Reversal of expectation is like a mental magic trick. The idea is based on the fact that human brains look for associations and detect patterns. As we discussed in Lesson 8, our readers make assumptions about our characters and plot based on what is taking place and how our characters interact with one another. This can help us to give a lot of “virtual information” to the readers with only a few descriptions, but this also gives us an opportunity to surprise and intrigue the reader. The reversal of expectation is a powerful tool that can awaken your reader’s curiosity and interest.

So, what is it? Simply put, we determine what the logical assumption is about a character, situation or plotline, and then we turn it upside down. By giving the reader exactly the opposite of what he expects, we surprise him and awaken the part of his brain that has “turned off” because it thinks that it already knows what will happen next. Don’t worry if that sounds strange, I will provide plenty of examples!

Reversal of expectation in characters: A character can become instantly intriguing if he or she behaves just the opposite of the way that we expect. We as readers are surprised if the serial killer turns out to be a female, or if the menacing biker guy turns out to be the hero of the piece. Giving a predicable character unexpected traits can make comic or dramatic results. In the movie “The Princess Bride,” there is a scene that shows a Catholic priest, dressed in full formal attire and looking very wise and stern. Then he opens his mouth and we find out that he has a terrible speech impediment. The idea of a public speaker with a lisp is funny because we completely don’t expect it. In the movie “Deep Blue Sea,” a character played by a famous celebrity is making a rousing “we can do this if we try” type speech and he is suddenly eaten, mid-sentence, by a shark. An otherwise average movie is made memorable by that extremely unexpected moment. When you are casting a character in your plot, try imagining the least likely person to fit in that role. You may surprise yourself with the results.

Reversal of expectation in plot: Most stories follow very familiar plotlines, especially in genre writing. When we are reading a romance novel, for example, we know that the man and woman who hate one another at the beginning will end up in love. We attend a slasher movie and we expect the maniac to “rise from the dead” one last time before he is finally dispatched by the hero or heroine. There are many similar “rules” that are well known within certain types of stories. When you find yourself in a cliché plot situation, try to think of an original way to end it. A screenplay writing student presented a scene to me from a script that he was working on. In the scene, a female assassin is planning to bed her victim and kill him in the morning. I suggested that he show the assassin hiding the knife under the mattress and falling asleep. Flash forward to the next morning, and she awakes to find that she overslept. Her intended victim has found the weapon, and he has tied her to the bed. The predator is now the prey. The point is to fool your reader/viewer into thinking that you will follow convention, and then to smash that convention into a thousand pieces. You want to make them sit up in their seat and say, “I didn’t see that coming!”

Reversal of expectation in the climax: The most important place to use RoE is at the climactic point of the story. Your hero is finally confronting the villain. His back is against the wall. It seems that there is no way he can win. Then, suddenly he pulls that final ace out of the deck and comes through at the last possible moment. A classic reversal climax comes at the end of the movie “The Karate Kid.” Our hero has been grievously wounded in his knee and can barely stand. It is his last chance to win the match and end the story in victory, and we think that there is no way. Suddenly he pulls his injured leg underneath his body, and we recognize the Crane Kick technique that he was working on earlier in the film. He lands the blow and wins the match against all odds, making us want to jump out of our chairs with the excitement. This type of reversal only works if we plant the solution earlier in the story. The reader recognizes the plot element from a prior scene and feels that satisfying sense of “aha!” that rounds out the story.

Rules for reversal of expectation: It is important that any reversal of expectation that you use has three elements. It must be unexpected, logical and satisfying. If you leave out any of these elements, the reversal will not work. For example, it would be unexpected if your perfectly ordinary hero suddenly developed super powers that enabled him to beat the bad guy, but it would not be logical. If the hero comes up with a solution that is both unexpected and logical, but has no basis or buildup in prior story, then you will miss out on the satisfaction that readers get from recognizing the hidden trump card that you cleverly planted and hinted at in your story arc. The easiest way to determine if your reversal works is to ask yourself if you would buy it if you read it in a book written by someone else. If it sounds stupid or implausible to you, it will certainly sound that way to your reader!

The Bottom Line: By manipulating your reader’s expectations, you can greatly raise the interest in your story and/or characters. Even one brilliant and well-used reversal of expectation can set your story apart from others of its type.