Why? What makes these stories predictable? First, people expect a twist. It's a standard trope of the genre, and because people expect it, they're on the lookout for it. Second, shorter stories are simpler stories. There's usually a single science fiction or fantasy element that's being explored, so readers know where to expect the twist from. Third, writers learn to set up their twist early in the story. Usually by the first couple of paragraphs, it's already been telegraphed. The reason for this is that readers will complain if the twist comes out of nowhere. They have to be allowed the chance to guess it, so it's expected that there will be hints of it in the beginning. So they now know where to look for the clues to the twist. And if they do that, there's a good chance that they will find it.
Can you frustrate these expectations and make your story really surprising? If I really knew how, I'd be a better writer. But here are some dos and don'ts that have occurred to me:
- Don't rely on word ambiguity for your twist. "Guardian" or "drug test" are words where a little thought can reveal alternative, but equally valid, meanings. If your reader is looking for a twist, he'll pick up on those words, and be able to figure it out.
- Don't put all your clues in one place. You need clues. If your twist comes completely out of left field, your reader will feel cheated. But if you put everything in one place, it will be easy for them to figure out.
- Do write stories without a twist ending. Not every flash fiction story needs a twist ending. As long as you can tell a good story, you can feel free not to try to surprise your reader. Of course, if he's expecting a twist, that in itself may surprise him.
- Do make your stories more complex. If there's one premise or concept, then of course there's a limited number of ways for the story to go. Throw in more ideas, more science fiction or fantasy, or both. This will open up many more permutations and possibilities.
- Do write longer stories. Longer stories are harder to predict. More concepts come into play, there are more plot points and more complexity. Of course, it's possible to write a simple long story, but even in that case, a twist is more of a surprise, since you've had longer to lure your reader into a false sense of security.
- Don't rely on a straightforward reversal for your twist. Want the innocent victim your monster is hunting to turn out to be an even worse monster? It's been done. Want a girl to have cybersex behind her boyfriend's back, only to learn that he's the one on the other end? That's also been done. The reversal twist is a common technique, and has been done so often that it's hard to fool an alert reader with it. The simple reversal is too obvious a possibility to be overlooked, especially in flash fiction stories which often have just two significant characters. But more subtle reversals still work.