Story Predictability

I’ve been thinking about stories and how predictable they can be. I know a lot of you are creators/comic artists/writers, and if you’ve done your studying on creating a good story you would know the basics of a good story structure. Then based on that certain structure a writer could create good stories and plots. Good story-tellers follow them and great story-tellers follow and break them.

Lately I’ve found that I can predict some, not all, story plots in movies or TV shows. There are a few well told stories where I’m pleasantly surprised by the ending. That just increases my love for the movie/TV show/writers. How is it for you guys? Do you enjoy being able to predict the endings? Or would you rather enjoy a good surprise? I personally enjoy a good surprise. 🙂

As I’ve been writing and creating I feel as if my stories are too predictable and cliched. I want a good well-written plot with a twist ending. I know I can be my own worst critic but sometimes I feel that if a scene is too easy to figure out, I try to twist it so it’s less predictable. Then it makes the story much more complicated. I don’t know if the reader understands or can follow the story if I use that technique too much.

However, since I know the ending of my stories I get flustered thinking that my readers will either figure out the ending or get confused and think the end is a total bomb. I know there is a happy medium but I’m still learning. I should give my readers credit, they are intelligent. However, I’m afraid my skills to carry them through the story won’t be sufficient and would leave them staring blankly at the page. Too often I found myself reading the end of a good book only to find the end unsatisfying. It ruins the series for me and makes me lose faith in the writing skills of the author.

Don’t get me wrong, I know there are many talented and well-written authors who have started and ended their stories wonderfully. I guess I feel that I just don’t want to be one of those “failed” authors/creators. Practice does make perfect and I know I should just do it but it can be hard sometimes not knowing how others will react to your story. An author’s wish is to always hope that their readers enjoy the story.

Sorry for the self-doubt. Just wanted to get my thoughts and ideas out there. Are there any of you writers/creators who also noticed this? Or is it just me? lol Feel free to discuss here or on Twitter. 🙂