[Books] Plot Twist Ideas - Suggestions

[cubby]

(I hesitate to put this on these forums, but I'm stuck, and my normal writing forums are not helping much, so here goes)

I'm working on a book with a vigilante/thriller theme. I've got my Main Character working through a hit list, based on his own reasons. His helper is a woman I've also got a villain who is trying to gain from these events. I'm 40k words into the novel.

I need help with two things:

1) I need some minor/major plot twists. I'm stuck on how to put in a few turns to spice it up.
2) I want to add another bad guy, but not sure how.

Any suggestions would be most welcome. I'll answer questions if you them.

Also, someone just asked me this - if you want to send me an idea privately, please do - I know some people don't want their creativity criticized.

Thanks ahead of time!

[Weaponized Nuclear Kitten]

It was all a dream.

The woman is actually a man on his hit list who had a sex change operation, making her a double agent.

The Main Character was the Bad Guy all along, he has split personality disorder.

The Main Character is delusional and is committing homicide for no reason, the woman is actually a dog with a pink bow, and the bad guy is a dumpster with the word Evil spray painted on it.

The Main Character's mother had a torrid love affair with the Bad Guy many years ago, revealing that the Bad Guy is really the Main Character's father.

The Bad Guy is actually the Main Character from the future, who has returned to prevent a tragedy in the Main Character's life.

The Woman and the Main Character have a sensual and erotic night of passion, however, afterwards he finds out that she is a petri dish of STDs, which he is now afflicted with.

The Main Character finds out that the whole thing was orchestrated by a malevolent Chess Master. Every move he made was calculated, and he has been nothing more than a pawn.

The Main Character's brother is the Bad Guy.

The Woman is actually the Main Character's long lost sister.

The Bad Guy is only low level management in a shadowy organization with the power to topple the governments of 1st world countries.

Every character except for the Main Character are actually ghosts.

The Main Character is a ghost, everyone else is alive.

Every character except for the Main Character are actually robots.

The Main Character reveals that he is a homosexual, and that the hit list is a series of ex-boyfriends.

Puppies.

The President is actually a slayer of vampires, and freed the slaves as a method to exterminate their food source.

The Main Character falls in love with a brooding, mysterious woman with super strength, and speed, who sparkles when in contact with sunlight.

It is revealed that the Main Character's parents died in front of him as a child, leading him to a double life where he is a billionare playboy philanthropist during the day, and a cold merciless vigilante at night.

The Woman is actually an alien sent to Earth to learn about the concept of love. Together, she and the Main Character discover what it means to love, in a powerful deconstruction of the romance novel.

Hot Torridly Described Sexually Charged Bad Chick With A Fucking Machine Gun and Femdom Fetish Gear. (The Capitals are necessary.)

[Feral Camel]

It was all a dream.

The woman is actually a man on his hit list who had a sex change operation, making her a double agent.

The Main Character was the Bad Guy all along, he has split personality disorder.

The Main Character is delusional and is committing homicide for no reason, the woman is actually a dog with a pink bow, and the bad guy is a dumpster with the word Evil spray painted on it.

The Main Character's mother had a torrid love affair with the Bad Guy many years ago, revealing that the Bad Guy is really the Main Character's father.

The Bad Guy is actually the Main Character from the future, who has returned to prevent a tragedy in the Main Character's life.

The Woman and the Main Character have a sensual and erotic night of passion, however, afterwards he finds out that she is a petri dish of STDs, which he is now afflicted with.

The Main Character finds out that the whole thing was orchestrated by a malevolent Chess Master. Every move he made was calculated, and he has been nothing more than a pawn.

The Main Character's brother is the Bad Guy.

The Woman is actually the Main Character's long lost sister.

The Bad Guy is only low level management in a shadowy organization with the power to topple the governments of 1st world countries.

Every character except for the Main Character are actually ghosts.

The Main Character is a ghost, everyone else is alive.

Every character except for the Main Character are actually robots.

The Main Character reveals that he is a homosexual, and that the hit list is a series of ex-boyfriends.

Puppies.

The President is actually a slayer of vampires, and freed the slaves as a method to exterminate their food source.

The Main Character falls in love with a brooding, mysterious woman with super strength, and speed, who sparkles when in contact with sunlight.

It is revealed that the Main Character's parents died in front of him as a child, leading him to a double life where he is a billionare playboy philanthropist during the day, and a cold merciless vigilante at night.

The Woman is actually an alien sent to Earth to learn about the concept of love. Together, she and the Main Character discover what it means to love, in a powerful deconstruction of the romance novel.

Hot Torridly Described Sexually Charged Bad Chick With A Fucking Machine Gun and Femdom Fetish Gear. (The Capitals are necessary.)

Nice to see M. Night Shyamalan posting on wow forums

OT

whats the women's agenda in all of this? She just helping out for the hell of it?

[Kuniku]

this^^

an "obvious" twist would to have the woman helper become a baddy, betrayal is always a strong theme, covers a new bad guy and adds a twist

[Windry]

The President is actually a slayer of vampires, and freed the slaves as a method to exterminate their food source.

Oh man, this made me lol... every time I see an add for "Ab Lincoln, Vampire Slayer," I just sigh.

[Deleted]

It was all a dream.

The woman is actually a man on his hit list who had a sex change operation, making her a double agent.

The Main Character was the Bad Guy all along, he has split personality disorder.

The Main Character is delusional and is committing homicide for no reason, the woman is actually a dog with a pink bow, and the bad guy is a dumpster with the word Evil spray painted on it.

The Main Character's mother had a torrid love affair with the Bad Guy many years ago, revealing that the Bad Guy is really the Main Character's father.

The Bad Guy is actually the Main Character from the future, who has returned to prevent a tragedy in the Main Character's life.

The Woman and the Main Character have a sensual and erotic night of passion, however, afterwards he finds out that she is a petri dish of STDs, which he is now afflicted with.

The Main Character finds out that the whole thing was orchestrated by a malevolent Chess Master. Every move he made was calculated, and he has been nothing more than a pawn.

The Main Character's brother is the Bad Guy.

The Woman is actually the Main Character's long lost sister.

The Bad Guy is only low level management in a shadowy organization with the power to topple the governments of 1st world countries.

Every character except for the Main Character are actually ghosts.

The Main Character is a ghost, everyone else is alive.

Every character except for the Main Character are actually robots.

The Main Character reveals that he is a homosexual, and that the hit list is a series of ex-boyfriends.

Puppies.

The President is actually a slayer of vampires, and freed the slaves as a method to exterminate their food source.

The Main Character falls in love with a brooding, mysterious woman with super strength, and speed, who sparkles when in contact with sunlight.

It is revealed that the Main Character's parents died in front of him as a child, leading him to a double life where he is a billionare playboy philanthropist during the day, and a cold merciless vigilante at night.

The Woman is actually an alien sent to Earth to learn about the concept of love. Together, she and the Main Character discover what it means to love, in a powerful deconstruction of the romance novel.

Hot Torridly Described Sexually Charged Bad Chick With A Fucking Machine Gun and Femdom Fetish Gear. (The Capitals are necessary.)

LOL, Awesome. Now i feel the urge to attach a movie title to each plot

[cubby]

Nice to see M. Night Shyamalan posting on wow forums

lol, that thought ran through my mind too - i like their suggestions though, sending my poor little brain in new directions

OT

whats the women's agenda in all of this? She just helping out for the hell of it?

She's like a sidekick, but doesn't get involved in the down and dirty hairy stuff - I have her doing tech support and other stuff right now. My plan was to get her kidnapped by the Villain for the finale.

[Pool of the Dead]

She is actually a Man, baby.

[cubby]

She is actually a Man, baby.

Actually a man would be an interesting plot twist, just not for this book.

[Shinzai]

I've got one word for you: causality. The most interesting "bad guys" you could create would be incidental ones. The Austin Powers reference above is actually quite amusing and in the first film, there's a good basis to be made use of: When Steve the security guard is run over, we cut to a scene where we see his family devastated by Powers' actions. It tends to be a given that most characters have either a family, friends or associates that will notice them going missing and sooner or later the consequences of murdering a person will make themselves known.

Look through the hit list that your main character has been clocking up and find someone who would take revenge on their part. The most interesting books I've read practically revel in causality - Game of Thrones is a huge example of this, where small events, brief interactions, little actions, can cause the downfall of a major character.

[cubby]

I've got one word for you: causality. The most interesting "bad guys" you could create would be incidental ones. The Austin Powers reference above is actually quite amusing and in the first film, there's a good basis to be made use of: When Steve the security guard is run over, we cut to a scene where we see his family devastated by Powers' actions. It tends to be a given that most characters have either a family, friends or associates that will notice them going missing and sooner or later the consequences of murdering a person will make themselves known.

Look through the hit list that your main character has been clocking up and find someone who would take revenge on their part. The most interesting books I've read practically revel in causality - Game of Thrones is a huge example of this, where small events, brief interactions, little actions, can cause the downfall of a major character.

I REALLY like this suggestion. Thank you. Working on some incidental scenes tonight.

[cubby]

The Main Character finds out that the whole thing was orchestrated by a malevolent Chess Master. Every move he made was calculated, and he has been nothing more than a pawn.

This might come into play - would take the ending into a more exciting finish.