“Well, I Didn’t See That Coming….”

Hello and welcome to my end-of-month blog post!

(I know, I know, this newsletter is getting posted several days early—but with Easter being the last day of the month this year, it makes more sense to move this newsletter to an earlier date. And it fits with the title of this post.)

You can read last month’s newsletter here.

Following the very loose pattern I decided to set, these posts are a chance for me to write about one of the things I love: Stories. These are also a chance for you to read about something you love as well. (Because if you are reading this, I’m guessing that you enjoy stories too.) If that’s true, pull up a chair, get cozy, and let’s talk about stories with unexpected twists.

The Unexpected

Whether it’s a blindsiding betrayal, a crucial plot point that was so masterfully woven throughout the whole tale that it doesn’t get noticed until the “Big Reveal,” or even a wholesomely heartwarming ending to an otherwise dark and tragic tale, I love it when stories don’t go the way we think they’ll go.

(I love it so much that I frequently play around with that style of storytelling in my own writing.)

For my part, I think that the more books and stories you read, the more familiar you become with plots, character arcs, themes, and the pattern that stories within genres normally set for themselves. (The pattern of stories is related to tropes, and if you’re looking for humorous posts on well-known tropes, I have a couple listed later on in this post.) You even start to predict their patterns pretty consistently with the more stories you read.

We see this so often in our culture—movies and TV shows often follow specific patterns because those patterns work. People watch them. They’re enjoyable, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

In rom-coms, the main protagonist gets their love interest. In superhero-themed stories, the hero(es) defeats the main villain and saves the day/the city/the world from being ruined. In murder-mysteries, the murder is solved, the mystery is unraveled, and the butler didn’t necessarily do it. In westerns, there’s a shoot-out—usually at sundown. In sci-fi stories, humans usually come into contact with hostile alien races. In humorous fiction… well, in humorous fiction, you expect there to be funny moments. (This last example limps a little, but you get what I mean.)

The list goes on and on. Now, don’t get me wrong, these are all good, enjoyable themes, tropes, and story elements when they’re skillfully employed. As readers, we even expect them and are sometimes dissatisfied when the story doesn’t go the way we think it will go.

However, there are also times—and I’m not naming names here—when the patterns become worn and tired because that’s how the stories always go. Such tales (especially when they’re being told in a lengthy series) become stagnant and predictable. And that’s the last thing we want!

So when a story comes along and subverts those patterns, turning away from the expected—quite unexpectedly—that can be rather refreshing!

In such stories, the storyteller often employs the art of misdirection like a skillful street performer of close-up magic, seemingly leading you one way only to have you wind up somewhere else entirely at the story’s end.

I think one of the reasons I love such stories is that they tend to keep you on your toes, or on the edge of your seat, turning the pages one after the other as you wonder, “What comes next?” Hopefully, by the end of such a story, you’re able to say to yourself, “Well, I didn’t see that coming…” And be satisfied with the fact that you didn’t.

On that note… What comes next?

With April coming up, here are a couple of exciting things to watch for on this blog site:

The next installment in my blog series, “Poking Fun at Fantasy Tropes” comes out in the middle of the month. Check out the first humorous post in the series, The Uninviting Tavern, and the second post, What Kind of Hero Are You Looking For? if you haven’t read them yet!

I’m continuing to post short stories on the blog twice a week! You can find the first eight on the blog page. These are all from my book, Collected Short Stories: Volume One. If you’re wondering why I would post stories from a book that I’m trying to sell, this post gives a (hopefully) satisfying answer.

I nearly forgot to include this: My first book, A House Named Haven, turns three in April! In celebration of this story being nearly old enough to go to school, I’ll be running a free book giveaway on the blogsite! Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks. [UPDATE: This giveaway ended on 4/30/24.]

Don’t want to miss out?

Subscribe to the website and you’ll receive an email as soon as new posts come out! In addition to being among the first to know about new blog posts, you’ll also periodically receive exclusive content such as first-looks at new short stories and books!

Until next time,

Al