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So in a fantasy (or any genre I suppose) novel, most people want some sort of twist or unexpected event to keep them on edge and interested. But how many plot twists can there be without it getting out of hand?
Is one major unexpected twist enough for readers, or do you need a few more? Maybe you prefer it to be like "Lost"? Let me know how many plot twists it takes to make a book good, or even ruin a book for you.

You don't necessarily need any twists.

Unexpected suprises are things that keep us interested.

Now there are plot twists like M. Night Shamalfdgnslbgapbgaan has, and then there are plot twists like "Luke...I am your father..."

How many unexpected surprises are prefered then?

Buttlerthepug wrote:How many unexpected surprises are prefered then?

However many it takes to tell the story. Could be none could be a million (that might get a little annoying though @.@) You don't want the reader to start getting pissed because you keep twisting their arm around

There's no real guideline, it's purely down to author preference. Readers will get tired if there's a twist on every page, but if they're not spaced right, then they'll get bored between them.

Generally, a fairly large twist around 5/9 of the way through with a minor one around 3/9 and 7/9 should be fine, if that; if it's well done then you might only need a minor one at 1/3 and a larger one at 2/3 if you're planning later additions to a series.

Some of my favourite movies, such as The Proposition, pretty much let you know in the first couple of scenes how the whole movie will play out. There's a lot to be said for that kind of story, just letting things unfold naturally, and putting the emphasis on character and theme, rather than trying to outsmart the reader with more and more plot twists.

I'm certainly not averse to plot twists, and the odd really good one that throws the narrative on it's head and makes you look at everything that came before in a new light can make a good story great. But the idea that you need to have twists and keep surprising the reader to keep them interested is the kind of thinking you see more in penny dreadfuls than in good stories.

I totally thought this was a thread for M. Night Shamawow