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Here’s one of the most important screenwriting tips you’ll ever hear: the key to dynamic screenwriting is utilizing the element of surprise. Shocks and surprises are some of the most effective weapons in the screenwriter’s armoury, and should be used not only at the big act turning points but in the smaller scenes also.

Surprises occur when the writer chooses not to reveal certain information, usually about what one of the characters in the scene is really thinking. Everything seems to be going in one direction, but then suddenly a character will do an abrupt twist and we’re off in the opposite direction. So, in order to master the element of surprise, it’s important to know when to reveal what information.

Contrast is another important factor in making things more surprising. You need to think, “How can the before and after the surprise be as different as possible?”

The easiest way to explain this is by taking a look at a couple of scenes which utilize contrast and surprise to great effect.

Pulp Fiction

The opening scene of Pulp Fiction is two people sitting in a diner talking, but minutes later the conversation turns to robbery and they jump out of their seats with loaded guns. In other words, there’s a strong contrast between their stationary poses / seemingly innocent conversation, and their pulling out guns, which surprises the viewer.

Let’s see what happens when the writer chooses to reveal too much information. Tarantino could quite easily have written the scene with the two criminals walking along the street, discussing which diner to rob. Then, they spot one, and burst in with guns drawn. Which is the more interesting version?

Lethal Weapon

Re-watch the scene in which Riggs goes out on the ledge of a high rise to talk down a guy who wants to commit suicide. After Riggs talks with him a short while, he snaps handcuffs on his wrists and jumps. Shane Black uses the scene to exemplify Rigg’s character—he’s volatile, capricious, and not afraid to die. By making him suddenly jump off the building with the guy, he’s showing all these qualities at once through surprise.

Imagine if Black had written the scene like this: Riggs goes out on the ledge dangling a pair of handcuffs. He persuades the guy to put them on and they jump. Same result—Riggs has shown he’s a bit of a nutcase, but the effect is lost by revealing too much information all at once, rather than surprising the viewer with action.

So, remember to keep your cards close to your chest at all times and it’ll be easier to surprise the audience with the twists and turns they love.