ABSTRACT
In this chapter we will focus on the set-up, the plot twist, and the twist ending. A set-up is the use of a piece of information, a prop, or a character’s distinct talent or knowledge to generate a striking effect in a story’s narrative, generally during the third act. Plot twists are set-ups and pay-offs that dramatically alter the narrative, and, if the pay-off happens at the end of the third act, this is regarded as a twist ending. But no matter how a writer may employ any of these methods, they must never lose sight of the validity of their characters. We will consider the Twilight Zone style approach to this procedure in the episode “One for the Angels” as well as in the feature The Sixth Sense. We’ll look at how strong character development grounded the tortuous plots of Get Out and Gone Girl and how this method is a staple of today’s television, as in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Finally, we will illustrate how artful set-ups and pay-offs can enhance any genre, including comedy, as we will see in Legally Blonde and My Cousin Vinny.