Turn, turn, and turn it again
I’ve talked about this multiple times, and it bears repeating as I keep seeing examples of your writing and how by simply applying the turning idea (or twisting, or flipping, or reversing, or whatever word you want to use to a complete upside down turnaround of the events) it can be improved.
Lately it was by watching Mindhunter that I was reminded of the importance of it again. And, of course, after starting to write Book 2 of T.U.B.E. and training myself to slow down and think and do the same.
What I mean by it is turning the end of every story element on its head.
That means, every sentence. Every paragraph. Every scene. Every chapter. And the book itself overall. So you start a sentence making the reader think one thing, then end it on the opposite. Something like, “He grabbed the biggest lump of sugar.” The word “sugar” throws you off at the end of the sentence. The words “grab” and “lump” make you think of something else, something big. Your mind is guessing, trying to figure out what it is, and then BOOM! It’s just sugar. Then the same must happen in the next sentence. And then at the of the paragraph the whole thing must turn. And so on.
Practice it, and see how it’ll improve your writing. How you’ll get hooked on figuring out how to keep turning every story element. This will get your readers turn the pages. And that’s what you want, right? I thought so.