Whether they are happy, dark, or ironic, I love twist endings. I stumbled onto “A Letter to God”, a short story by Gregorio Lopez Fuentes (translated by Donald A. Yates). It is about a poor farmer named Lencho who sadly loses his crops during a terrible hailstorm. Poor, but a man with strong faith, he writes to God and asks for money to help him get through the winter. The ending made me laugh out loud – it was so nutty. You can click on the story title to read it online. 

Some of my other favourite short stories with a twist include “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin.

It takes talent and good storytelling to create a twist ending that works. It can’t feel forced or heavy-handed to be effective.

Here are some links you might want to check out:

• Five Ways To End With A Twist (written for screenplays but applicable to all genres)
• Writing Short Stories With A Twist Ending
• Classic Twists (collection of short stories)