Twists can elevate or wreck your story. Twists are trying to surprise the audience, and the audience likes to feel smart. Readers like to feel a step ahead, so if you are you to try to pull one over on them, it has to be clever and fun.

Concocting a good ending can seem like a daunting task. It’s the final beat, image, or idea a reader will get from your story. An ending is so important that many, including me in our article on things to do before writing a story, would suggest having it in mind before you even begin writing.

When starting your next story, consider experimenting with one or multiple of these to see if they can help you create a hook so good that anyone who gives your first page a glance has to keep reading.

When you craft a scene for your story, you can create a simple list of goals that will guarantee you don’t technically “waste” a single scene.