t seen as it gives away some of the unexpected. Doh!) and found myself getting right into it. What was it that sucked me in? The unexpected. Yes, it drove me a bit crazy in the beginning that these guys had had a huge room wrecker of a bachelor party and couldn’t remember a thing from the night before. But what truly made this story great was the unexpected. It was one big unexpected event after another. It was unexpected for the characters and unexpected for the viewer. Yet, it was all still believable. Tiger in the hotel bathroom–unexpected. Believable? Actually, yes!

The joy of discovering something unexpected is the same when I read. I think one of the reasons I loved The Flying Troutmans and The Glass Castle was the unexpectedness of events and character reactions. Yet, it all fit and that made it believable.

When I am writing, it is the same thing. I’m trucking along, putting it down and then ‘whoa!’ a character just got arrested. ‘Whoa!’ a character just revealed an 18 month long affair. It is invigorating and exciting. It surprises me and makes me pay attention. (This is actually how we humans are programmed–a change in patterns is surprising, which in turn, gets our interest. Survival instincts kick in and we assess that change for danger or reward.) Most times, the surprises that my muse presents are like little treats for the brain.

However, when seeking to add an unexpected twist in our writing, we need to ensure that this unexpected element will stay within character and fit the story. If we sensationalize for the sake of throwing our readers off balance, we may get their attention, but we’ll also leave them with empty, meaningless surprise and no message. And that’s no fun.

Has something unexpected caught you off guard and grabbed your attention lately?