How Do Pull Off Your Twist Endings?

When I read one of your stories, I know I’m in store for surprising twists that I should have seen coming. How do you come up with these twists, and how do you conceal them so well?

I love good endings, and good twists, and for me a solid outline is essential for this.  I have to know where I’m going so that I can properly foreshadow.  I often say a writer is like a stage magician, and we employ many of the same tricks.  Hiding secrets in plain sight, distracting through the use of what seems obvious or bright and mesmerizing.  Also, good readers of my early drafts (find these people thanked at the start of my books) give me a feel for what people are figuring out and when, so that I can tweak reveals.

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