Writing Tips We Can All Learn From TV Dramas (Part 3)

3. Know when to push a "big reveal"

One of FLASHFORWARD’s plot twists is that FBI agent Janis is actually a mole working on the inside, spying for CIA. But when her real role is revealed too soon for the story, our expectations of her character change and we’re left to perceive her as a desperate deserter in place of the thick-skinned female agent we’ve come to know and love.

By THE VAMPIRE DIARIES season finale (spoiler alert!), we’ve been led to believe that Katherine, the devious love of the Salvatore boys and vampire mastermind behind the goings-on of Mystic Falls, is somewhere close by. Throughout the episode we see nothing of her, and it’s not until the end when we’re able to easily mistake her for Elena that she makes her grand entrance.

Timing really is everything here. Between crucial information and plot twists, when you choose to reveal a story element really does make a difference. Too soon and your reveal lacks the critical build-up needed to make it believable; a reveal too late will make your audience wonder if they missed it.

Next up, another tip in Part 4!

Writing Tips We Can All Learn From TV Dramas:
Part 1
Part 2
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Photo Credit: marvin L