You may have heard storytelling terms like "plot twist" and "reveal" used interchangeably, and with good reason. Both feel very similar because both give the audience information in a narrative. Heck, we've probably used both terms too loosely around here.However, I started digging into the differences today, and learned these could actually be defined as two different things. They serve different story functions, though definitions and usage vary across writing communities. For instance, according to TV Tropes, a plot twist can be any number of elements that change the story, but the reveal is the moment it happens. (We don't love that approach, although if it works for you, great.)This is what we think: a reveal gives you information you didn't have. A twist shows you that the information you had was wrong.Let's dive in. Knives Out Credit: NetflixWhat Is a Reveal? When it happens, a reveal is exactly what it suggests—a revelation of information to the audience and/or characters.Good reveals need a proper setup. You're not hiding information unfairly. You're showing the audience enough to make them lean forward without giving away the whole picture. Foreshadowing creates anticipation. When a reveal lands well, it feels both unexpected and inevitable. When you watch a mystery, you're wondering whodunit the whole time. The story makes you aware that there's a question that needs answering. You just don't know the answer yet. The writer controls what you know and when you learn it. Each clue is a reveal.A reveal gives you information...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today