Nothing keeps me more engaged with a novel than the slow, creeping sense that something drastic is about to happen, something that will change everything I thought I knew. And this isn't just true for suspense novels, but novels in general.

Cleland's 'Mastering Plot Twists' is a great resource for anyone wanting to start writing or stuck in the middle of their writing. I found the advice useful and the worksheets were interesting to engage with as well. Cleland involves a lot of examples, which was really useful for me since I like learning that way. It might not be for everyone however. I also did feel that as a reviewer this helped me gain new insight into plot twists and properly building up to them.

There was some very useful information in here, but overall I found the writing style difficult to engage with. Like most books on how to write, it could have been much shorter.

An interesting guide to writing. If you're looking for a new book of advice, then this is certainly one you should consider. My personal favourite remains Stephen King's "On Writing" and Ursula le Guin's "Steering the Craft", but Cleland also offers some useful and valuable suggestions/lessons.

It took me a lot longer to complete this book because of the way the content was presented. I didn't feel as engaged as I usually feel when reading craft books. I felt there were too many examples of books with excerpts that highlighted the author's points, but I would have preferred fewer examples and more of the author's opinion on the matter. However, the book is great for writers to navigate how to create plot twists in their novels when they need an example of books to read on further.

I really love the amount of information in this book. There are lots of good suggestions I'll certainly be trying out. I wish the author's earlier book on a similar topic was available as an ebook in the UK so I could read that one too.

Unfortunately I struggled to reach the end of this book properly as the formatting was all over the place and got quite confusing in places. I tried it on both the Kindle Fire and the Kindle Paperwhite, and things like tables, page numbers, headings, pull quotes, etc, were randomly scattered.

It's not in my nature to give a poor star rating to a book I've not actually finished reading, and certainly not when the actual writing is so good. Therefore, my review will remain only on NetGalley on this occasion and won't be shared anywhere else.

Thanks for letting me see this book.

I enjoyed this look at the practical ways in which an author would plan plot twists in his/her work. A good writing reference book.

I actually chose this book to help me evaluate plot in books I review. If I had chosen this book as a writer new to plotting I might have rated it differently. There is information, examples, and some practice, however I wanted a more workbook style. The practice was less detailed than I was expecting and I think mastery of the technique would require more chances to apply. Mastering Plot Twists is a good reference piece, but I wanted more.

The author successfully breaks down topics but there are more examples than explanations. It's as if someone asks you, "tell me how to make a great movie," and then you just have them watch a great movie rather than actually TELLING them what things made it great. What beats to hit or what to really hone in on.

There are useful tidbits in here and for new authors, this can be really helpful. But if you have a few books under your belt and are just looking to further hone your craft, I'm not sure you'll get as much out of it. I did find the section on character motivation useful as well as the portion on pacing.

If you're an aspiring author or looking to craft a better first book, this would be helpful for you.a

3.5 Stars

Mastering Plot Twists is an easy read that helps aspiring authors to get into the topic of writing compelling books. However, the topic remains basic and has often be covered in other books. If you haven't read anything about plots before, go for it! If you have, I don't think you'll find anything new.

Mastering Plot Twists pulls back the curtain on how the writing process works.

Excellent manual on plotting, character motivation and including the unexpected within your writing. Each chapter includes a brief lesson, a multitude of examples, and exercises for the reader to apply the knowledge to their own works. There are also two case studies or stories, which the author uses to illustrate her points. Not only are the case studies from different genres—political thriller and middle grade fantasy—so are the examples making this a useful book for any author. Each chapter concludes with a brief summary of its takeaways. The two tools provided, the TRD (twist, reversal and danger) Development Checklist and the ICE (intrigue, credible and evidence) assessment model will show the underlying skeleton of any book. Jane’s Plotting Road Map will shorten the overwhelming process of writing into manageable chunks.

While marketed to writers, Mastering Plot Twists is an excellent resource for readers and reviewers interested in the mechanics of writing. For both aspiring and experienced writers, there are many tips and tricks to be found here. 4 stars!

Thanks to Writer’s Digest and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

A great resource book full of clear well written advice and guidance for writers, whilst also educating Readers/Reviewers like myself. I am now much more aware of the skills of writers using plot twists and of more aspects of character development, I have a better understanding of genre differences, and of genre overlaps.
A book to dip in and out of.
A book to recommend to writers, writers writing about writers, and anyone with an interest in the craft of writing.

As a nonfiction writer, I was looking forward to reading a book to help me make plot twists, especially since the marketing pitch of the book says that the advice applies to nonfiction writers and not just fiction writers.

Unfortunately, I didn't learn much.

The book is divided into two parts: pre-plotting and plotting.

The book does break down how to introduce Twists, Reversals, and Danger (TRD).
However, I wish there was much more practical "how-to" advice.

I felt that the book spent too much time giving long examples. I realize the author wants to "show not tell" - but I wish there was a bit more telling and less showing.

DISCLOSURE: I was given a free advanced copy to write an objective review.

Plot twists and suspense are ideas I've always associated with thrillers and mysteries, not the kinds of romance stories I write. This book showed me that isn't necessarily the case. Any story can benefit from plot twists to increase reader engagement and immersion.

The information in this book is laid out in a three-pronged approach that makes it very easy to digest. First, the whys and hows of pacing, character motivations, and plotting are represented theoretically. Next, the information is examined through examples (both of published works and several stories the author develops during the course of the book). Finally, the reader is encouraged to apply the exercises to their own story.

Overall, this is an actionable craft book with a conversational writing style that is easy to read. While every writer needs to find their own path in using the information presented, there is enough of value here to make it very worthwhile.

As a wannabe writer, stymied by lack of time to be more than a dabbler at the moment, I found this a great way to tighten up the plot points in my WIP!

A great addition to any writers toolbox. Full of great ideas- I liked the way the book was written with great tips and explanation as to why to do it. Now to put it all into practice.

I've always loved writing but I've had a hard time finishing anything I plan to write. This is why I was looking for a book that would help me plan ahead and let my creativity flourish until my story would be over, and I was glad I could read this book.

This is not the first guide about writing that I've read. I honestly don't think that guides can help much because to write you not only need to have original ideas (or ideas in general) but you also need to be constant. Being constant is one of the most important things when you decide to write a book - whether it's for your own pleasure or for publication. What I think this book had that others didn't is probably the way the author explains each point and proves it with examples from best-selling books and some excerpts written to explain the purpose of each chapter. Besides the example, there are grinds where you can practice what the author just tried to help you with your story et all.

The book is divided in chapters and in every chapter the author discusses characters, storyline and how to help you produce good material. I liked that there was a logic behind the explanations and while I was reading I jotted down some of the tips the author suggested to craft my own book. I don't know if it will ever be written, but at least I learnt new things that would help me improve.

This book is incredibly helpful for someone like me, who is looking into actually writing a book. This isn't the type of book you can just read in one sitting. This is something you read and reference to over time.