Finding that 'good twist' to tell your story

 

“I've always believed that a good twist is one that, when it is presented to the audience, half of them say, 'I saw that coming.' And half of them are completely and totally shocked. Because if you don't have the half that saw it coming, then it wasn't fair: You never gave the audience a chance to guess It.” – Damon Lindelof

Born in New Jersey on this date in 1973, Lindelof is a television writer, producer, and film screenwriter, most noted as co-creator of the award-winning television series Lost.  Both praised and criticized for his writing, he says that that’s exactly what any writer worth his or her salt should hope to achieve.  His ending for the Lost series left some viewers and critics mystified, some angry, and some feeling great.

Regardless of how it ended, Lost received endless praise for its unique brand of storytelling and strong characters and the show never fell out of the top 30 throughout its six seasons on the air.   Since then he has had many other award-winning efforts for both television and film, including the TV shows The Leftovers and Watchmen, and the movies The Hunt and Another Country.

 

“As clichéd as it sounds,” Lindelof said,  “if you have an original voice and an original idea, then no matter what anybody says, you have to find a way to tell that story.”