Last week I added an ottendorf cypher to mine, and I only just got around to writing about it yesterday. I'd say it added about 800 words to my novel (not to mention all the words it will create in the future) and probably %10 intrigue to my plot. I already have a labyrinth, a headless horseman, mountain goats, a dragon, an argyria-stricken cult group, and seven mystical islands. How possibly could I cram anything more in?
This time I'm going to thicken my plot by adding something not quite so fantastical. My main character is going to become one of the villains...without even knowing it. Well, she knows it, but doesn't.
She basically dresses up and passes herself off as the secondary villain character to escape impending doom. But what she doesn't realize is that she's not just playing dress up. People actually take her seriously and carry out her orders. Without meaning to, she kind of throws her fellow servants under the bus while at the same time strengthening and saving her enemies.
I like this twist because my main character has spent her entire life opposing this villain, only to become her. Not only will this thicken the plot, but I needed a way to make my main character simmer down from her revengeful and prideful ways. Becoming the villain kind of makes her start to realize that perhaps revenge is not the best way to deal with her mother's death.
Anyways, I could continue and probably end up spilling my entire plot here if I don't stop. (Before November, my outline was 50k words already so trust me, you don't want to hear the entire plot right now.)
So I challenge you today, if you're writing, to add something in to your story that you didn't plan on having there this morning. It can be a huge plot twist, or it can be a side thing that's small and out of the story again within a few paragraphs. Throwing yourself surprises is one way to keep your story fresh and new.
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